The Write Practice

Book Writing Software (2024): Top 10 for Writers

by Joe Bunting | 20 comments

Writing a book is hard. I've written fifteen books and at some point during each one I had the thought, “There has to be a tool, a piece of book writing software, that would make it easier to reach my writing goals.”

Book Writing Software - Top 10 Pieces of Software for Writers

The good news is there  is  book writing software that can make the writing process and meeting your daily goals easier!

(The better news is that once you've found the right software, we have the best resources to help you finish your book, like this book idea worksheet , which will get you started on your book in just a few minutes. Get your free copy here. )

In this article, we will cover the ten best pieces of software for writing a book and look at the pros and cons of each. Click the links below to get our review on the best writing software.

Best Writing Software: Contents

  • Google Docs
  • Google Sheets OR Microsoft Excel
  • ProWritingAid
  • Publisher Rocket
  • Microsoft Word
  • Bonus: Note Taking Apps
  • Bonus: Google Drive OR Dropbox

Worst Pieces of Software for Writing a Book

Before we discuss writing software that will help you write a beautiful book, it's important to understand (and eliminate) what will hurt your writing progress. At least while you're writing a book:

  • Video Games.  Especially World of Warcraft (always, always, always!) but also Solitaire, Sudoku, Angry Birds, Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, and Wild Rift/League of Legends.

No World of Warcraft for Writers

  • Facebook, TikTok, and Other Social Media Software.  Do I really need to say more? Fortunately there's a piece of book writing software for avoiding this very distracting software (see Freedom below). You can't write a book if you spend you writing time publishing social media posts.
  • Other Productive Software Not Directly Associated With Your Writing.  Yes, it's good to reconcile your bank account on Quickbooks or make sure you're up to date on your calendar app, but responsible, well-meaning work can easily be an excuse for a quick distraction that turns into a major distraction from writing your book.

Set aside time for your writing every day and then stay focused. If you need a game, make writing your daily word count your game. If you want more “likes” on social media, imagine how great getting five-star reviews on your book will be.

If you need to check your bank balance several times a day, think about what your bank balance will be when you stop checking it constantly, finish your book, and become a successful author. Now let's talk about some book software for authors that can help you with your book writing process.

The 10 Best Pieces of Book Writing Software

First, there is no such thing as the perfect book writing software. No amount of key features or book writing templates or editing features will write a book for you. Still, these ten book writing software options can help. Take a look at the pros and cons of each:

1. Scrivener (Word Processor)

Scrivener  is the premier book writing app made by writers  for  writers. Scrivener's “binder” view allows you to break up your book into chapters and sections and easily reorganize it with drag and drop interface.

You can also get a high-level view of your book using the corkboard and outliner modes, allowing you to view book chapters, sections, or individual scenes as index cards. Project targets let you create word count goals and then track your progress daily. Its composition mode can help you stay focused by removing all the clutter.

Scrivener Deadline Week 3

Scrivener has formatting features for publishing (e.g. on Amazon or Barnes & Noble), as well as basic features for distraction-free writing, and has templates for novels, nonfiction books, screenplays, and more.

You can read our  full Scrivener review here .

To be fair, Scrivener also has its weaknesses. Formatting is more complicated than it needs to be and collaborating isn't easy, meaning it loses its effectiveness as soon as you bring on an editor (we recommend Google Docs for collaborating).

You can sync with your iPhone/iPad, but only through Dropbox, making it not as easy as it should be. It also has something of a learning curve, especially for its advanced features. But it more than makes up for that by being so helpful in the early stages of the writing process. Again, here are the pros and cons for Scrivener.

Pros of Scrivener:

  • Easily manage a large book writing project (or screenplay) in the binder view
  • Get a high-level view of your book's structure using corkboard and outliner views
  • Manage your writing productivity with project targets and deadlines
  • iPhone and iPad app

Cons of Scrivener: 

  • Formatting can be overly complicated
  • Learning curve
  • ​Syncing with Dropbox isn't always easy
  • No Android app

We believe in Scrivener so much, we published a book about how creative writers can write more faster using it. It’s called  Scrivener Superpowers .  If you’re using Scrivener or want a tutorial to save yourself time as you learn how to use it for your creative writing, you can  get Scrivener Superpowers here . You can also learn more about how to use the software with one of these resources:

  • Scrivener Superpowers  by M.G. Herron
  • 3 Reasons I Love Scrivener
  • Microsoft Word vs. Scrivener

Cost: $59.99 for Windows, Mac

Scrivener  is the premier book writing app made by writers  for  writers. It's powerful set of tools allow you to write, organize, edit, and publish books.

  • Easily manage writing projects
  • Made by writers for writers
  • Corkboard and outliner views
  • Project targets and deadlines
  • iPhone and iPad app
  • Complicated formatting
  • Steep learning curve
  • ​Syncing isn't always easy

Scrivener

2. Dabble (Word Processor)

Similar to Scrivener, Dabble is a word processor that gives you the power to organize and rearrange scenes and chapters using drag and drop, manage your word count goals to keep to a deadline, and plot like a pro. (Screenshots seen here are in the optional dark mode.)

Dabble Review: Best book writing software

Dabble has a plot grid that allows you to easily see a macro view of your story. You can rearrange as needed, find plot holes easily, and make notes on each plot point as detailed as you like. 

Dabble Review: Best book writing software

Collaboration is easy. You simply add a co-author and they will be sent an invitation. They must also have a subscription or they will only be able to read the document. 

You can insert images in any scene or note, or add title images to chapters or full page images within or between chapters. You can even set cover art for the manuscript. 

Focus mode in Dabble is automatic. Simply start typing and everything else fades away. No need to worry about saving every few minutes either.

Dabble is cloud-based and automatically saves as you go. You can access your manuscripts everywhere: in your browser, on your phone, or in the desktop app. As you're writing, you can make notes and comments.

Don’t want to type? You can dictate. And when you’re done writing, there’s a Read to Me feature that reads your manuscript to you!

Cost : Subscription plans range from $10/month to $20/month; Lifetime access cost is $499; 14-day free trial 

Dabble is a word processor designed specifically for books. It gives you the power to organize and rearrange scenes and chapters using drag and drop, manage your word count goals to keep to a deadline, and plot like a pro. 

  • Easy Learning Curve
  • Streamlined collaboration
  • Cloud-based syncing
  • Built-in Dictation
  • Easy Exporting
  • Word count targets and deadlines
  • Plotting tool
  • Subscription service
  • Lifetime access cost is high
  • Only simple formatting options

Dabble

3. Google Docs (Word Processing)

While Scrivener and Dabble are a great book  writing  software, once you get to editing and getting feedback, it begins to fall short. That's why Google Docs has become my go-to piece of book writing software for collaborating with editors, beta readers, and other writers.

It's free, easy to use, and requires no backups since everything is in the cloud.

Best of all are its collaboration abilities, which allow you to invite your editor to the document and then watch as they make changes, which are tracked in suggestion mode, and leave comments on your story (see screenshot below).

Google Sheets Editing: Best Book Writing Software

I also like the outline feature in the left sidebar. You can display it by clicking View > Show Outline. Then format the chapters and main sections of your manuscript as headings to make them appear in the document. You can then easily visualize and even click through your book to navigate it. This feature isn't as useful as Scrivener and Dabble's binder, but it makes navigating your book much easier.

While not the best for brainstorming, writing, or organizing your book, Google Docs, the free word processor available in Google Drive, is the single best word processor for collaborating with co-writers, beta readers, or editors.

  • Real-time collaboration with editors, beta readers, or other writers
  • Suggestion mode
  • Outline View
  • Few large-document organization features
  • No productivity features
  • Usually requires an internet connection

Google Docs

4. Google Sheets OR Microsoft Excel (Spreadsheet)

If you’d told me when I was first trying to become a writer that one of my most-used tools in my book writing software toolkit would be a spreadsheet, I would have told you I didn't major in English to have to use a spreadsheet.

But now, as I'm finishing my fifteenth book, I realize that I use spreadsheets almost daily. Spreadsheets allow you to get a sense of the elements of your book at a glance, and when you're working on a 300-page document, distilling it down to useable information becomes very necessary.

You might use spreadsheets for:

  • Character tracking
  • Breakdown of scenes
  • A Foolscap/Beat sheet

Google Sheets is perfect for this because it's free and you can quickly share your documents with your writing partners, editors, or beta readers to get feedback.

Microsoft Excel is another great option, but Excel lacks the real-time editing with other users and is overall lacking in the collaboration functions. Still, if you already have Excel, it's a great way to quickly get started plotting your book or managing your project.

Google Sheets

  • Real-time Collaboration : Work with editors, beta readers, or co-authors in real-time.
  • Speed : It's fast and responsive, which is useful for quickly developing an outline or managing a project.
  • Cost-effective : It's so cost-effective it's free!
  • Handling External Spreadsheets : Managing spreadsheets from other sources like Excel can be annoying.
  • Internet Dependency : Although there's an offline mode, the overall experience is better with an internet connection.

Microsoft Excel

  • Familiar : If you already own or have used Microsoft Office, it should be familiar to you.
  • Advanced Feature : Excel is slightly more powerful than Google Sheets (although for most writing related tasks, you will likely not need advanced features).
  • Offline Access : Unlike Google Sheets, Excel doesn't require an internet connection, which is handy for working on-the-go.
  • Cost : Unlike Google Sheets which is free, Excel comes with a cost as part of the Microsoft 365 Office Suite.
  • Collaboration : Although Excel has collaborative features, they're more streamlined in Google Sheets.

5. Vellum (Book Formatting/Word Processing)

If you want to turn your book into an eBook, it's not that hard. Scrivener, Word, Pages, they all can format eBooks and print books. But that doesn't mean they'll look good. In fact, it takes a lot of skill and effort to format a printed book that looks good on any of those word processors.

That's why I love Vellum so much.

Vellum makes beautiful books.

Vellum: Top Book Writing Software

Vellum picks up where Scrivener, Word, and Pages leave off, giving you a tool to make great looking eBooks and print books, usually in under an hour. The most important part of this is the previewer (see the image below), which lets you see how each formatting change or book edit you make will appear on Kindle, Fire, iPhone, Nook, and other eReaders.

Vellum Previewer: Best Book Writing Software

It also has stripped-down, option-based formatting, which is perfect for designing both eBooks and print books. I really love this writing app!

Vellum is a book formatting tool to quickly and easily create beautiful eBooks and print books, often within an hour. It features a book previewer which allows you to see how your book will look on various eReaders and in print, and offers a simplified, option-based formatting to format beautiful books faster.

  • Ease of Use: Easy to navigate and use, even for inexperienced writers.
  • Quick Formatting: The simplified, option-based formatting lets you create books in as little as an hour.
  • High-Quality Aesthetics: Delivers visually beautiful books.
  • Book Previewer Tool: View how your book will appear on various eReaders as you work.
  • Platform Limitation: Restricted to Mac users.
  • Style Restrictions: Limited design and styling options can be a drawback for some.
  • Cost: Higher price point compared to some other formatting software.

Vellum

6. ProWritingAid (Grammar/Spell Check)

Can a grammar checker replace an editor?

Definitely not. But if you ask Alice Sudlow, our in-house editor, she'll tell you, “If you don’t have access to an editor (or if you do, but you don’t want to hire them to edit your emails or Facebook posts), software that performs grammar checks like  ProWritingAid  is an accessible, affordable alternative.”

If you struggle with grammar mistakes, sentence structure, spelling, or even writing style, ProWritingAid can help. It goes far beyond your built-in spellcheck. You should still learn grammar skills, but ProWritingAid can help you start to see the patterns and grow as a writer.

There's a free version that's very good. It can even be installed into your browser or Word processor, so you can check your grammar wherever you write.

The paid version, just $96 a year with our discount link (33 percent less than Grammarly ‘s price), gives you additional support on sentence structure, style, and vocabulary. Learn more about how writers can get the most out of ProWritingAid here .

ProWritingAid

  • Grammar and Style Correction: Gives "as-you-type" grammar corrections as well as comprehensive style analysis to help you write clearer, more engaging prose.
  • Writing Insights: You can learn a lot about your writing style with their detailed reports on readability, sentence structure, and more.
  • Integration: You can integrate it with nearly any other writing tool or word processor..
  • Subscription Cost: While more affordable than other options, there is a subscription cost for for full access.
  • Overwhelming Feedback: Not all the feedback is useful, and without knowledge of the book writing process, you may get distracted by the amount of feedback.
  • Internet Requirement: You must have an internet connection for most types of feedback.

Grammarly

  • Easy to Use: User-friendly design (slightly more easy to use than ProWritingAid in my opinion).
  • Spell-Check and Grammar Check: Detailed spelling and grammar check functionality.
  • Goal-Setting Feature: It can help you tailor suggestions based on writing goals.
  • Broad Integration: Works with many platforms (the Google Docs integration isn't very good though).
  • Cost: While the free plan is robust, the premium plan is more expensive compared to ProWritingAid.
  • Google Docs Integration: Lacks a fully functional integration.
  • Big Picture Feedback: Does not provide as much overarching edits and style-based feedback as ProWritingAid.

7. Publisher Rocket (Book Marketing App)

How do you know if your book will sell? Wouldn't it be nice to know if there is a market for your book  before  you start writing? How do you find the most readers on Amazon for your published book? For all of these questions, Publisher Rocket has an answer.

