Due to the huge number of writing apps currently in the market, there can be no single best writing app for everyone. Every writer needs different tools, has a different pace, has different goals for their content. Some need to write an English assignment for school while others need to write blogs or fan fiction; there are endless possibilities for using a writing app.
Ever since the pandemic hit, everything has been moved online from schools to offices. Instead of submitting assignments using a pen and paper, you are now required to submit an assignment online, which is why everyone requires a writing app suited to their taste and style. Due to plenty of choices in the apps you can use to write your blog or submit an assignment for school, we have gathered the 15 best writing apps in 2021.
The Best Writing Apps in 2021
1. Google Docs/MS Word/Pages (Free)
Google Docs, MS Word, and Pages are standard word-processing apps widely used by many people. You can use Google Docs and MS Word on almost every device. Apple Pages is also available on iPadOS, iOS, and macOS for free. Google Docs is a free online writing app that writers can use on any device, a phone, or a PC. MS Word comes free with many Windows PCs, so many people use it as a default.
MS Word, Google Docs, Apple Pages are not created with any specific type of writer in mind; instead, they are created to be used by everyone, which is why you may not get specialized features available on other apps catering to certain types of writers.
These apps, however, come with some templates that you can use to make resumes, cover letters, brochures, etc. Due to their availability and ease of use, Google Docs/MS Word/ Pages are some of the best writing apps available on the market.
Supported Platforms:
Google Docs/MS Word: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Windows, Android
Apple Pages: iOS, iPadOS, macOS
2. Notion (Free)
Notion is a text editor, task manager, calendar, database all rolled into one. It is an incredibly flexible tool that you should definitely consider using. Notion describes itself as an all-in-one workspace, and it is true for the most part. You can use Notion to schedule tasks, save and manage files, set tasks, and of course, write. What differentiates Notion from other similar tools like Monday is that you can use Notion for literally anything while Monday can only be used for work.
Notion is free with some premium plans if you like them. You get unlimited pages and blocks for the free plan, syncing across all your devices and sharing with up to 5 other users. Premium pricing starts at $4 per month for the Personal Pro plan, which gives you everything from the free plan with unlimited file uploads and unlimited guests. Due to its price and the feature set it offers, Notion is a great tool for writers.
Price: Free, Premium starts at $4 per month
Supported Platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows
3. Ulysses (Paid)
Ulysses is an Apple-only writing app that comes with a wide variety of features to set itself apart. It can be used on iOS, iPadOS, macOS and comes with fast and easy syncing, so you can always pick up where you left off. (Do note that syncing occurs over iCloud, so you need to have enough storage left on your iCloud account.)
Ulysses has a clean and distraction-free UI and is one of the best writing apps for bloggers and copywriters because you can directly publish your work to platforms like WordPress and Medium. You can save your drafts to a library, export documents as PDFs or e-books directly from the app. You can also set writing goals to keep track of your progress. Ulysses also lets you add Dropbox folders to your text library. So, if you prefer to store your texts in plain text files or collaborate with others, you can.
Due to the plenty of features Ulysses has, it may be the best writing app for you. However, it is not for everyone at $49.99 per year or $5.99 per month, especially since writers can’t use it on Windows or Androids.
Price: $49.99/year or $5.99/month, free trial available
Supported Platforms: iOS, iPadOS, macOS
4. Reedsy (Free)
If you are an author and looking for an app to write books and plays, look no further because Reedsy may be the best writing app for you. It has got tons of features that make it easier to write and publish books. Reedsy is a web app that means writers can use it on all of their devices. Like Ulysses, Reedsy also comes with a clean and distraction-free UI. You can use Reedsy for collaborative live editing and export your work as an e-book straight to distributors.
Reedsy also has a marketplace where you can find collaborators, ghostwriters, editors, etc. You can keep track of changes while editing with tools such as track changing, versioning, and commenting. You can join Reedsy Prompts and get a chance to win cash prizes. You can join 5 Reedsy Prompts a week.
Reedsy is not for you if you have a differing workload, like doing assignments, writing books, editing blogs, etc. But if you are an author, then Reedsy is one of the best, if not the best, writing apps for you.
