Jotter by ZawebaJot it down, pick it up later.
A plain notepad with tabs that never loses a word. Quick notes and text files in tabs. Close it whenever you like: every tab, saved or not, is there when you come back.
This version isn't signed for Windows yet: if SmartScreen warns you, choose More info › Run anyway. Why?
The Mac app isn't notarised by Apple yet: the first time, open it, then go to System Settings › Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway. On Linux, make the AppImage executable (right-click › Properties, or chmod +x) and run it, or install the .deb.

Jotter by Zaweba is a super simple notepad with tabs. Press Ctrl+N for a fresh tab, type, and move on. An unsaved jot is named after its first line, and a dot on the tab shows what's changed. Open text files several at a time, drop them on the window, or just start typing.
Close Jotter whenever you like and it asks nothing. Every tab, saved or not, comes back next time, and your notes are written to disk a few seconds after each change. It keeps each file's encoding and line endings as they were, and it's one small program with nothing to install.
Who it's for
- Anyone who keeps quick notes open all day
- People who edit settings and text files
- Office workers pasting text to clean off formatting
- Anyone who has lost an unsaved note to a closed window
Good to know
- Plain text only, with one level of undo, to keep it simple
- Opens files up to 64 MB
Private by design
- Works offline, with no account and no adverts.
- Checks zaweba.com once a day for a newer version, sending only the app's name.
- Problem reports and feedback are sent only if you click Send.
Everything you need, nothing you don't.
Tabs for everything
Ctrl+N opens a tab, Ctrl+W closes it, Ctrl+Tab moves between them and Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+9 jump straight to one.
Nothing is lost
Close the window without saving and every tab is back next time, unsaved notes included.
Find bar
Ctrl+F to find, Enter or F3 for the next match, Shift+F3 for the previous, with match case.
Keeps your files as they were
UTF-8, UTF-16 and ANSI files keep their encoding, and Windows or Unix line endings stay as they are.
One window
Opening another text file sends it to the Jotter that is already open, as a new tab.
Small and quick
One small program of about 175 KB that opens in a moment, with no extra files or runtime to install.
Close it, come back, carry on
Jotter saves its session as you go, so there's no 'Save changes?' box when you close it. Shopping lists, phone numbers and half-written replies sit in their tabs until you're done with them. Closing a single tab with unsaved changes still asks first.
- Unsaved tabs named after their first line
- Written to disk 5 seconds after a change
- Stored only on your PC

The details
| Works on | Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), macOS 12 or later (Apple silicon and Intel), Linux (64-bit, x86 and ARM) |
|---|---|
| Opens | Any plain text file up to 64 MB |
| Encodings | UTF-8 (with or without BOM), UTF-16 and ANSI; CRLF or LF line endings |
| Size | About 175 KB on Windows, using the .NET Framework 4.8 built in; about 40 MB on Mac and Linux |
| Stored in | Your user profile (on Windows, under %APPDATA%\Zaweba\Jotter) |
| Version | Version 1.0.2 |
| Download | ZawebaJotter-1.0.2.zip (0.1 MB): unzip and run, no installer |
| Licence | Free for everyone, with every feature included. No warranty |
Jotter FAQ
What happens to notes I never saved?
They stay in their tabs. Jotter keeps them in your profile and reopens them next time, until you save them as files or close their tabs.
Will it change my file's encoding?
No. Each file is saved in the encoding and line endings it had. The one exception: if you add characters an ANSI file can't hold, it is saved as UTF-8 rather than losing them.
Does it do formatting or spell check?
No, Jotter is deliberately plain text. For formatted documents, use Write by Zaweba.
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Download Jotter by Zaweba: no account, no adverts, every feature included.