8 alternativesBike: Free to start
The best Bike alternatives
For most people the best alternative to Bike is MindNode, and the best free one is Cotypist.
MindNodePick it if you think visually and want a mind map that turns into an outline.Free to start
CotypistPick it if you write a lot of email and messages and want autocomplete in every app, with the model running on your own Mac.Free to startAlso great
ScrivenerPick this if you're writing a novel, script or thesis and need sections you can rearrange beside your research.$59.99 onceCompare at a glance
Bike is highlighted, so you can see what you give up and what you gain.
| App | Price | How you pay | Mac | iPhone | iPad | Watch | App Store | Developer | Setapp | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bike | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | Too few ratings | |||||||
| MindNode | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | 4.6 | |||||||
| Scrivener | $59.99 once | Pay once | Too few ratings | |||||||
 Ulysses | From $5.99 | Subscription | 4.6 | |||||||
 iA Writer | From $19.99 | Pay once | 4.6 | |||||||
 Typora | $14.99 once | Pay once | Too few ratings | |||||||
| Cotypist | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | Too few ratings | |||||||
 MarkEdit | Free, open source | Free | Too few ratings | |||||||
 Wymark | Free | Free | Too few ratings |
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The alternatives, in order
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Pick it if you think visually and want a mind map that turns into an outline.
Mind maps that fold into outlines and stay in your own iCloud, free for basic maps on every Apple device.
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Pick this if you're writing a novel, script or thesis and need sections you can rearrange beside your research.
Break a book or thesis into movable sections with research beside the draft, for $59.99 once and no subscription.
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Pick it if you run a blog or write long pieces and want every draft in 1 library that syncs.
A distraction-free writing library for blogs and books that publishes straight to WordPress and Ghost.
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Pick it if you want a calm screen, plain Markdown files and a nudge when you lean on filler words.
A calm Markdown editor that dims everything but your current sentence and flags filler words as you write.
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Pick this if you write in Markdown but want the page to look finished while you type.
A Markdown editor that hides the symbols and shows formatting live, with exports to PDF, Word and EPUB.
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Pick it if you write a lot of email and messages and want autocomplete in every app, with the model running on your own Mac.
Inline autocomplete for every Mac app, generated on your Mac, with a free tier of 100 accepted words a day.
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Pick it if you want a free Markdown editor that opens as fast as TextEdit, even with huge files.
A free, 4 MB Markdown editor that opens as fast as TextEdit and handles huge files without lag.
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Pick it if you write in Markdown and regularly hand drafts to Claude, ChatGPT or an editor for revisions.
Track changes and comments for plain Markdown files, so you can review every edit an AI or a colleague made.
When Bike is still the right pick
You plan articles, projects or talks as nested lists and want a keyboard-first outliner.
Bike prices and verdictFree to start