Read our  full Publisher Rocket review here .

writing software meaning

Publisher Rocket a book marketing research tool that helps you understand what readers actually want  and  how to connect with them with your books. Here are some things you can discover in Publisher Rocket:

  • What phrases Amazon buyers are actually searching for.
  • The psychology of how readers choose to buy books.
  • How much money readers are spending on certain niches and topics.
  • How much money specific books are making per month (for example, books that might be competing with yours).

I've personally used Publisher Rocket to take mid-list books to #1 bestseller status on Amazon. It's an amazing tool, perfect for anyone working on a book.

We also like KD Spy, another Amazon research tool (check out our review here ). You can compare and contrast the two tools below:

Publisher Rocket

  • Target Popular Keywords: Helps writers find specific phrases readers are using on Amazon to discover books.
  • Market Understanding: Offers a clear view of what books are competing with yours (and how many sales they make, historically).
  • Category Identification: Find the most relevant Amazon categories for your book.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works on both PCs and Macs.
  • Learning Curve: May require some time and education to fully utilize all features.
  • Cost: One-time purchase required.
  • Amazon-Centric: Tailored for Amazon, may not be as effective for other platforms.

KDSpy

  • Amazon Category Research : Analyze Amazon book categories to understand competition and profitability.
  • Keyword Tools : Provides niche and seed keywords to help in market understanding.
  • Competition Snapshot : Ability to get an overview of your competitors.
  • Traffic Light System : Visual cues to understand keyword difficulty and category competitiveness.
  • Limited Keyword Data : Doesn't provide Amazon search numbers.
  • Browser Extension : Limited to browser usage, not a standalone software.
  • Basic Keyword Tools: Keyword functionalities are quite basic compared to Publisher Rocket.
  • Dependent on Amazon : Insights are tailored for Amazon, may not apply to other platforms.

8. Atticus (Book Formatting/Word Processing)

Once you've  written  your book, how do you turn it into something people can actually  read ? If you're self-publishing, you need a tool like Atticus.

Atticus is a book formatting and word processing tool that allows you to take your manuscript and quickly and easily format it for publishing, including print and eBook formats.

But Atticus is more that just a formatter. It's an all-in-one solution for writers, giving you the organization features of Scrivener, the cloud collaboration features of Google Docs,  and  the book formatting abilities of Vellum. Yes, that's just as cool as it sounds!

Atticus Home Screen

It also works on all platforms, whether you're working on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, or even Linux. While I still love and use Vellum (see below), the benefit of Atticus is that it works for everyone, not just Mac users. Learn more about Atticus in my full review.

  • All-in-One Solution : Combines writing and formatting capabilities seamlessly.
  • Multi-Platform Availability : Available on PC, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook.
  • Cost-Effective : Priced lower than some competitors like Vellum while offering similar capabilities

Cons: 

  • Learning Curve : While intuitive, mastering advanced features may require some time.
  • New Software : Being relatively new, it might have fewer features compared to established software, with some desired features planned for future updates.
  • Crude Formatting : Out of the box formatting options aren't as refined as Vellum and will require more tweaking.

Atticus is a complete book writing and formatting tool that merges the capabilities of an online word processor with plug-and-play book formatting features. It can function as a one-stop solution for authors, with collaboration tools between authors, editors, and book designers, to take your book from idea to finished, publishable product.

Atticus

9. Freedom (Productivity App)

One question writers always ask me is, “How can I stay focused enough to finish what I write?” I have too many thoughts on that for this article, but as far as using writing software to encourage focus goes, I recommend Freedom. It's my favorite writing tool for a distraction-free writing experience.

Freedom allows you to enter focus mode, blocking your biggest distractions, including both websites and mobile apps, for a set period of time. So when you mindlessly escape your book to scroll through Facebook, you'll find the site won't load.

You can also schedule recurring sessions, so that at a scheduled time (e.g. Mondays from 6 am to 10 am), you won’t be able to access the sites on your blocklist, even if you try.

There are other apps like this that we've written about before, notably Self-Control for Mac and StayFocused for Windows. But Freedom goes further, allowing you to block sites on both your computer  and  your phone, and enabling recurring sessions.

You can learn more about  how writers can get the most out of Freedom on our review here .

Freedom is a productivity app that can help writers in stay focused by blocking distracting websites and mobile apps for a designated period or during specific schedules, like during your morning writing time.

  • Distraction Blocking : Helps you concentrate on writing by blocking distractions.
  • Scheduled Focus Sessions : Schedule your focus mode in advance for recurring undistracted writing sessions.
  • Mobile Device Syncing : Getting it working with mobile devices can be a bit challenging.
  • Bypass Possibility : It's possible to find ways around its blockers if one tries hard enough.

Freedom

Cost: $29 / year for Pro version, which I use and recommend (there's also a free trial available)

10. Microsoft Word (Word Processor)

Again: no piece of book writing software is going to write your book for you. If you're looking for the next “shiny new toy” to help you write your book, it might be an excuse to avoid doing the hard work of writing.

Most of us learned how to use computers by using Microsoft Word, or a program like it. Word gets the job done. Sure, Scrivener is a little better for books, but I wrote my first book on Word and it's fine.

I wrote a long review of  the pros and cons of using Word to write books —the main problem is that as your document grows, it becomes more and more difficult to work with, whereas with Scrivener, it becomes easier—but the point is, if Word is what you have, don't let that stop you from finishing your book.

You don't need a fancy tool to plan a book in the early stages, like if you draft a character description for your protagonist, or in the editing stages, like if you want to make comments on scene details.

As Jeff Elkins said in  his review of Word , “If you aren’t already putting in the hard work to be the kind of writer you want to be, it doesn’t matter what new writing software you invest in. It is not going to help.”

Microsoft Word is the industry standard word processing software. While limited in its features for writing books, it provides a familiar platform for writers to create, share, and review their work.

  • Familiar Interface : Known and used by many, making collaboration easier.
  • Extensive Features : Provides a wide range of writing and formatting tools.
  • Cost : Requires a subscription to Microsoft 365.
  • Lack of Book Writing Features : Despite its extensive feature set, it lacks specialized tools for book writing included with applications like Scrivener or Dabble.
  • Lack of Real-Time Collaboration : While it offers some collaboration features, it falls short in real-time collaborative editing compared to some cloud-native applications like Google Docs.

Cost: $69 / year with Microsoft 365 (includes Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and other Microsoft software)

Note:  Another word processor we can't recommend is yWriter, which while it has a cult following and was designed by a fellow novelist, seems to be out of development and has no support for Mac/OSX.

BONUS #1: Google Drive OR Dropbox (Cloud Backup)

There's nothing worse that finishing a great writing session and going to save your work, then your computer crashes and you discover you've lost your best writing. It's enough to send any writer into the throes of grief and depression. There's a simple solution, though: save a copy of ALL your writing to the cloud using Google Drive, Dropbox, or BOTH.

Here's my process:  I have all my Scrivener book files saved on a folder on Google Drive on my computer. Then, Scrivener automatically backs up every few minutes to a Dropbox folder. That way, I know I will always have the document I need, no matter what happens. Best of all, both of these apps have free plans, making it extremely foolish NOT to use them.

Pros of Drive:

  • Universal cloud backup
  • Automatically syncs
  • Free or inexpensive

Cons of Drive:

  • Setup is a bit tricky the first time
  • Maybe you WANT to lose your writing when your computer crashes

Cost: Free with Paid options

Sign up for Google Drive here »

Sign up for Dropbox here »

BONUS #2: iOS Notes OR Evernote OR Ulysses OR Bear (Note Taking)

When I'm writing for a long time, I like to get up and go for a walk. Sometimes, I wish I could continue writing while I walk. Other times, I find myself brainstorming ideas while I'm not at my computer, typing it up on my phone, and then wanting to easily move what I wrote to my laptop without having to go through the hassle of emailing it back and forth to myself.

That's where note taking apps like Ulysses and Evernote come in.

Ulysses Book Writing Software

iOS Notes, Ulysses ,  Evernote , and  Bear  are note taking apps that allow you to sync between all your devices, so you have what you need wherever you are, ideal for jotting down ideas or thinking through your book while you're out and about.

While Scrivener recently released an iOS app which allows you to sync between devices, their process is clunky and requires you to purchase both the mobile and desktop apps. These note taking apps make the process much more seamless.

Like Scrivener, they all have a binder-like sidebar that allows you to move documents around. None of them are designed specifically for books, so they may take a little configuring to make it work for you, but once you have one set up the way you want, it's very intuitive.

And while I hate Markdown, a markup language that allows you to format your text, I actually like the paired-down formatting options Ulysses and Bear give, especially for brainstorming. Overall, I wouldn't convert from Scrivener to any of these apps, but as supplements, they work great.

Pros of Evernote:

  • Sync notes between devices
  • Write as you go
  • Capture ideas

Cons of Evernote:

  • Free plan is limited
  • Becomes clunky as you get more notes
  • Better for note taking than managing a large writing project

iOS Notes  Cost: Free with any iOS device

Get the app here »

Evernote  Cost: Free with Paid options

Ulysses Cost: $45 Note: Ulysses is only available for Mac, either in the App Store or from their website.

Bear Cost: $1.49 monthly / $14.99 yearly Note:  Bear is also only available for Mac, either in the App Store or from their website.

Bonus #3: Hemingway App (Style Checker)

Most writers think their sentences are easier to read than they are. You think you're coming across clearly, that your writing makes sense, but then someone reads it and comes away with something totally different. Hemingway App (sometimes called Hemingway Editor) helps with that.

Hemingway App Purple Prose

Hemingway App is a free website that checks readability. You can copy and paste your writing into the website's input box. Then it will grade your writing based on your used of   adverbs , passive voice , and sentences as units . Hemingway App is useful, but even the best book writing software can’t replace a good editor.

Pros of Hemingway:

  • Fast, easy style advice

Cons of Hemingway:

  • Somewhat arbitrary advice
  • Hemingway himself would fail

Cost: Free!

Try out Hemingway App here »

The 30+ Tools Every Writer Needs

30 Tools to Write, Publish, and Market Your Book

Writing is no different, and while the right software is important, it's just one of the many tools you need as a writer.

That's why we published a list of all of our favorite tools for everything related to being a writer.

You can  download our tools for writers guide for free here .

The Most Essential Book Writing Software

Imagine it's three thousand years ago.

You're sitting around a campfire with some of your family and friends, tired from the day's work. You begin to tell a story. It's one you've told before, told a hundred times. You can see faces around the fire, the children with their eyes wide, the men and women who have heard the story before but still enjoy it because it brings meaning to their lives.

Storytellers—writers—have existed since the beginning of humanity. They didn’t always have book writing software. They didn't have the printing press or the internet. They didn't always even have the alphabet to write their stories down. Instead, storytellers had their imaginations, their voices, and a rapt audience. Y

ou don’t need book writing software to write a great story. Book writing software can make the process a little faster or easier, but the truth is great stories will always exist, no matter what kind of software we have.

The only three things essential to writing a great book:

  • Your imagination
  • A desire to tell your story

That’s all you need. Do you want to write your book? If you do, then do it. Write it. Nothing is stopping you except you.  So go get writing.

What pieces of book writing software do you use?  Let us know in the comments .

The world is full of powerful software to help you write your book. In the end, though, all these tools are just that—tools. The stories you imagine and your discipline to put the words on the page are far more important.

So for this practice, set aside all the fancy software. Eliminate all the bells and whistles and open up your computer's native text editor (TextEdit for Mac or Notepad for Windows).

Take fifteen minutes to write without any distractions.

Continue your work in progress, or start a new story based on this prompt: A student discovers one of their teachers is not what they appear to be.

When you're done, share your writing practice in the Pro Practice Workshop . And if you share, be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers!

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Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

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Free writing software: 24 tools to help you create better content, faster

Find the best brainstorming, researching, writing, and editing tools.

writing-editing-apps primary img

As a freelance writer, I try to keep my app costs lean, so I'm a sucker for free writing tools. But with so many writing apps on the market, it's hard to tell which free options are actually valuable.

I've done some of the legwork for you by bringing together some of the best free writing apps on the internet. All of the options listed here are tools the Zapier team or I have used and enjoyed.

For this roundup, I prioritized completely free tools and freemium apps with a forever free plan that was sufficient for actual regular use. Many of the options have paid plans, but those plans are generally geared toward power users.

Researching and note-taking software

Writing software

Editing software

Proofreading software

The best free writing software at a glance

Free writing tools for brainstorming and organizing your thoughts, best free writing software for expanding your ideas.

MindMeister (Web, iOS, Android)

MindMeister, our pick for the best free writing software for brainstorming with a mind map

If you like to perform mind mapping to get your thoughts on paper and connect them, MindMeister gives you a virtual space to do it. It includes templates for the traditional mind map as well as more specific layouts for frameworks like SMART goals, case studies, and content plans.

Want to learn more about mind mapping? Check out Zapier's list of the best mind mapping apps , or discover nine ways to use mind maps to jumpstart your projects.

MindMeister pricing: Free for up to 3 mind maps; from $5.99/month for premium plans , including features like unlimited mind maps, advanced exporting, and group sharing

Best free writing software for creating content outlines

Workflowy (Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome, iOS, Android)

WorkFlowy, our pick for the best free writing software for creating content outlines

Outlines are a writer's best friend , and Workflowy lets you go as deep or shallow as you want. This tool organizes your outline into bullet points that you can click to nest and expand however you want.