Price: Free
Supported Platforms: Web App
5. Scrivener (Paid)
Scrivener is not the prettiest but one of the best writing apps for novelists or long-form authors who need to organize their research. After writing, the app’s secondary focus is to help you organize your resources like character stories or subject research. The app requires a learning curve and might be a little complicated for first-time users.
That said, if you are a novelist, then Scrivener is probably the best writing app for writing your novels. You can also split Scrivener’s text editor and have up to 4 documents open side by side, making it easier for you to see something you wrote in a previous book or chapter to maintain consistency. You can also make the text editor full screen, so you don’t have any distractions.
Unlike other subscription-based apps, you can get Scrivener for a one-time cost of $45. This means that you don’t need to worry about all those monthly payments. This old-school method of owning the app you pay for has one caveat: if you switch operating systems or no longer need Scrivener, you won’t get your money back.
Price: $45
Supported Platforms: macOS, iOS, Windows
6. Plottr (Paid)
Plottr is a plotting software used by authors to plan their novels. It is one of the best writing apps for novelists but won’t catch the eye of non-fiction authors. Plottr helps authors plot out their stories along with various sub-plots. You can complete the plots, download them and use them to write your story or book. Plottr has a clean and “no-frills” UI, which is simple to use even for first-timers.
Plottr has various features such as creating a plot with a template, creating characters to add the characters flaws, Bio, goals, motivations, conflicts, etc. Like adding characters, Plottr also allows you to create worlds or places to add attributes like adding characters.
Plottr offers both subscription-based and one-time payments for downloading Plottr. The subscription prices are $25, $45, $65 per year for 1, 3, and 5 devices. You can also pay one-time and own the app, which costs $99, $149, and $199 for 1,3, and 5 devices. This flexibility allows more users to purchase and use Plottr.
Price: Starts from $25 per year or $99 one time cost
Supported Platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows
7. iA Writer (Paid)
While most apps try to draw you in with their boatload of features, the main selling point of iA Writer is to offer limited features. iA Writer is for authors who don’t want to be distracted with many features and focus on their writing. iA Writer is one of the best writing apps for authors who get distracted very easily.
iA Writer offers tons of distraction-free features such as full-screen writing and dark mode, making it one of the best writing apps in its class. iA Writer also does away with subscription-based plans and instead offers a lifetime membership for $29.99.
Price: $29.99, free trial available
Supported Platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows
8. Storyist (Paid)
Like Scrivener, Storyist also helps you keep all your research or resources organized. Storyist, however, is a little easier to learn and use for first-timers. It has features like clicking on a character name to see where they appear in a Novel or clicking on the name of a place to see what all has happened there. These features help you maintain consistency in your stories or novels.
Storyist is one of the best writing apps if you are a Novel or author who writes long-form content. At $59.99 for a lifetime subscription, Storyist isn’t for everyone. Still, if you are a professional author, it is definitely worth considering and is one of the best writing apps in the market.
Price: $59.99
Supported Platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS
9. Grammarly (Free)
While not a really good writing app to write in, Grammarly is great for checking spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in your work. Just paste your work in Grammarly, and it will tell you about all the spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, punctuation marks, misting, etc.
Grammarly also has a web extension that you can use to detect spelling mistakes and grammatical errors while writing things like emails on the web. Grammarly is free to use, but it does have a Premium version for $11.66 per month which offers additional features such as plagiarism detection, word replacements, etc. Grammarly can be a great tool for someone who struggles with spelling.
Price: Free, $11.66 per month for premium
Supported Platforms: Web App, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, Android.
10. Hemmingway (Free)
Hemmingway, named after Ernest Hemmingway, famous for straightforward prose and understatement, is one of the best writing apps to make your work less complicated and clutter-free. The app highlights lengthy, complex sentences and common errors, which can help you shorten or change them. The app also highlights words with shorter synonyms; you can hover your mouse over them for suggestions.
