Bean review
A focused offline Mac editor with broad format support, but no collaboration tools.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Bean is a free macOS word processor for people who want focused desktop writing rather than a cloud collaboration service. It supports rich-text and plain-text editing alongside DOC, DOCX, ODT, PDF, HTML, and RTF files. Writers can see live word and character counts, work in full-screen mode, and use page-layout views with an optional two-page view. Its local, offline approach suits Mac users who prefer an uncluttered writing application and do not need browser-based teamwork.
Its feature set is centered on practical document creation. Template documents can include boilerplate text, while free-form headers and footers support more flexible page structure. Split-window editing helps when working across document sections, and the formatting inspector and highlighting tools provide additional control over rich-text documents. Regular-expression search is useful for more advanced text finding, and date-stamped backups add a document-recovery safeguard. Together, these features make Bean more capable than a bare text editor while keeping its focus narrow.
The main trade-off is platform and workflow scope. Bean is a local macOS application, so it is a fit for individual Mac writers who value offline access and format flexibility. It is not suited to teams that need collaboration, track changes, integrations, or AI-assisted writing. According to the vendor's published information, version 3.x is closed source, and Bean has no monetary cost. Choose Bean for straightforward desktop rich-text editing; choose another word processor when shared editing or a broader connected ecosystem is central to the workflow.
Bean pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free macOS word processing with offline editing
- Supports DOC, DOCX, ODT, PDF, HTML, RTF, plain text, and rich text
- Backups, templates, split windows, and flexible page-layout views
- Where it doesn't
- Available only on macOS
- No collaboration or track changes
- No integrations or AI features
Bean fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update