Workflowy pricing: Free for up to 250 bullets a month ; from $4.99/month for the Workflowy Pro plan with expanded features like unlimited bullets and uploads

Best free writing software for brainstorming together

Miro, our pick for the best free writing software for brainstorming together

When you need to write something in collaboration with others, the brainstorming process is one of the trickiest to facilitate with technology. Miro lets you plot out ideas with mind maps, Kanban boards, virtual sticky notes, and whatever strategy you use to get your thoughts down. The free plan allows for unlimited team members to brainstorm with at the same time.

If whiteboards aren't your preferred brainstorming method, explore Zapier's picks for the top brainstorming tools for more collaborative and solo apps.

You can even use Miro with Zapier (also free), so you can automate your brainstorming workflows. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started.

Create Miro widgets with new Trello cards

Trello logo

Add Miro cards from new rows on Google Sheets

Google Sheets logo

Miro pricing: Free for 3 whiteboards with unlimited team members; from $8/user/month for plans with unlimited whiteboards and advanced collaboration features

Best free writing software for brainstorming topics

Ryan Robinson's Keyword Research Tool (Web)

Ryan Robinson's Keyword Research Tool, our pick for the best free writing software for brainstorming topics

Go to the Ideas tab of Ryan Robinson's Keyword Research Tool , and it'll provide ideas related to your query. Since it's a keyword tool first and foremost, these ideas are designed to be less competitive on search results, too.

If you're looking for keyword research tools specifically for their main purpose, check out Zapier's roundup of the best free keyword research tools .  

Keyword Research Tool pricing: Free

Best free writing software for brainstorming ideas with AI

ChatGPT (Web)

Example of ChatGPT, powered by the GPT-3.5 model, writing marketing copy for a newsletter: headlines, taglines, and call-to-actions.

With the rise of AI , some writers use GPT-based apps to brainstorm ideas and build the base for an outline. ChatGPT is the best free option—and the one you know and love—or you can check out even more GPT-powered writing apps in Zapier's list of the best AI writing generators . 

You can also combine GPT with Zapier to send ideas to your favorite project management tool.

ChatGPT pricing: Free; ChatGPT Plus is $20/month

Best free writing software for brainstorming out loud

Your computer's dictation software (MacOS, Windows)

Windows dictation software

If you process your thoughts best through speaking, there's a brainstorming app already on your computer. Boot up Windows 10 Speech Recognition on Windows or Apple Dictation on Mac to record your thoughts as you brainstorm out loud.

For mobile and premium dictation app options, check out Zapier's list of the best text dictation software .

Windows 10 Speech Recognition and Apple Dictation pricing: Free

Free writing tools for research and note-taking

Best free writing software for keeping everything in one place.

Notion (Web, MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android)

Notion, our pick for the best free writing software for keeping everything in one place

Notion's balance of organization and spontaneity make it a great place to hold your notes, links, social media posts, transcriptions, and any other resources you need to write that draft. Plus, depending on your writing preferences, you can then write the draft itself in Notion—all for free. 

Add Zapier integrations to the mix to bring even more of your writing life together. Here are some pre-made workflows to get you started.

Save new tasks in Google Tasks in Notion databases

Google Tasks logo

Add new Microsoft Outlook calendar events to Notion databases

Microsoft Outlook logo

If Notion doesn't meet your needs, try one of these Notion alternatives . Zapier also has a list of the best note-taking apps for you to browse.

Notion pricing: Free plan available; from $8/user/month for team plans

Best free writing software for finding free copies of paywalled research

Unpaywall (Web)

Unpaywall, our pick for the best free writing software for finding free copies of paywalled research

Have you ever come across a search result for the perfect research article, only to discover it's behind a paywall? Unpaywall gets you across those paywalls ethically by looking for legitimate free versions of paywalled academic research. It looks at sources like journals' open-access repositories and university and government databases, so you're never infringing copyright.

Unpaywall pricing: Free

Best free writing software for transcribing interview and video content

oTranscribe (Web)

oTranscribe, our pick for the best free writing software for transcribing interview and video content

oTranscribe simplifies the manual transcription process by placing your audio controls and a word processor on the same screen. This tool has keyboard controls and speed adjustment, so you can seamlessly transition between your audio and transcript.

If you're willing to pay a bit, here's Zapier's list of the best transcription apps and services .

oTranscribe pricing: Free

Best free writing software for collecting research from other people

Google Forms (Web, iOS, Android)

Google Forms, our pick for the best free writing software for collecting research from other people

When you need original quotes or data from other people, a free survey tool or form builder will help you organize it all. Google Forms is an accessible choice for most people because it's completely free and works with the rest of Google Workspace.

Turn your form responses into Trello cards, Notion database entries, or any other nugget of info that serves you well with Google Forms' Zapier integrations .

Create Trello cards from new Google Forms responses

Google Forms logo

Share Google Forms responses in a Slack channel

Slack logo

Google Forms pricing: Free

Free writing tools for solo and collaborative writing

Best free writing software for collaborative writing.

Google Docs (Web, Chrome, iOS, Android)

Google Docs, our pick for the best free writing software for collaborative writing

Google Docs' straightforward interface and ease of use make it a great tool for writing solo, but this app really shines through its collaborative features . Its suggestion, sharing, and version history features put it on par with its paid alternatives at no cost to you.

You can connect Google Docs to all the other tools you use with its Zapier integration . Here are some ideas for free automations you might set up.

Create new Google Docs from text with new rows in Google Sheets

Google Docs logo

Create new Google Docs when Trint transcripts are ready

Trint logo

Not a fan of Google Docs or don't want to create a Google account? Find another great option in Zapier's guide to the best collaborative writing apps .

Google Docs pricing: Free

Best free writing software for messages and blurbs

WordCounter (Web)

WordCounter, our pick for the best free writing software for messages and blurbs

Sometimes you need to write a small amount of text, such as a message or a blurb, without the pressure of accidentally hitting the Enter button too early. WordCounter acts as a combination clipboard and editor with a word count that saves your work in your browser cache for the next time you visit.

WordCounter pricing: Free

Free writing tools for editing

Best free writing software for finding the perfect word.

OneLook Reverse Dictionary and Thesaurus (Web)

OneLook Reverse Dictionary and Thesaurus, our pick for the best free writing software for finding the perfect word

OneLook Reverse Dictionary and Thesaurus offers all the synonyms you could dream of like a regular thesaurus, but it stands out in its reverse dictionary capabilities. Enter a phrase—or even a full sentence—to get words that match that meaning. This feature comes in handy when you want to write more concisely or find that word that's on the tip of your tongue.

OneLook Reverse Dictionary and Thesaurus pricing: Free

Best free writing software for finding the right word—anywhere

Power Thesaurus (Web, Chrome, iOS, Android)

Power Thesaurus, our pick for the best free writing software for finding the right word—anywhere

As a freelance writer, I find myself needing to switch up words when I write on various platforms across the internet. Power Thesaurus gives me synonyms, antonyms, definitions, and other forms of word assistance wherever I like to write. It can do the same for you—put it to use on its website, in your browser, on your phone, in Google Docs, in Word, and in Gmail.

Power Thesaurus pricing: Free for fundamental features; starting from $2.49/month for Power Thesaurus PRO , featuring filters and a wider selection of synonyms

Best free writing software for rewording what you write

Wordtune (Web, Chrome, iOS)

Wordtune, our pick for the best free writing software for rewording what you write

When you just can't get phrasing right in your writing, you might turn to a friend or editor to help you sort it out. Wordtune acts as that person by offering suggestions to reword, expand, and shorten your content using AI. It doesn't have as robust of a free plan as some of the other options on this list, but it provides enough if you need assistance here and there.

If you want more features and are willing to pay a monthly fee, you can put AI to work in your editing process with Zapier's list of the best AI rewording and grammar-checking tools .

Wordtune pricing: Free for up to 10 rewrites, three AI prompts, and three summaries a day; from $9.99/month for advanced plans featuring more rewrites, AI prompts, and summaries

Best free writing software for clear and concise writing

Hemingway Editor (Web, macOS, Windows)

Hemingway, our pick for the best free writing software for clear and concise writing

Inspired by Ernest Hemingway's concise writing style, the Hemingway Editor points out opportunities to sharpen your writing. This tool highlights passive voice, complex sentences, and adverbs that make your work harder to understand. It also supplies a readability score to estimate how accessible your writing is to a broad audience.

Hemingway Editor pricing: Free for editing in the Hemingway web app; $19.99 for the Mac or Windows desktop app

Best free writing software for creating compelling headlines

CoSchedule Headline Studio (Web, Chrome)

CoSchedule, our pick for the best free writing software for creating compelling headlines

CoSchedule Headline Studio helps you write compelling headlines by analyzing the sentiment and word balance in your titles. Type in a headline to get a score and test different variations based on the suggestions you get. The Google Chrome extension and WordPress plugin let you analyze headlines wherever you go.

CoSchedule Headline Studio pricing: Free for basic features; from $8/month to buy "Premium Headline" credits that give you access to an SEO score, AI writing features, headline suggestions, and word banks for a certain number of headlines

Best free writing software for finding and removing cliches

Cliche Finder (Web)

Cliche Finder, our pick for the best free writing software for finding and removing cliches

Cut cliches out of your writing using Cliche Finder . After you paste your text into the textbox and click the Find Cliches button, the tool will highlight any cliches in bold, red text. It's up to you from there, but the tool is 100% free.

Cliche Finder pricing: Free

Best free writing software for finding jargon in your text

De-Jargonizer (Web)

De-Jargonizer, our pick for the best free writing software for finding jargon in your text

Another writing mechanism that gets in the way of clarity is jargon—terms that only people in a specific role will understand. The De-Jargonizer highlights potential jargon in your writing in orange in red for you to consider rephrasing.

Once you identify jargon in your text with the De-Jargonizer, you can get suggestions for rewriting it from Zapier's Corporate Jargon Translator , built using Zapier's free AI chatbot builder .

De-Jargonizer pricing: Free

Best free writing software for varying your wording and sentence length

Expresso (Web)

Expresso, our pick for the best free writing software for varying your wording and sentence length

Two of the best ways to amp up your writing are to switch up your words and sentence length. Expresso helps you achieve both of these goals by breaking your writing down into metrics based on word usage and sentence length, such as frequently repeated words and average sentence word count.

Expresso pricing: Free

Best free writing software for comparing your writing to AI content

GPTZero (Web, Chrome)

GPTZero, our pick for the best free writing software for comparing your writing to AI content

Due to the complexity of the AI situation, it can be tricky to truly detect AI writing with an AI content detector . But, as one writer discovered in our guide to standing out from AI , these tools work well for picking out human content that sounds like AI due to repetitive phrases and generic writing. GPTZero is a free option that judges text based on perplexity (complexity) and burstiness (sentence variation).

GPTZero pricing: Free for documents up to 5,000 words and batch uploads of up to 3 files; from $9.99/month for plans with higher word and batch limits

Free writing tools for proofreading

Best free writing software for catching spelling and grammar mistakes.

Grammarly (Web, macOS, Windows, Android iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

Grammarly, our pick for the best free writing software for catching spelling and grammar mistakes

Check for spelling and grammar mistakes everywhere you write with Grammarly . It looks for even the nit-pickiest details, like missing dashes and incorrect prepositions. Stick to its web editor, add it to your favorite writing tool, or add the browser extension to check your writing wherever you go.

Grammarly pricing: Free for the basic spell- and grammar-checker; from $12/month for plans with advanced features like tone, vocabulary, and rewrite suggestions

Best free writing tool for proofreading short-form content

ProWritingAid (Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

ProWritingAid, our pick for the best free writing tool for proofreading short-form content

ProWritingAid's free plan can analyze less text at a time than Grammarly , but it includes a word explorer, thesaurus, and rephrasing tool on top of its grammar-checking features. These capabilities make it a better fit for writers who like to get really granular with their improvement. ProWritingAid's free plan could be a better option for you than Grammarly if your total word count usually clocks at 500 words or fewer.

ProWritingAid pricing: Free for a 500 word count limit and 10 rephrases per day; from $10/month for a Premium plan with no word count limit, unlimited rephrases, and advanced grammar improvement features like in-depth analytics of your writing

Best free writing tool for making MLA citations

EasyBib (Web)

EasyBib, our pick for the Best free writing tool for making MLA citations

This one's for the academics out there. Enter your paper's sources into EasyBib , and it'll organize them into an MLA bibliography for you. I had to give everything a once-over and make minor changes, but EasyBib helped me win my college library's bibliography contest back in the day by getting it all together.

EasyBib pricing: Free

Free writing software FAQ

Here are some questions lots of people have about writing apps and how to choose the right one.

What's a good free writing tool?

Tools like Google Docs and WordCounter are free forever and very functional. Other apps, like Grammarly or ProWritingAid, have free plans that offer basic features, with more advanced features available via a paid plan.

But there are a lot of free writing tools available that perform a wide variety of functions—everything from brainstorming to research and note-taking to writing to editing to proofreading.

What writing tool do most writers use?

There's a wide variety of writing tools out there, and which one a writer uses really comes down to preference. A lot of writers use Google Docs to write because they already use Google for so many other things—but some may prefer a tool like Notion, where they can combine writing with project management.