Like Grammarly, it is better to paste your work in the app for it to give suggestions. Hemmingway isn’t the best writing app for everyone; it focuses on writing long sentences and overcomplicates things. The Hemmingway desktop app costs $19.99, while it is free to use online.
Price: $19.99 or free online app
Supported Platforms: Web App, macOS, Windows
11. Evernote (Free)
Evernote is one of the best writing apps for writers who have a lot on their plate. For someone who needs to save a lot of pictures or links or make loads of lists. Evernote can be a bit confusing when you start, but you get used to it over time, and it is a great way to organize your documents.
If you want to do some basic writing, then the free plan has got you covered. The premium plan has features you may not even use. Evernote’s web clipper tool is great for getting about anything from the internet. For $7.99 a month for the premium subscription, you can get features like linking your calendar, notes, searching for PDFs or notes, customizing your dashboard, etc.
Price: Free, $7.99 per month for premium
Supported Platforms: Web App, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, Windows
12. FocusWriter (Free)
FocusWriter is a no-frills, no distractions word editor and is one of the best writing apps if you get distracted too much. It has customizable backgrounds and a built-in timer so you can write your heart out.
Focus writer doesn’t give any formatting options; instead, your background and the text editor are all you can see, which makes for a great distraction-free place to work on your next write-up.
Price: Free
Supported Platforms: Linux, Windows
13. Airstory (Paid)
Like other apps on this list, Airstory is a great writing app if you need to organize your research or resources neatly. Airstory merges the research and the writing process by saving your notes on cards which you can then drag and drop into a document. Airstory has a web-clipper tool that lets you save anything on the internet, from a sentence to an entire page.
Airstory comes with some pre-built templates which you can use to save some of your time. You can also export your work to Google Docs or WordPress.
Airstory may be the best writing app for you if you do a lot of research for your write-ups. Airstory is a web app which means that it can run on almost any device, and being free might tempt you towards it instead of other paid alternatives.
Price: Free
Support Platforms: Web App
14. ProWritingAid (Free)
Like Grammarly, ProWritingAid is also a spell/grammatical error checker, ideal for fiction writers. ProWritingAid is available as a web app via web browsers on macOS and Windows. It also integrates with MS Word/Outlook, Google Docs, Scrivener, Open Office, and Final Draft so you can edit wherever you like.
ProWritingAid corrects your grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in real-time; it also suggests word replacements. It has over 20 Writing Reports which highlight elements like repetitiveness, vague wording, sentence length variation, etc. ProWritingAid also has a built-in thesaurus so that you can find the perfect word for your sentence. ProWritingAid tool handles things like fragmented sentences and dialogue better which makes it better for editing fiction.
Like Grammarly, ProWritingAid has a free version, or you could buy the Premium version if you like for $20 per month or $79 per year. Compared to Grammarly at $11.66 per month, ProWritingAid seems the worst choice; however, if you are a fiction writer, you should seriously consider ProWritingAid.
Price: $20 per month, $79 per year
Supported Platforms: Web App
15. Readable (Paid)
Readable is a tool designed to help bloggers, copywriters, marketers, and authors improve their content’s readability. It is an application powered by various algorithms that gives a proprietary ReadablePro score within minutes.
Readable then recommends the best ways to improve your content to get better engagement, boost sales and increase readability. You can use Readable for Websites, Documents and developers can even use the ReadableAPI. Readable highlights elements such as
- Long sentences
- Complex words
- Clichés
- Adverbs
- Instances of passive voice
- Tone – is your text formal or conversational?
- Sentiment – will your copy be perceived as negative or positive?
Readable starts at $8 a month or $48 a year for the ContentPro plan. Due to its relatively low price, Readable is a great tool for writers to learn how to get more engagements for their posts.
Price: Starts at $8 a month or $48 a year
Supercharge your Writing with these Writing Apps
That ends our list of the best writing apps in 2021. You should choose an app that does what you need for the price you need it at. For example: Do you need a place to organize research? Do you need a distraction-free app? or do you need a spell or grammar checker? I hope you liked our list for the Best Writing Apps in 2021. If you have any recommendations, you can write about them in the comments below.
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