Zettlr key facts
Last updated- Legal entity
- Hendrik Erz (Individual Developer)
- Headquarters
- Sweden (SE)
- Ownership
- Independent
- Infrastructure
- Self-hosted (Local Desktop App)
- Open source
- No
- US Cloud Act exposure
- Low (no US parent)
- Replaces
- Microsoft Word
About Zettlr
Zettlr is a free, open-source Markdown editor tailored for researchers, journalists, and academics. It emphasizes a 'local-first' philosophy, ensuring that users have complete control over their data by storing all files locally on their own devices. The application is built to support complex writing projects through features like Zettelkasten-style note-taking and advanced readability metrics. The project is positioned as a political alternative to 'platform capitalism,' advocating for digital sovereignty and the 'extended mind' theory. Because it does not utilize a cloud backend or collect user data, it inherently minimizes privacy risks associated with data-extracting proprietary software. It is actively maintained by the community and its lead developer, Hendrik Erz.
Alternative to
Hosting & Security
Self-hosted (Local Desktop App)
Key Features
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