What makes a good writing tool?

In short, whatever helps you write! If a blank page and no distraction is what helps you actually get words down, then open a new Google Doc and go at it. If you need to organize your thoughts before you even think about writing, consider adding a brainstorming tool to the mix. Each writer's process is different, and it's all about finding tools that enable your writing, not add another roadblock to your process.

Sharpen your craft with your new toolkit

As is the case with many skills, it can be easy to focus too much on improving your writing through tools alone. You'll maximize the results you'll get from your apps with a solid foundation in writing techniques. Grab the tools that appeal to you on this page, then brush up on your core writing skills to become a killer prose machine.

Related reading

The best journal apps

How to capitalize or change the case of your text in any app

How to write great copy: 11 copywriting tips

Copywriting vs. content writing: How to do each one well

This article was originally published in June 2015 by Jane Callahan and has also had contributions from Jessica Greene. The most recent update was in August 2023.

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Melissa King

Melissa King is a freelance writer who helps B2B SaaS companies spread the word about their products through engaging content. Outside of the content marketing world, she sometimes writes about video games. Check out her work at melissakingfreelance.com.

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ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form .

What is Coding and What is it Used For? A Beginner's Guide

heather-mullinix-2.jpg

Coding makes it possible to access and interact with websites –– even this one. But how does coding work? 

Software programming or computing programming involves writing instructions to communicate with machines. All devices –– laptops, desktops, phones, and tablets –– rely on code to operate. 

Coding also runs cities. Computers operate traffic signals that have been programmed to perform certain operations. Even astronauts on the International Space Station need to know how to code. Coding offers many career opportunities in technology and elsewhere.

What is coding?

Coding is the process of transforming computer instructions into a form a computer can understand. Every website and app operates because programmers write code. However, you do not have to work in technology to use coding. In fact, job hunters can find most coding jobs outside of the tech industry. What can you do with coding?

Learning to code serves as the foundation for lucrative career opportunities. Graduates of bootcamps may need to gain experience as junior developers before securing six-figure salaries. 

What coding career you secure depends on your work experience, education, and knowledge of programming languages. Coding prepares you to launch a career as a web developer, game developer, computer network architect, and computer system analyst. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects computer information and technology jobs to grow at a rate of 13% from 2020-2030. 

However, job growth varies by specific occupation. Computer programmers, who make a median annual salary of $89,190, will see a projected 10% decline in jobs. Candidates who hold bachelor's degrees or higher will have a better chance of securing employment.

How does coding work?

All code tells a machine to perform a specific task. Whenever you use the Internet, your device uses binary code –– a sequence of "1s" and "0s" that tells your computer what switches to turn on or off. This serves as a reliable way to store data and process information. 

This process works quicker with high-level programming languages, such as Python, Java, and JavaScript. Each programming language serves a different purpose, but they all take code that reflects human speech and translate it into machine code, or a low-level language. Programmers and developers write instructions for computers using high-level programming languages. 

What are the benefits of coding?

When bootcamps first opened in 2011, only tech junkies learned to code. Now industries outside of technology recognize the benefits of coding, and it's even taught at elementary schools –– from Alabama to Florida. Coding can teach important concepts applicable to a career in technology or to an entirely different field. 

Why learn coding?

Learning to code provides the training needed for well-paying tech jobs. The most common career routes after bootcamp are: junior web developer, junior web designer, or data analyst. Coding teaches problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creativity, and persistence. These skills also prepare you for jobs outside of tech, such as healthcare, finance, and marketing.

Careers where learning code is helpful

  • Software developer
  • Web developer
  • Cybersecurity specialist
  • UX/UI designer 
  • Machine learning engineer
  • Front-end engineer
  • Instructional designer
  • Digital marketing analyst

What types of coders are there?

Front-end, back-end, and mobile developers all write code that serves different functions. 

Front-end developers handle a website's layout and functionality. They use front-end programming languages –– such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript –– to write code to design a website. Their responsibilities also include optimizing SEO by improving a webpage's load time and mobile performance. 

Back-end developers work on server-side development. They write code for web apps that control a website. Without this code, you could not log into a website such as LinkedIn or Facebook and create a user profile. Programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, Java, and Ruby allow back-end developers to write code that allows browsers to communicate with databases. 

Mobile developers learn programming languages such as Java, C++, C#, SQL, and Python. The specific language used depends on if developers build apps for iOS or Android devices. Mobile developers often work with graphic artists and data scientists.

What are the most popular coding languages? 

Low-level vs. high-level.

Programming languages come in two forms: low-level and high-level languages. Low-level programming languages, or binary code, look like a sequence of "1s" and "0s". Computers understand low-level programming code and can process it quicker. However, programmers can learn and use high-level programming languages faster since it looks like a human language. 

How can you learn coding?

People learn to code through different paths. Some are self-taught, and others go to college or bootcamp. Each route has advantages and disadvantages. 

Websites such as Treehouse or GitHub offer the opportunity to learn to code for less money than bootcamps. Websites also offer limited free courses for a short time. Students can watch videos for free during a trial period to learn Python, front-end web development, full-stack JavaScript, and UX design. 

You can also teach yourself to code for free with free tutorials on websites. This helps beginners to gain the foundation needed before enrolling in a full-time intensive bootcamp.

You can also learn the basics of coding through your smartphone. Apps available through Codecademy and Mimo allow beginners to practice coding through video and online exercises. Many apps can be downloaded for free. 

Coding bootcamps train both beginners and advanced students. Popular bootcamps –– such as Flatiron School, Fullstack Academy, Bloc, and Thinkful –– require intensive training. Bootcamps run for weeks or up to six months, and often students must study full time. 

Bootcamps require a large investment of both time and money. However, bootcamps, unlike apps or websites, also offer career services. Some bootcamps even provide job guarantees.

How do I start coding?

You can begin learning to code by reading and studying coding. Podcasts, YouTube videos, apps, and websites can provide the foundation needed to learn how to code. You will also need to have the software required to code. 

How difficult is coding?

Learning to code requires persistence and passion for technology. Mastering any new skill requires time and practice. Some programming languages are harder than others to learn. But you can learn to code, even if you do not like math. 

How much do coding jobs pay?

Computer programmers earn a good living after they put in the time and gain work experience. Junior developers, a common position held by inexperienced coders, make an average annual salary of $53,803, according to PayScale . Computer programmers with 10-19 years of experience make an average annual salary of $79,000. 

ZDNET Recommends

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Best free writing app of 2024

Bring your words to life with the best free writing apps

Person writing on a laptop

Best overall

Best for markup, best word alternative, best word processor, best for mac, best online.

  • How we test

The best free writing apps serve up more than just text tools - they also offer betters ways to manage and organize all your ideas, outlines, and projects. 

1. Best overall 2. Best for markup 3. Best Word alternative 4. Best word processor 5. Best for Mac 6. Best online 7. FAQs 8. How we test

Like the best free word processors , writing apps help you get your thoughts on the page without breaking the bank (or your train of thought). But we’ve also made sure they’ll make it easier to save, share, and sync all your documents and keep them safe, whether you need a desktop writing app for work, school, or play. 

If you struggle to stay focused, we’ve tested some of the best free writing apps come with distraction-free layouts or gamification challenges to keep you in the zone. We’ve also reviewed those built for professional document creation, with advanced business features such as speech-to-text transcription and online collaboration tools. 

Our picks cover the best apps for writing on the web, Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS - so you’re always ready whenever and wherever creativity strikes. 

literature and latte Scrivener 3

Scrivener: best writing software for authors Scrivener is packed with all the features a novelist needs, helping you track plot threads, store notes on characters and locations, structure your work and (most importantly) get some serious work done. It's not a free writing app like the tools below, but it's well worth the investment if your budget will allow it.

The best free writing app of 2024 in full:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

1. FocusWriter

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

FocusWriter helps writers combat one of their biggest challenges: distractions. One of the best free writing software tools out there, it's specifically designed to let you just concentrate on your writing. 

The stripped-back interface is deliciously sparse - ideal for when you just need to get your head down and write - and not dissimilar to a moderately powerful version of Notepad, featuring support for TXT, basic, RTF, and ODT files. 

Even the toolbar is hidden until you actually need it. Just swoop your cursor to the top on the screen to reveal a barren menu, from basic formatting to themes and timers.

Features are light within the software, but FocusWriter isn’t made for heavy editing sessions. It’s designed to make the act of writing flow seamlessly onto the page. 

Elsewhere, the writing app boasts the ability to add themes and your own background images, which can help you stay motivated. 

The Daily Progress tool is a sweet extra, adding Duolingo-style gamification that lets you track your daily writing streak. For when it’s oh-so-easy to slip onto social media when you can’t find the perfect word, it’s a nice way to keep you within the app. 

Available for Windows, Linux, and macOS, the writing software also comes as a portable download, no installation required. So, you can pop it on a USB stick and plug it into any computer you’re working on. 

Read our full FocusWriter review .

  • ^ Back to the top

2. WriteMonkey

WriteMonkey is another piece of free writing software that cuts down on the clutter to deliver uninterrupted writing sessions. 

The free word processor, cleverly described as zenware, is unbelievably pared back compared to more traditional writing apps. 

There’s very little in the way of distracting ‘screen furniture’, which means you’re better positioned to concentrate on the writing process. And absolutely nothing else. 

But don’t let that stripped-back approach fool you. As one of the best free writing apps, WriteMonkey is still rich with the sort of core features that matter to writers. 

However, most options are hidden in a context menu (so you’ll need to right-click to view it). It also only supports TXT files, which may limit those looking to read, write, or edit across multiple formats. It is, at least, a portable download, letting you take it wherever you need.

If you’ve enjoyed Markdown, the simplified text-editing language that lets you format, annotate, classify, and link as you type, then great. WriteMonkey’s inner workings will instantly chime. 

First-timers should spend a little time with this free writing software, to uncover that intuitive simplicity. 

Read our full WriteMonkey review .

3. LibreOffice Writer

Writer, the open-source, free writing software, serves almost all general writing needs.

LibreOffice is a near-perfect example of free office software - a familiar, feature-rich take on the office suite. What the veteran software package lacks in Microsoft polish (its interface is undeniably old-fashioned, for starters), it makes up for in its price-point: free. For that, you get access to six tools: Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, Math, and Writer. 

Earning it a slot on our list of best free writing apps is the fact that LibreOffice Writer packs the full editing toolbox. 

This isn’t just a note-taking app for staving off distractions when you’re deep in the zone; it’s for when you’re in pure writer-mode. 

If you’re at all proficient with Microsoft Word, you won’t have any problems using the Writer software. Layouts and functions are almost identical, and there’s support for DOC and DOCX file types, making it efficient to switch out of the Microsoft garden.

This free writing app is ideal if you’re hunting for a tool that almost perfectly replicates the Word experience without the cost. 

Read our full LibreOffice review .

4. Microsoft Word

When it comes to word processors, Microsoft Word is probably the baseline against which all others are compared. It’s the one most of us use at school, home, and work. It’s familiar, comfortable - and it’s available free on the web and mobile devices. 

That may not be the best way to write your masterpiece (unless you’ve hooked up a Bluetooth keyboard). But it’s a great way to jot down ideas on-the-go. When we tested the browser-based version we found it could be a bit slow at first, and we were typing faster than the words appeared on screen. This settles down (mostly) after a minute or so. 

Microsoft’s free writing apps on Android and iPhone had no such issues. Using these was velvety smooth. We especially appreciated the option to switch between mobile view and desktop view, so we could gauge how the document would appear in full-screen. 

As with Google Docs, you’ll need to sign up with a Microsoft account. And, like Google, that also lets you use free versions of PowerPoint, Excel, and the like. While Word offers one of the best free writing app experiences, there’s no denying that the paid-for upgrade is superior, offering more tools, and a true desktop app. 

Read our full Microsoft Word review .

Author promises to make it easier to ‘think, write, and cite’. It’s a promise capably delivered, with a clean interface and bags of writing features designed to make it easy to go from first draft to final copy. 

If you're an Apple user in search of the best free writing apps on macOS, this one demands your attention. 

Concept Maps is one of the best features. It’s a great mind-mapping tool to visualize and lay down all your thoughts while they’re fresh in your head without constraint. You can worry about whipping them into shape later. 

Students and report writers will appreciate Author’s ‘fast citing’ tools - speeding up assignment-writing by correctly adding and formatting citations, references, and contents. 

A paid-for upgrade of the writing software that offers exporting options is available. However, unless you need automatic formatting on export, you can stick with the free version. 

6. Google Docs

Google Docs is a great free writing platform for any writer. It’s an extremely clean, quick word processor available in the browser, on desktop, and phone and tablet apps. So, you can take notes wherever inspiration strikes. 

Docs is more or less Google’s spin on Microsoft Word. The interface is a bit more simple than the professional office software - although it’s no less powerful. 

You’ll find heaps of writing tools, including a pretty accurate speech-to-text transcription tool (just enunciate and don’t talk too fast). Keyboard shortcuts are very well-supported. 

For best results, you’ll need an internet connection, though documents can be used offline. They’ll be synced, and in our experience, that happens swiftly behind the scenes. 

To take advantage of the free writing app, you’ll need a Google account, which may be a deal-breaker for some - but that also opens up the rest of the Google-stuff in the Google-sphere, such as Sheets, Slides, and . With a free account, you get 15GB of storage, which should be more than enough for word documents. A Google One subscription upgrades your storage space, amongst other things. 

