Compare Focused vs. Notula

Focused sets a new standard for markdown writing applications, allowing users to truly immerse themselves in their work. Developed by Codebots, this app is built on the impressive foundation of Realmac Software's Typed app, delivering a unique experience for Mac users. Unlike other writing tools, Focused not only eliminates distractions but also actively enhances your concentration. Markdown, designed by John Gruber, is a straightforward text format that simplifies web content creation without requiring any HTML knowledge. Using markdown syntax, you can easily indicate the purpose of various elements within your document; for instance, placing a # before a word signifies that it should be formatted as a title. This format does away with the need to remember complicated HTML tags, and an increasing number of blogging platforms now support markdown for content creation. With Focused, you'll find no unnecessary clutter or distractions, just an expertly designed suite of tools dedicated to helping you write effectively and maintain your focus. Ultimately, Focused transforms the writing process into a seamless and enjoyable experience.

Notula is a complimentary WYSIWYG Markdown editor designed for documentation as code, seamlessly integrating with your existing git repository. It presents the repository as a structured tree of documents, allowing users to edit without any visible syntax—no hashes, asterisks, or table pipes distracting them, even on the line where the cursor is located. Beyond basic editing, it introduces a review feature that traditional code editors lack, enabling users to comment on text passages, reply to comments, mention collaborators, suggest modifications, and mark discussions as resolved, with each mention generating a notification that appears in an inbox. In this system, threads are maintained alongside the documents as plain files, ensuring that nothing is directly altered within the Markdown itself, which preserves the integrity of minor edits, such as a single-word change, as simple diffs. Tables can be manipulated directly as tables, while Mermaid diagrams are rendered as visual representations. The application utilizes the existing git on the user's machine, maintaining a non-intrusive approach by never rewriting history, staging the entire worktree, or changing branches. It is entirely free, requires no user account, and operates independently of any server, supporting both macOS and Windows, though a version for Linux is still in development. While the source code remains proprietary and the builds are not yet code-signed, users should be prepared for an additional step during the initial launch to ensure a smooth experience.