Sarala
Markdown that reads like a finished document.
Sarala is a minimal writing app that renders Markdown the moment you type it — no split panes, no preview window, no friction. Free forever, open source, and yours to hack on.
Built with a fast, modern, native stack
You write the markup. We render it instantly.
Most editors split your screen in two: raw text on the left, a preview on the right, and a scrollbar
fighting between them. Sarala collapses both into one surface. Type
**bold** and it turns bold under your cursor — the syntax stays close, but never
in your way.
No split, no lag
The document you edit is the document you'll publish. Rendering happens on the same line you're typing.
Markers when you need them
Move your cursor into a heading or link and its Markdown reappears — color-coded, ready to edit.
Smart list & block continuation
Sarala auto-numbers lists, carries over unchecked tasks, continues blockquotes, and handles code fences for you.
#The quiet tools
Good software is **invisible**. It lets you forget it's there and _just write_.
A tool should feel like a pencil, not a cockpit.
- –Zero chrome
- –Pure keyboard flow
- ✓Reads like print
Learn more at [sarala.md].
One plain-text file. Every kind of content.
Tables, code, math, diagrams, footnotes — all written in text you'll still be able to read in ten years, and rendered the moment you type them.
Tables, without the pain
Draw a table with pipes and dashes, or use the visual builder. Sort columns, add rows, and align cells — Sarala keeps the underlying Markdown tidy.
| Feature | Sarala | Others |
|---|---|---|
| Live render | instant | on save |
| Math | LaTeX | plugin |
Fenced code
Shiki-powered syntax highlighting for 100+ languages, themed to match your palette.
return "hi"
Math & equations
Inline and block LaTeX, rendered with KaTeX as you write.
Diagrams
Flowcharts and sequences from Mermaid code blocks.
Images, footnotes, links & tasks
Drag an image in and it's copied beside your file with a relative path. Footnotes,1 reference links, and ☑ task lists all render live — and export cleanly to HTML, PDF, or Word.
Pick a palette. The whole app follows.
Every Sarala palette is a complete, hand-tuned color system — backgrounds, text, and a six-color accent set for your syntax. Click any card to recolor this entire page, right now.
**bold** · code
**bold** · code
**bold** · code
**bold** · code
**bold** · code
**bold** · code
**bold** · code
Find your flow and stay in it.
A file tree, a live outline, focus mode and typewriter scrolling — the tools that keep a 5,000-word session from ever feeling like one.
Live outline
Every heading becomes a jump-to anchor as you write.
Focus mode
Dim everything but the sentence you're writing.
File tree
Open a folder and Sarala becomes your whole notebook.
Typewriter mode
The line you type stays centered on screen.
Export anywhere
One document, every format. Your words aren't locked in.
Free forever. Owned by everyone.
Sarala is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0. No price, no license keys, no telemetry — read the source, build it yourself, fork it, and ship your changes back.
$0. Always.
Yours to read and change.
Download a build for your OS, or clone the repo and compile it yourself. Same app, no paywalled features, ever.
No telemetry
Sarala never phones home. Your files, your keystrokes, and your habits stay on your machine — verifiably, because you can read the code.
Built in the open
Every line is on GitHub under GPL-3.0. Open an issue, send a pull request, or fork it into something entirely your own.
Plain-text forever
Your documents are just .md files on disk. No proprietary format, no lock-in — open them in any editor, any decade.
Stop previewing.
Start writing.
Free, open source, and yours to keep. Download Sarala and feel the difference a calm, instant editor makes — in the first paragraph.