Additionally, Google Docs is great if you want to collaborate with one or more other writers. Just be warned to stay in Google Docs for that, because exporting the data into Word or other writing applications can result formatting errors.

Read our full Google Docs review .

Best free writing app: FAQs

What's the difference between a writing app and an ai writer.

AI writers vs writing apps - what's the real difference?

Artificial intelligence is growing in a big way - and when it comes to writing, it's ChatGPT that's been snatching all the headlines of late, with its ability to generate short- and long-form content based on user prompts.

Generally, an AI writer will write your content for you, based on its current learning (although often without 'understanding' the context). A writing app simply lets you write your way, in your own voice. 

Some platforms, such as Canva , have even integrated AI into its Canva Docs and Canva PDF Editor services. However. its Magic Write tool acts as a writing assistant, serving up suggestions and ideas, leaving real writers to work their magic on the content. Though usually hiding in the back-end, you can also find AI integrated in other ways across other the best PDF editor apps (and even the best free PDF editor apps, too).

As always with AI-generated content, whether it's the written word or an artwork masterpiece, human involvement is usually necessary and always desirable. Even if you're using the best AI writers out there, editing and proofreading is essential to give the content accuracy and emotional resonance.

How to choose the best free writing app for you

When deciding which free writing app is best, start by figuring out what sort of writing you want to do. 

Do you need a handy tool for quick scribbles and jotting down ideas here and there, or are you using the writing software to write and edit an epic novel? Tools like FocusWriter and Write Monkey are great for getting thoughts on the page without friction.

It’s also worth considering if you need a writing app with a distraction-free design, so you can concentrate on what really matters to you. Again, FocusWriter performs admirably here, but as a result, you lose core typography and editing functions. Unlike LibreOffice, this isn’t the best Microsoft Office alternative if you need those tools. In that scenario, it may be worth considering looking at some of the best free office software , which includes MS Word-style apps, alongside other tools similar to Excel, PowerPoint, and so on. 

Access is an important factor when using your writing software. A tool like Scribus needs to be downloaded to your machine. Lightweight apps like FocusWriter, however, offer a portable download that can be downloaded to a USB and carried with you. 

Check what file formats your chosen writing app supports, too. While some let you create and edit the common DOC and DOCX files, others only allow TXT or RTF documents.

But most of all, it’s important to choose the best free writing app for your unique creative flow. 

How we test the best free writing apps

Testing the best free writing apps and software, we assess how easy it is to get your words down on the page with the least amount of friction. Portable writing apps rank high, because they let you use the program on whatever computer or laptop you’re using. 

We also look at performance for its intended audience. For distraction-free writing apps, do they really foster focus? For word processor-style software, does it offer good formatting and editing options? 

Most importantly, we expect to see free writing apps that are genuinely cost-free - no-one wants to stumble across hidden fees and charges in the contracts. 

We've listed the best laptops for writers .

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Steve Clark

Steve is TechRadar Pro’s B2B Editor for Creative & Hardware. He explores the apps and devices for individuals and organizations that thrive on design and innovation. A former journalist at Web User magazine, he's covered software and hardware news, reviews, features, and guides. He's previously worked on content for Microsoft, Sony, and countless SaaS & product design firms. Once upon a time, he wrote commercials and movie trailers. Relentless champion of the Oxford comma.

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What You Need to Know about Book-Writing Software

Over the centuries, technology has helped make a plethora of jobs and tasks easier for people—and writing is no exception. If you are working on a manuscript that seems stuck or are a writer looking to delve into increasingly complicated projects, consider adding book-writing software to your tool set. And while we can’t claim which is the best writing software, we can help explain what writing software should be able to help you with so you can decide which best suits your specific needs.

  What is book-writing software?

The simplest definition of book-writing software is any software that helps writers create manuscripts; they generally include a word processor (a Microsoft Word–type program), or the ability to be used in conjunction with a word processor, as well as additional tools to organize and keep track of details. Investing in book-writing software is especially important if you’re planning on submitting your manuscript to a publisher or if you’re publishing an e-book .

What can book-writing software do?

Think of writing software as an assistant, a fact-checker, a storyboard, and a proofreader all in one. Different book-writing software programs include varying degrees of the following tools:

  • Content Organization: Use writing software to create an outline of the entire manuscript, to rearrange pieces of the story for smoother flow, and to have a bird’s-eye view with a storyboard. Imagine a digital corkboard filled with sticky notes, each with a small piece of the story puzzle, that can be edited quickly and moved around as needed.
  • Character and Plot Organization: Take a stab at consistency errors with writing software tools that keep track of characters, dates, details, etc., by creating character profiles that can include physical and personality attributes, name spelling, any dates or information mentioned about them elsewhere in the manuscript, and so on. This tool can also help close gaps in time or information provided that might not be immediately evident without having all the information right in front of you.
  • Grammar and Rhetoric Errors: As with most word processors, writing software also checks for grammatical errors and spelling errors. However, many also go a step further and try to pinpoint weak sentences, choppy flow and other rhetorical errors that affect the readability as well as the correctness of your text.
  • Formatting: Formatting a manuscript can be pretty time consuming, especially when different publishers or agents require manuscripts in different formats. Writing software includes formatting tools that are specifically designed to format manuscripts and make it easier to convert your manuscript into other formats.

What are the pros and cons of using writing software?

Writing software is a great resource for helping writers keep their ideas in one place, for keeping a manuscript cohesive and pointing out where it’s not, and for coordinating forward motion in concept development. Yet there are a few considerations you should take into account before investing in it.

  • Monetary Investment: Writing software generally costs money, ranging from $20 to $30 all the way to several hundred dollars. If you end up liking the physical aspect of writing on sticky notes for creating a story line or you’re unwilling to invest the time in truly learning the software in order to use it, you may find that it turns out to be a waste of money.
  • Quality Limitations: It does not provide any creative elements—in other words, it cannot make a poor idea into a great book or script, even if the manuscript uses perfect grammar. And writing software is limited in its ability to truly improve writing talent; simply using writing software will not turn a horrible writer into Shakespeare, no matter how much it pinpoints areas in need of improvement.

What are some of the most popular book-writing software programs?

There are a ton of writing software options available, many geared to specific genres—novel-writing software, script-writing software, collaborative-writing software, etc.—or problem areas for writers—formatting software, ESL-writer software, etc. The most popular and well known are WriteItNow and Scrivener , but the list is much longer. Check out some of these links to help you pick the software that fits your needs the best—and happy writing!

  • Alternatives to Scrivener
  • 25+ Pieces of Writing Software You Should Know About
  • TopTenREVIEWS’ Best Creative Writing Software
  • Script-Writing Software

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Last updated on Feb 07, 2023

The 23 Best Writing Tools of 2024: A Guide for Writers

Before the computer there was the typewriter, and before the typewriter there was pen and paper, and before pen and paper there were plenty of other lost tools of writing — like clay, papyrus, wood, slate, parchment, and, of course, pens made out of reeds. (Fun fact: the name “Reedsy” is inspired by the “reed pen,” which was used as early as 800 B.C. for documentation).

As you can tell by now, the act of writing has been a part of human culture from the days of chiseling stories onto the walls of caves — and as we have evolved, so have our writing tools . In fact, today’s writers and storytellers are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding which tools to use.

The following list details our favorite writing tools and resources for taking any idea through to its written conclusion. If you want to cut straight to the chase and find out which is the right writing app for you, we recommend taking this quick 30-second quiz.

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Otherwise, let's dive in!

Writing tools

We all know Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so we’re not going to waste your time giving those two a run-down in our list. Below are four other word processors you might not know about, and that are worth checking out.

1. Reedsy Book Editor

Cost: Free Does “fake it ‘til you make it” ring true to you? Well, the Reedsy Book Editor is a free, online word processor that formats your book as you write. See your drafts automatically turn into a professional-looking, ready-to-publish manuscript — and allow this glimpse of your work as the final product spur your motivation to write.

ZF6MHRgMQIo Video Thumb

It comes with an automatic spell-checker — and a built-in goal reminder system to get you back into shape if you find that you're falling behind on your writing schedule! Another one of the Reedsy Book Editor’s best functions is that it lets you instantly typeset your manuscript to EPUB and print-ready PDF files.

Check it out if: if you want a writing tool that takes care of formatting and conversion for you.

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Cost: Free Do you like a helpful tap on the shoulder, reminding you about something you need to do? Well, you’ll likely enjoy Draft then, because the book writing software not only keeps track of how many words you write per day, it can also email you daily reminders about your daily word count goals. (Of course, if this sounds a little too “hands-on” for you, you can always turn the reminder function off).

Other than that, Draft functions a lot like Google Docs: allowing you to track changes, collaborate via suggested edits, and make comments on the doc.

Check it out if: you like Google Docs, but want an even simpler interface. 

3. LibreOffice

Cost: Free Yes, we did say that we wouldn’t mention Microsoft Word, because by now everyone knows that it’s a useful writing tool. But we didn’t say we wouldn’t mention its free counterpart: LibreOffice .

LibreOffice is the open source answer for people who want to try Microsoft without paying the price tag. (Open source means that the software is built on code that anyone can inspect and enhance). Plus it’s compatible with all of the regular file types people are used to, such as  .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, and .pptx files.

Check it out if: you like a classic word processor — and moreover, a free one.

Cost: $50 (or try a 30-day free trial) The people behind Mellel don’t just know word processing — they also know catchy, memorable marketing. Their description of why writers should choose Mellel starts like this: “Mellel is a writer's dream come true. To start, it is exceedingly boring: it just works, day in and day out, reliably. An enormous number of people used Mellel to write and they all report that their journey with Mellel was boring and uneventful. As well it should. In other words, it does all the mundane bits, and leaves the creative stuff to you.”

Mellel is not free (and note that it’s only for Mac). In return for the price tag, you’ll get more book-specific tools than other, perhaps more traditional word processors — such as outlining and bibliography-making functions. And, judging by the witty, funny copy on Mellel’s website, Mellel makes the process of writing much more fun than they let on.

Check it out if: you’re a Mac user who wants more than the Pages app offers.

Organization tools

Plotters tend to finish their writing projects quicker than pantsers — simply because when they hit a wall, they have their notes or outlines to reference, allowing them to jump straight over that hurdle and hit the ground running. P.S. You can grab a free template for your book outline here in this comprehensive guide to outlining .

The following resources will help you keep your thoughts organized so that any bouts of writer’s block don’t slow you down.

5. Milanote

Cost: Free for basic plan or $12.50/month for premium. Milanote is an easy-to-use creative writing app to organize your research, ideas, characters and outline in one place.

The vast majority of novelist-oriented writing software is organized around the idea of a linear document. But for most people, writing isn’t linear — because thinking isn’t linear. Writing is about gradually getting a jumble of ideas into shape, and Milanote's writing app matches the way writers think.

milanote platform a writing tool for organizing your writing

Check it out if: you're a plotter who likes a flexible workspace to organize ideas and see a birds-eye view of how your story outline is coming together.

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6. Evernote

Cost: free for basic plan or $9.99/month for premium. Its cute, little green elephant logo aside, Evernote is a great and easy-to-use option for writers who could do with a little more organization in their lives.

everyone knows the writing tool evernote but here is a screenshot

The app lets you quickly jot down thoughts, record audio notes, save online articles you’re hoping to reference, and it will sync all of this information across all of your Evernote-installed devices. What’s also handy about the app is the collaborative aspect of it: you can create shared accounts, so that multiple people can access saved documents at once.

Check it out if: you’re prone to getting great ideas while on the go, and need somewhere to make sure you don’t forget them by the time you’re home.

Cost: $5/month or $40/year (or try a 14-day free trial) While it’s ultimately a writing tool, one of the best assets of comprehensive programs like Ulysses or Scrivener are their organizational features. At the end of the day, whether you’re writing a blog post or a full-length novel, the seed of an idea doesn’t get too far without the ability to organize that idea into a cohesive piece of writing.

And that’s exactly what Ulysses allows you to do: organize your thoughts into a well-written work. This is accomplished through features like customizable writing goals and deadlines, plain text enhancements, a distraction-free typewriter mode, bookmarks, outlining functions, and more.

Check it out if: you’re working on a lengthy piece of non-fiction, like a blog post or essay. (For a comparison of Scrivener vs. Ulysses, keep reading!)

8. Scrivener

Cost: $45 (or a 30-use free trial) Literature and Latte ’s word processor is a popular writing tool — also, in large part, thanks to its organizational capabilities that seamlessly allow writers to turn fragmented ideas into a fully realized book/script/research paper/or whatever else you’re writing.

Scrivener vs Ulysses Apart from the price (Scrivener charges a one-time licensing fee while Ulysses charges yearly), the two platforms offer many of the same features. So we’ll focus on what makes the two programs different.

  • Scrivener’s corkboard function is an absolute favorite for writers who rely on visual aid to help with outlining. The function looks like an actual corkboard, and lets writers pin notes to the board in chronological order.
  • Scrivener offers templates for works such as fiction, essays, recipe collections, screenplays, comic books — which gives Scrivener another point for versatility.
  • Ulysses boasts an interface that is slightly more clean and simple — so if ease-of-use is high on your priority list, it might be the better option for you.
  • Ulysses offers a very helpful WordPress and Medium integration, which bloggers who publish on either of these platforms will love.

Check it out if: you’re working on a longer piece of content (like a book or screenplay) and want one comprehensive place to manage all your work. (And don’t forget to check out our equally as comprehensive review of Scrivener’s newest update : Scrivener 3!)

9. Hubspot's AI Content Writer

Cost: Free, with premium upgrade available

HubSpot’s Free AI Content Writer is designed to help bloggers streamline their content creation process. This tool can generate drafts of blog posts, website copy, emails, and more with ease and without additional resources, by relying on prompts or topics provided by users. For those suffering from writer's block, the AI content writer can also create outlines to help spur writing along. 

For those already using HubSpot's marketing and sales tools, the AI content writer's integration will be extra handy. 

Check it out if: you're a blogger short on time or inspiration.

Productivity tools

Alright, let’s kick things into high gear now. You know what you want to use to write, and your thoughts and ideas are concisely organized. If you’re finding it difficult to buckle down and get the job done (or struggle to write quickly or consistently), these resources will help you realize that Nike manta: just do it.

10. Ommwriter

Cost: free web version or $7 for the full program Do you find the clacking sound of old typewriters satisfying? Do you find soft, neutral colours calming? Does nothing really get you focused quite like a purposeful, long, deep breath? If so, Ommwriter might be the tool to help you reach your goal. As the site’s tagline reads, Ommwriter is “a perfect place to think and write.”

Omm writer is a zen writing tool that lets you write with no distractions

With soothing background noises, customizable keyboard noises, and peaceful backgrounds to choose from, Ommwriter could just be the “break” from everything else going on around you that you need to write.

Check it out if: your very best writing ideas come to you while in “savasana.”

11. To Doist

Cost: free or $4/month for premium plan Have you ever woken up in a cold sweat, panicking about something important you forgot to do? Or, god forbid, gripped in dread about how far behind you are on your word-count goals?

Well, To Doist might be able to help. It’s the ultimate app for creating to-do lists — but these aren’t your grandma’s pen-and-paper lists with little check marks beside them (though we mean no offense to your grandma). It lets you get a daily or weekly overview of your tasks, prioritize the tasks that are most important, and even lets you assign tasks to other people if you’re working on a specific goal with other collaborators.

Check it out if: you have never been able to find an agenda that’s souped up enough to keep you on track.

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12. Marinara Timer

Cost: Free The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method meant to promote productivity. In a nutshell, it stipulates that you should work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute  break, then work for 25 minutes, take another 5-minute break, etc., etc.

The free-to-use Marinara Timer makes this easy for you by alerting you each time your work sessions and breaks are up. It also offers customizable timers in case the 25/5 isn’t quite right for keeping you on track. Fun fact: taking a break to stand up or walk (or do anything but sit!) every hour is also a good way to protect your back if you sit hunched at a computer working for long stretches at a time.

Check it out if: consistent breaks from work help actually keep you focused on the task at hand.

13. Cold Turkey

Cost: Free for basic plan or $20 for premium plan “Meet your match, Zuckerberg,” says Cold Turkey ’s tagline. In case that, paired with the writing tool’s name, doesn’t make it clear enough, Cold Turkey is a program that allows you to completely rid yourself of distraction. And when we say “completely,” we mean completely.

With Cold Turkey, you can block yourself from accessing certain websites — or even your entire computer — for periods at a time, only allowing you to use the current document you’re working on.

Check it out if: “willpower” is not a characteristic you’d ascribe yourself, and the only way for you to get something done is in a totally distraction-free state.

14. Freedom

Cost: $7/month or $29/year (or a 7-use free trial) Apart from pleasantly getting the “freedom” refrain from Aretha Franklin’s “Think” stuck in your head, the Freedom app is another resource that can turn your devices into tools of productivity once more.

It functions like Cold Turkey; however, a unique function of Freedom is the ability to sync your distraction-free periods across all your devices. So if you know that on Tuesdays, you want your computer, phone, and tablet to all block access to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook — you can!

Check it out if: letting other people know not to bother you during your non-negotiable writing time isn’t enough, you need to let yourself know not to interrupt, well, yourself.

Cost: Free If total silence encourages your mind to wander, whereas light sensory action keeps your thoughts on the task at hand, Noisli will be a friend to you. The tool lets you choose from a range of soundtracks, such as rain, coffee shop, wind, lake, and more. You can mix several sounds at once, and choose the volume for each one. So let’s say you want to create the atmosphere of writing by a babbling brook, with a fire crackling next to you, and the moon shining brightly overhead. Noisli will make this happen for you!

Check it out if: you get the most work done with white noise.

Editing tools

If you’re planning to publish a book — or any kind of writing you’re hoping to make a profit from, it’s crucial that your work is thoroughly edited. To that end, working with a professional editor is an investment you should give serious thought to.

In the meantime, here are a few editing tools that can help you out along the way. Hopefully, they’ll either ensure a typo-free draft, so by the time you do work with an editor, they can spend less time fixing small typos and more time on big-picture work, or, if you decide to forego a professional edit, you’ll have the tools to do the best editing job you can.

16. Hemingway

Cost: Free The Hemingway app claims to make your writing “bold and clear.” It has a number of handy features like a word-counter and an automatic readability score. But its real use lies in the features that make suggestions to your prose. For instance, it might highlight a complex sentence that’s hard to read. It also highlights instances of passive voice , qualifiers, and adverbs. Let’s take a look at how this passage from Ernest Hemingway’s very own To Have and Have Not fares:

writing software meaning

“Just” is highlighted because it’s a qualifier, and Hemingway suggests, instead: “Be bold. Don’t hedge.” The sentence in red is highlighted as being hard to read. And “probably” is pointed out as an adverb — the app suggests using a forceful verb instead.

Check it out if: you want to bring out your inner Ernie. (Curious what else Hemingway offers? Check out our full review of the app right here .)

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17. Fictionary

Cost: $19/month or $169 per year 

The Fictionary Story Editing software creates intelligent visuals that help you improve your story's structure, characters, plot, and settings. Using Natural Language Processing, Fictionary identifies your key story arc scenes and gives you actionable insights to improve the structure of your book.  Annual subscribers get access to year-round live classes on writing and editing. Think of it like Peloton for writers. Check it out if:  You want to get your story structure in the best possible shape before submitting to agents and/or editors.

18. Marlowe Pro

Cost: $29.95/mth or $199/year; $45 for single reports

This manuscript assessment tool will provide in-depth feedback on your novel within minutes. Using artificial intelligence, Marlowe can analyze your plot, pacing, story beats, and readability — then provide actionable insights (as well as comp titles ) based on its database of bestsellers across a number of genres.

authors AI — a screenshot of Marlowe Pro's report

To try out this AI editor, claim a free report by entering REEDSYFREE at checkout. And for a 15% discount on a Marlowe Pro subscription , enter REEDSY15OFF when prompted at checkout.

Check it out: to take a scientific and methodical approach to your developmental edits.

19. Cliché Finder

Cost: Free Cliché Finder is exactly what it says on the tin: it combs through your writing in search of clichés, and then highlights them for you. It’s not always necessarily bad to use clichés in your writing, but when you do, you want to be purposeful about it (and not to mention aware of it!).

Check it out if: you want to avoid clichés like the plague, and for your book to sell like hotcakes — and the rest is history.

20. Grammarly

Cost: Free Have you ever sent an email, only to realize that you'd made a glaring typo just as you hit “Send”? Well, no more!

Grammarly essentially functions like the spell checker tool from Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but here’s the great part: it’s a plug-in that will work wherever you happen to writing. That means Twitter, Gmail, Google Docs, Facebook — anywhere. Plus it offers vocabulary or alternate word suggestions — for instance, it might suggest you replace “walking aimlessly,” with the word “wandering.” For a more in-dept analysis, check our full Grammarly review . 

Check it out if: you’re typo-prone! (Read below for a comparison of Grammarly vs. ProWritingAid.)

21. ProWritingAid

Cost: Free browser extension or $79/year for the full software ProWritingAid is a tool you can install that will proofread and spell check your material for you , no matter where you’re writing. It will also offer suggestions to improve your overall language — outside of just grammatical technicalities. (You can even get 20% off via this special offer !) 

ProWritingAid vs Grammarly The two programs offer a lot of the same services, so you might be wondering which one to pick. We have a review of ProWritingAid  that dives deep into this comparison, but the main differences are:

  • Grammarly is free to use, and while ProWritingAid offers a free Google Chrome plug-in, this free option only offers spell checking services, it won’t make editorial suggestions.
  • ProWritingAid is slightly more tailored towards authors, while Grammarly is a slightly better fit for articles and essays. Ultimately, both tools lend a very helpful editing hand, so deciding between the two mostly boils down to the one you enjoy using more.

Check it out if: you want to make sure your writing is as polished as possible.

Workspace tools

At the end of the day, all you really need to write is a pen and paper. All the fancy tools and apps in the world won’t get the words out for you. That being said, creating an environment that’s appealing — and conducive! — to write in can make the whole process more enjoyable, and encourage you to get the job done.

Here are few physical tools to look over if you’re thinking of sprucing up your workspace.

22. Livescribe Pen

Cost: starts at $100 If you prefer writing on paper, but dread the process of transferring your words to a computer, Livescribe will likely be right up your alley. Through Bluetooth technology, the pen can actually transcribe your pen and paper words to your device. What’s more, it can also transcribe voice notes into digital documents for you.

writing tools

Check it out if: you’ve ever felt envy at Rita Skeeter’s Quick-Quotes Quill in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire .

23. Ergonomic desk setups

Cost: Varies As more and more of the workforce moves to sedentary jobs where the majority of 9am to 5pm is spent sitting — usually hunching — at a computer, a growing number of sitting-related health injuries have been occurring. That’s why looking into more ergonomically friendly desk setups is a good idea for writers who spend long hours at the computer — or even writing in a notebook. This could be a standing desk, or even just a number of textbooks piled under your desktop so that your screen is eye level, resulting in less stress on your shoulders.

Check it out if: you don’t want writing gains to come at the cost of growing back pains.

24. Computer Glasses

Cost: Varies Writers are all familiar with computer-caused eyestrains. Because you blink far less when looking at a screen than you do otherwise, computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a condition people have been developing due to long stretches of staring at a computer.

One way to help alleviate this — other than just making sure to take time looking away from your computer — is to invest in some computer glasses. They typically come in blue or amber shades, and are coated with a protective coating.

There are several brands you can check out, such as Pixel Eyewear or Felix Gray .

Check it out if: you notice itchy or tired eyes after long writing sessions.

Have you tried any of the above writing tools — and if so, which were your favorites? Or maybe you feel there are some great resources missing from this list? Let us know in the comments below!

Mystic says:

24/10/2019 – 03:38

I tried Cliche Finder several times and it found a couple of items in my text, but it didn't highlight where it was at. The rest of the tools here, that I can use since I'm on a strict income, are amazing!

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A Guide to Writing Your First Software Documentation

Maria Antonietta Perna

As a developer, your pride and joy is your code. It’s readable, it meets DRY principles, it reflects best practices, and the end product is a great tool that solves some kind of problem for its target users. However, no matter how much work you’ve put into your code, if your software comes with no documentation, or you write documentation as an afterthought and treat it with little importance, it’s likely users will find little joy in working with it, and eventually opt for a different, more user-friendly product.

In this article, you’ll find a number of practical guiding principles to get you up and running with writing your first software documentation.

Why Documentation Is Important

In reference to your software, Mike Pope has a fitting saying that goes like this: If it isn’t documented, it doesn’t exist .

Why’s that? Well, just to take my personal experience as an example, I was browsing the Web looking for new JavaScript animation libraries to try out and I came across one with a description of its features that I really liked. However, there was no documentation, not even a Getting Started section, but just a bare-bones API page with almost no explanations or examples. Do you think I ended up using that library? Of course, I didn’t. I got so frustrated with it that I moved on to something that made more sense to me.

To the question of why good JavaScript libraries fail , Nicholos Zakas gives the following answer :

Lack of documentation . No matter how wonderful your library is and how intelligent its design, if you’re the only one who understands it, it doesn’t do any good. Documentation means not just autogenerated API references, but also annotated examples and in-depth tutorials. You need all three to make sure your library can be easily adopted.

Another important reason why your software docs are crucially important is that they serve as a communication tool between your present self and your future self, and also between your present self and other developers who eventually might find themselves working on your software. Even if you write readable and commented code, this doesn’t necessarily mean it will still be clear to you in six months’ time why you wrote a function, or any other piece of your code for that matter, the way you did.

Documentation allows you to transfer the why behind code. Much in the same way code comments explain the why , and not the how , documentation serves the same purpose. — A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Documentation

Surely, you want people to use your code and also to be able eventually to update it and improve on it. These are all contributing factors to the growth of a supporting community behind your product, which is important for it to gain robustness, maturity, and success.

It’ll be mighty hard to accomplish all this if your software doesn’t have great docs to go with it.

Who Software Documentation Is For

When writing anything, make sure it’s clear in your mind who your audience is. Docs are no exception to this rule. Doing so clarifies in your head the problems your audience is likely to face, the familiarity it’s likely to have with your product or the prerequisites for using your product. This information is crucial to the way you create the content and the language you use.

There are two kinds of documentation this article is not concerned with:

  • User manuals. For instance, my sister might decide to use WordPress for publishing her own blog. She’s not a developer, but she’s heard that non-devs can get their blog up and running in no time with WordPress. Now she’ll be needing instructions on how to download and configure the software on her server, how to write, publish, and update her posts, how to add images to a post, etc. In other words, she’ll need a user manual.
  • Project documentation. This kind of documentation has more to do with the project than with the software itself, although some of its content could go in a project’s Readme file. To continue with the WordPress example, after getting lots of practice with WordPress, I might decide I’d like to add a feature to the software or fix a bug or two. In this case I’ll need to know things like changelogs, conventions and best practices, contribution policies, how to participate in team discussions relevant to the task at hand, etc.

The kind of documentation I’ve got in mind here is mainly aimed at developers who have different levels of familiarity with your software and need to use it in their projects. For instance, if I’m creating a WordPress theme, then I’ll need to know how to get started, how to include style sheets and JavaScript documents, how to communicate with the database to display posts, etc.

What to Include in Your Documentation

A popular approach is Readme Driven Development , championed by Tom Preston-Werner. It consists of writing the Readme document before you even start writing any code. This document is an introduction to your software and usually includes:

  • an explanation of what your software does and what problem it solves
  • an example illustrating the circumstances in which your code would normally be used
  • links to the code and bugs tracker
  • FAQs and ways to ask for support
  • instructions on how to install your software
  • license information

However, in my view, having a solid documentation that can really help developers who use your software/library should go well beyond the classical Readme file. Following Daniele Procida , I suggest you include the following items in your documentation material for a great user experience.

A beginner will love to find a tutorial in your software docs. Tutorials are about showing users how to complete a project using your software, so that they can quickly get a sense of what they can do with it.

Tutorials are lessons that take the reader by the hand through a series of steps to complete a project of some kind. They are what your project needs in order to show a beginner that they can achieve something with it. — Daniele Procida

How-to Guides

How-to guides help users solve a real-world task using your software. Procida compares them to recipes in the sense that they are directions you give users so that they can successfully reach a certain goal. Unlike tutorials, which are aimed at complete beginners, how-to guides assume users already possess some basic knowledge of features, tools, and of how to perform simple tasks.

Reference Guides

Reference guides are technical references of your software’s code — functions, APIs, etc. — and offer a basic description of how to use the software. For example, you’ll find an illustration of how to instantiate a specific class, how to call a particular method, and so on.

Reference guides are technical descriptions of the machinery and how to operate it. — Daniele Procida

This is the piece of documentation you’re likely to find in most projects. Developers tend to be quite good at writing it since they know all about their code and how to use it.

Explanation

Explanations are a deep dive into, or a discussion on, a particular topic you think is relevant to a higher-level understanding of your software. About explanations, Procida points out that —

This section of documentation is rarely explicitly created, and instead, snippets of explanation are scattered among other sections. Sometimes, the section exists, but has a name such as Background or Other notes and doesn’t really do justice to the function. A topic isn’t defined by a specific task you want to achieve, like a how-to guide, or what you want the user to learn, like a tutorial. It’s not defined by a piece of the machinery, like reference material. It’s defined by what you think is a reasonable area to try to cover at one time, so the division of topics for discussion can sometimes be a little arbitrary.

Things You Need to Pay Attention To

Let’s go through some useful pointers about making your docs user-friendly and relevant.

Make Your Docs Discoverable

It’s a good idea to put some work into making your software documentation easy to find. You could use some SEO techniques together with some marketing strategies so that as many users as possible can get hold of it.

Also, what you put in your docs should be organized into a structure that makes searching for specific information a breeze. Steve Konves recommends you structure your docs in a singly linked tree: starting from the root node, which should be placed in an obvious location for every interested user to discover, all other items can be easily accessed. The project’s Readme file lends itself to working really well as a great root node for the entire tree.

Also, if you receive help requests from your software’s users, you could write the answers and make them available in an easily accessible FAQs page. Doing so will decrease the time you spend helping users, but it will also give you a clearer idea of the kind of information users need most frequently so that you can document them first and keep them in a prominent place in your docs.

Ensure Your Docs Are Up-to-date and Free of Bugs

Easily accessing your software documentation is great, but if users find out that its content is out of date or the sample code or instructions lead to buggy results, this gets frustrating, to say the least. Still, Steve Konves suggests you keep your docs close to the code — for instance, in source control. This way, when developers update the code, they’ll notice the documentation material, which makes updating the docs a much more likely occurrence.

Also, to minimize the occurrence of bugs, thoroughly test the instructions and the code samples you provide in your docs.

Extra Tip and Some Popular Examples

Don’t stop at documentation. Blog posts are great for making your software and its features known to a wide audience of potential users. Use your blog to offer clarifications of what your product does, deliver user-friendly tutorials, tips and tricks, walk-throughs, explain updates, etc. You can include your blog in a stand-alone website dedicated to your software — perhaps with a forum — around which a strong community can gather and grow.

A great example of this wider idea of documentation in my view is implemented by GreenSock , a widely successful JS animation platform, which I find myself using a lot, not least because its website makes available easy-to-use and well-structured docs, a super helpful forum, blog posts, quick tips, and much more.

React and Vue.js can also be counted as great examples. As soon as you access their respective websites, the home page tells you what each library is good for in a quick tagline, and then goes into more details on why the library can be considered a great choice for your project. Both websites make getting started less intimidating using gentle introductions, illustrative snippets, short tasks beginners can accomplish using code playgrounds, etc. Once users have gained a bit of confidence with the new software, they can find the more technical API docs readily, plus pages detailing how to get help, displaying information on the ecosystem, offering a news or blog section, etc.

To leave the JS zone and go into the field of popular UI libraries with great websites, I can’t leave out Bootstrap . On the Bootstrap website you’ll find right away what the library is good for and how to get started quickly, as well as comprehensive and well-structured docs and a blog to keep users updated on what’s new.

Writing good documentation has its challenges, but it certainly pays off a hundred times if you think how much easier it will be for your users to implement your software’s capabilities. This in turn contributes to your software’s popularity, which makes it attractive and therefore open to the possibility of giving rise to a community of developers who are willing to invest their time in learning it deeply and contributing to its growth, stability, and long-term usage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Writing Software Documentation

What are the key elements to consider when writing software documentation.

When writing software documentation, it’s crucial to consider the target audience, the purpose of the document, and the type of documentation being written. The language used should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. The document should be well-structured, with a logical flow of information. It’s also important to include visuals like diagrams or screenshots where necessary to aid understanding. Lastly, always ensure the document is thoroughly reviewed and edited for accuracy and clarity.

How can I make my software documentation user-friendly?

To make your software documentation user-friendly, use simple and clear language. Avoid jargon and technical terms as much as possible. If you must use them, ensure you provide clear definitions. Organize your content logically and use headings and subheadings to make it easy to navigate. Include a table of contents and an index for longer documents. Use visuals like diagrams, screenshots, and videos to illustrate complex concepts.

What are the different types of software documentation?

There are several types of software documentation, including system documentation, user documentation, and technical documentation. System documentation provides an overview of the software system, including its architecture and data flow. User documentation provides instructions on how to use the software and includes user manuals and help guides. Technical documentation is intended for developers and includes code comments, API documentation, and development guides.

How often should software documentation be updated?

Software documentation should be updated whenever there are significant changes to the software. This could be due to new features being added, existing features being modified, or bugs being fixed. It’s also a good idea to review the documentation periodically to ensure it’s still accurate and relevant.

What tools can I use to write software documentation?

There are many tools available for writing software documentation, including word processors, documentation generators, and specialized documentation tools. Some popular options include Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Doxygen, and Sphinx. The choice of tool depends on your specific needs and the complexity of the software.

How can I ensure the quality of my software documentation?

To ensure the quality of your software documentation, always review and edit your work thoroughly. Consider having a colleague or a professional editor review your document. Use a consistent style and format throughout the document. Ensure the information is accurate, up-to-date, and relevant. Lastly, consider getting feedback from users to identify areas for improvement.

What is the role of visuals in software documentation?

Visuals play a crucial role in software documentation. They can help illustrate complex concepts, making them easier to understand. They can also break up large blocks of text, making the document more readable. Examples of visuals include diagrams, screenshots, flowcharts, and videos.

How can I make my software documentation more engaging?

To make your software documentation more engaging, use a conversational tone and active voice. Break up large blocks of text with visuals and bullet points. Use examples and case studies to illustrate concepts. Include interactive elements like quizzes or exercises where appropriate.

What is the importance of consistency in software documentation?

Consistency is important in software documentation as it makes the document easier to read and understand. It also gives the document a professional look and feel. Consistency applies to language, style, format, and visuals.

How can I improve my skills in writing software documentation?

To improve your skills in writing software documentation, practice writing regularly. Read other software documentation to learn from them. Take courses or workshops on technical writing. Seek feedback on your work and be open to criticism. Stay updated with the latest trends and best practices in software documentation.

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Home » Blog » Top 20 Writing Tools For Every Writer (Complete Review)

Top 20 Writing Tools For Every Writer (Complete Review)

writing software meaning

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Many years ago, writers were limited in the tools they had to help them perfect their craft. However, technology has advanced to previously incomprehensible levels and now, we have many writing tools at our disposal.

There are many types of writing software available. Most writers find themselves using more than one writing tool, as some are rather specific in their functionality:

  • Complete book writing software/word processors
  • Tools for motivation
  • Distraction busters
  • Tools for editing
  • Inspiration
  • Productivity

A Writing Tool to Write Your Book

“ Book writing software ” is a broad term with many categories. A “complete” book writing software is a program that facilitates the actual writing of your manuscript.

These programs are comprehensive with a robust array of features and abilities.

Squibler is an innovative writing software that is designed to help you write and publish your book in a short period of time. Their goal is 30 days, to be exact. This may sound extreme, but their focus on organization and efficiency makes it possible.

Squibler is simple and easy to understand while remaining powerful. It offers writers several key features:

  • Note-taking
  • Research support
  • Outline creation
  • Spellchecker
  • Separate documents for chapters and scenes
  • Drag and drop to rearrange these chapters and scenes
  • Helps writers publish their book – eBook or print

These things work together to create the perfect environment for effective and efficient writing.

writing tool

Squibler is available to try for free. If you decide you’d like to keep using it, you can subscribe for $10/month.

A Book Writing Template

Squibler also offers a series of book writing templates – some that are genre-specific and others that are more general. Writing with a template takes a lot of pressure off and can take a lot of the guesswork out of structuring the story.

This is an example of a more general book writing template:

general fiction template

This template is good for someone who hasn’t narrowed down a genre yet, or someone who just wants a basic guide. You can get more specific and personalized the more you flesh out your story.

If you are a little further along or are trying out a genre for the first time, a more specific template will be helpful:

romance nove tempate

Romance is a popular genre both on its own and mixed with others. Romance is one of the most versatile genres as it can be crossed with almost anything else – thriller, fantasy, mystery, historical, crime, etc.

If romance isn’t your thing though, Squibler has many other genre options for you to choose from.

While not as sleek and modern, Scrivener is similar to Squibler in that it was designed to help you write your book . Scrivener is a more complex program with a lot of features. So many features that some writers find themselves getting overwhelmed.

If you are willing to take the plunge and learn it all however, Scrivener can be a fantastic tool for writers.

While it would take hours to go through all of its many abilities, Scrivener has a few key features that most writers tend to focus on:

[table id=21 /]

If you’re a writer who likes to take extensive notes and/or thrives when working with a detailed outline, Scrivener is for you. Check out this full Scrivener review for some more detailed information on this writing software.

It is available to try free for 30 days, after which you must purchase the software if you wish to continue using it. It will cost you a one-time fee of $45 and is available on Mac and Windows.

Another fantastic word processor, Ulysses is an ideal choice for those looking to focus on shorter forms of writing. Both Scrivener and Squibler, while useful for short pieces, are designed with novelists in mind.

Ulysses has a similar structure and function as the other two. But, it has some features that make it extremely useful for web writers, content creators, copywriters, and bloggers.

The design is minimalistic and simple. Ulysses believes in keeping things clean and easy to navigate. Their most advanced features are kept hidden until you actually need them.

What makes Ulysses so perfect for bloggers and web writers are the sharing features. First, it allows you to see a live preview. This helps you see exactly what your piece will look like on the web, without having to actually publish anything.

Once you are happy with your work, you can publish directly to WordPress and/or Medium. There are many blogging platforms out there, but these are two of the most popular.

If you want to publish your article elsewhere, Ulysses offers many exporting styles as well as additional share options. This includes e-mail, iBooks, Google Drive, and a number of other third-party apps.

To get a better overview of Ulysses and see how it stacks up to Scrivener, check out our Ulysses vs. Scrivener comparison .

A Writing Tool For Motivation

Sometimes the most difficult part of writing is the writing itself. For those struggling with just getting started, there are several apps that aim to help.

This writing tool provides a clean and simple space to do your writing. But, you can do this anywhere. What’s different about this app is the motivation tools it also provides.

750 words is roughly three pages, with 250  being the accepted amount of words per page. They think that on average, 750 words is a good daily goal – hence the name. Of course, this can differ depending on your lifestyle and schedule, but 750 is their general suggested target.

750 words writing tool

The app encourages you to write this amount (or whatever your goal) every day by tracking your work with a points system:

  • Write anything at all, get one point.
  • Reach 750 words, get two points.
  • Write three or more days in a row, get even more points.

The points are a simple motivational tool to encourage you to write something each day.

In addition to the points, they also offer some statistics around your writing. These can offer insight into your writing and habits that you may never have noticed before. These include things like your words per minute, how long it took you to get to 750, and how many breaks you took.

750 words writing tool

It also analyzes the writing itself and picks out themes and trends. It delivers this information to you in the form of pie charts:

750 words writing tool

Between seeing your daily statistics and building up those points, 750 Words offers a lot of motivation to write every day. Once you get started with this fantastic writing tool, you will develop good writing habits in no time.

750 words is only available to use online, but you make an account which keeps everything private and saves all your points and progress from each day.

In addition to the writing aspects, 750 Words also offers monthly challenges and small ways to connect with other members.

You are able to use the site for 30 days, after which it does require a small fee of $5/month for continued access.

Ilys is unique writing software that very much values editing, but also knows that is has a time and place. One of the most common pieces of advice for writers is to not edit as you go. Ilys is on board with this, and they have set out to make sure you don’t do it.

To begin a writing session with Ilys, you tell it how many words you want to write. Once you start, you are unable to change, edit, or even delete anything until you’ve hit your word count goal. Once the goal is reached, only then can you start making edits.

Not only are you physically unable to make changes before completing the goal, but your writing is invisible. You can use the peek button to take a quick look, but as you’re writing, your words stay hidden – all except for the last letter you typed.

Ilys writing tool

Your work is revealed for editing only when you are finished.

Ilys writing tool

In addition to helping you get some writing done before you start editing, Ilys believes in consistency. They wish to help you with this as well.

Ilys will track your progress over time. You will be able to see when you’re most productive, and when you’ve been slacking a little.

This writing software has a twist that is sure to break any habit you may have of obsessive editing.

It allows for maximum creativity with the stealthy way in which it forces you to write. You can’t even look back at what you’ve done until your goal is reached.

A subscription to Ilys costs $9/month, but users can type up to 3000 words for free before making a purchase.

Twords is a writing tool that is designed to keep you motivated and writing on a regular basis. It offers you a space to write where you can keep your time and your word count goal right in front of you.

It suggests a daily word count goal of 500, but you can customize this if you want.

twords writing tool

In addition to a place to write and ways to track your progress, Twords offers a community aspect. You can create a public profile with a photo and some personal information. You can connect with other users and even create “accountability buddies.”

Accountability buddies are other users with whom you stay connected as you strive to write every day. They are there to vent frustrations and ask advice. If you don’t write for a few days, Twords sends an email to your accountability buddies so they know to ask you what’s up.

Having someone there to keep you accountable is an excellent way to stay motivated. This part of the website is optional. But, writers who struggle to stay on task and write every day will find it useful.

The Most Dangerous Writing App

This writing tool is a simple, single-page program that doesn’t just encourage but forces you to keep writing – at all costs. If you don’t keep those words coming, the app will delete your work.

the most dangerous writing app writing tool

The only thing you have to do is select the length of your session. It can be anywhere from 3-60 minutes. From there, it brings you to a blank white page with just a cursor. There are no menu options, no formatting choices, no distractions whatsoever.

The only catch is that you must keep typing. If you stop for even a few seconds, everything disappears and you have to start over.

the most dangerous writing app writing tool

For most, this is all the motivation they’ll need to keep on going!

A basic writing tool, but perhaps one of the best for someone who is really struggling with inspiration and motivation. Even if what you write isn’t any good, at least the app gets you writing something.

A Writing Tool For Beating Distraction

For most writers, distraction is a huge problem. Between cell phones, video games, and the internet in general, our minds have become programmed to multi-task. Focusing on one thing can be hard, especially with all the aforementioned distractions just waiting in the wings, calling our name.

Beating these distractions with sheer will power alone is possible, but difficult. It may be worth exploring some writing tools to help eliminate distractions from your writing time.

Calmly Writer

Calmly Writer is one of the most basic pieces of writing software you will find. And this is the whole point.

Once you start writing, everything else disappears:

calmly writer writing tool

Other than your words, there is only one other icon. Clicking this will reveal the menu and all its options:

calmly writer writing tool

This clean and minimalistic interface doesn’t do anything about the looming technology and internet. But, it helps you zero in on your writing by filling your entire screen with nothing but your own words.

This is effective in putting many in the zone. Focus becomes razor sharp. With nothing else to even click on, words get written fast. With all other thoughts out of the way, creativity can flow at its best.

To make this simple writing experience the best it can be, Calmly Writer does offer some customizable features for you to work with:

  • Once some words are written, you can select a section and click to choose various formatting options.
  • Your writing is automatically backed up as you go.
  • The app features a responsive design that will work with various screen sizes, types, and devices.
  • It offers a dark mode for those who prefer to write with white text on a black screen.
  • An optional typewriter sound can be turned on for added effect.

For those looking for a calm and serene place to write, Calmly Writer is your answer. With everything else hidden away, all you need to do is create.

Freedom is a unique writing tool that will block your distractions. Calmly Writer provides you with a clean and simple space that encourages focus. Freedom removes your ability to even utilize the distractions that exist on the internet.

The concept is simple – you can create customized lists of the websites that are most distracting to you. Social media, games, news, entertainment – these are some of the most common.

Once you’ve chosen or created a list, you can create a session of whatever length you want. Once you click to start your session, Freedom blocks all websites on your list for your chosen amount of time.

freedom writing tool

If you want to really buckle down and write, and don’t need any references in front of you, you can simply block the entire internet.

Another huge distraction for many is their cell phone. The app is available to download on mobile as well, and it does much the same thing. You can choose which apps you want to be blocked, and Freedom will disable them for the duration of your session.

This writing tool is basic, easy to use, and incredibly powerful. After a free trial, it is available at three different price points:

  • $6.99/month
  • $120 for lifetime access

If you like the app but don’t want to make a lifetime commitment, you can save a lot of money by paying for your subscription yearly. The yearly price point brings your monthly cost down to about $2.

A Writing Tool For Editing

Sometimes more time-consuming than the writing itself, editing is a tedious part of the process. But, it’s unavoidable.

You should always begin by thoroughly editing your work yourself. Once this is done, it is recommended that you hire a professional editor if you plan to publish .

In addition to both of these, however, is the option of utilizing some writing software that does parts of the editing for you. These in no way replace your own work, nor that of a professional. But, the right editing tool can save both of you some time and effort by taking care of the small stuff.

Grammarly is among the top-rated writing tools out there right now. It is a program that scans your work and points out grammatical errors. The basic version of the service is free and allows you to scan an unlimited amount of documents and words.

It will alert you to a few different errors:

  • Basic grammatical mistakes
  • Spelling mistakes
  • Repeated words

It can do this in a number of different ways:

  • Copy and paste your work into the online editor.
  • Install the chrome extension so check your work across the web (blogs, social media, emails, etc.).
  • Install the desktop extension.
  • Integrate Grammarly with MS Word.
  • Integrate Grammarly with Google Docs (still in beta testing).

All of these options come free of charge, and you have unlimited use. For many writers , this is more than enough editing help. If you do any kind of serious writing, however, you may want to consider the premium upgrade .

The premium version offers several advanced checks and features:

  • Advanced punctuation, grammatical, sentence structure, and context checks
  • Vocabulary enhancement
  • Genre-specific writing checks
  • A plagiarism detector

For a detailed look at the upgraded premium version, check out our Grammarly review . This can help you decide if it is worth the investment.

The Hemingway editor is similar to Grammarly. Where they differ is in their specific functions. Hemingway will also scan your work and point out errors. But, it focuses on mistakes of a different variety.

The Hemingway Editor checks your work for overall readability. It does this by picking out several specific stylistic problems:

  • Passive voice
  • Complex phrases
  • Hard to read sentences
  • Very hard to read sentences

The editor is available online and is free to use. You can copy and paste your text, or you can do your work directly into the editor and have it check as you go. It does offer some formatting options to make this a viable choice.

Hemingway writing tool

For a one-time fee of $19.99, you can gain access to the desktop version of the editor. It is the exact same program, but you can download it and have it available for offline use.

Hemingway is a fantastic writing tool for those who publish shorter, nonfiction content to a blog or website. It helps you ensure your work is clean, concise, and professional.

It can be used by those who write fiction as well. Though, they should keep in mind that there is no way to adjust for stylistic choices. So, you may take some creative liberties with the language that Hemingway will mark as a problem.

Overall though, it’s a writing tool that can be used to enhance anyone’s craft.

A Writing Tool For Ideas

Sometimes, you’re just stuck on an idea. Writer’s block is a killer, and everyone goes through it at some point.

If you’re struggling, there are many ways you can come by inspiration:

  • Randomly conjured ideas
  • Overheard conversation
  • Life situations, either personal or someone else
  • Writing prompts
  • Talking to others
  • And many more

In addition to this list, there are some writing tools out there that can assist you in coming up with a great idea for your content.

Scapple is a program developed by Literature and Latte , the same company that created Scrivener. Scrivener is where you write your content, Scapple is where you come up with it.

Scapple is a simple but useful tool that mimics a brainstorming technique known as a mind map. This is where you write down your main, usually broad, idea, and start connecting other ideas and thoughts to it.

scapple writing tool

In days past, writers would do this with pencil and paper. Scapple decided to digitize this method of thinking and make it easier, more accessible, and even more productive.

A mind map in Scapple is literally limitless. You can zoom out and make your “paper” or document, infinitely large. When you need a certain section, zooming back in is easy.

Scapple is also perfectly compatible with Scrivener. You don’t even have to export your mind map in order to insert it into a Scrivener project. If both programs are open, you can simply drag the mindmap from Scapple into Scrivener.

For those that want to expedite and organize their brainstorming and ideas stage, Scapple is your best bet.

HubSpot’s Blog Idea Generator

For bloggers, coming up with consistently fresh and entertaining content can be difficult. Like any writer, a blogger will go through periods of writer’s block.

Just because you run into this, however, doesn’t mean you can stop publishing. Especially if your blog is your income.

So, HubSpot has created a tool to help you find some new topics.

You start by entering up to five nouns into their idea generator. Once the nouns are added, you can click to generate some ideas. It will give you one week’s worth of blog ideas immediately – this is five topics.

hubspot writing tool

To unlock an entire year’s worth of blog ideas – 250 topics – all you need to do is enter some information, and you can download the list.

hubspot writing tool

Some of the topics and titles are simpler than others. But, all of them have the potential to spark inspiration. And even if the title you choose has been done before in some capacity, you can still make the content itself original and unique.

A Writing Tool For Productivity

For most writers, the ideas never stop. There is always more work to do, and another blog post to publish. Often, there are many small mistakes and repetitive actions that take up a lot of our time – probably more than we realize.

Life would be much easier if we could find a writing tool or two to help eliminate some of these small distractions.

Text Expander

TextExpander is a writing tool that has the potential to exponentially increase your productivity. It functions similarly to autocorrect on a cell phone, but with anything you want.

You can add what are called “snippets” and once downloaded, the corrections and actions become active and will automatically occur as you type.

For example, maybe you know you frequently misspell a word. You can tell TextExpander to automatically correct it each time you type it. This is a basic example, you can make them as complex as you want.

text expander writing tool

If you work in customer service, for example, you might find yourself sending many emails that are all the same. You can have TextExpander enter in an entire message as you type a simple four letter abbreviation.

You can utilize publically available lists, or create your own. The possibilities of this writing tool are endless.

The premade groups of snippets are a perfect place to start. As you get going, you can create as many of your own as you want depending on the type of work and writing you do.

TextExpander is available as a subscription with two payment options:

  • $4.16/month
  • $39.96/year (save 20%)

Whether you are writing web content or a fictional novel , most writers know the struggle of managing all kinds of tabs at once. From research to references, your writing groups, tools, and apps, you have a lot open.

Some writers ease the clutter by using a second screen, but that only helps so much. Even separating your tabs into several windows still means you need to flip back and forth a lot. And, having many tabs open at the same time can significantly slow your computer down.

OneTab was created as a solution to this problem.

OneTab turns all your open tabs into a convenient list. When you need access to them, you can either bring them back up individually or all at once. When your tabs are in this list, you will save up to 95% of memory due to the reduced number of tabs open in Chrome.

onetab writing tool

The app promises complete privacy. Your tabs and their content will never be shared with the developers or other users at any time. The only exception to this is if you choose to share your list, which is an available feature.

Depending on how many scripts your tabs are running, having them in a OneTab list can speed your computer up by reducing the CPU load. It can also help your computer wake up from sleep mode faster.

OneTab is free to use and available on Google Chrome and Firefox .

A Writing Tool For Plagiarism

Whether you are writing professionally, as a student, or for yourself, plagiarism is a big deal. Copyright laws are legitimate and you can get in big trouble for copying someone else’s work and claiming it as your own.

Students can be expelled from school, writers can get fired from their jobs. This will happen when intentional and repeated plagiarism happens.

However, sometimes plagiarism can be an accident too. Most of the time, a piece will require a lot of research with many references being used. In these cases, it can be easy to word something the same way as your reference did.

Unfortunately, this can still be a problem. Some employers have a zero tolerance policy for plagiarism. Other times, the original writer may find your duplicate and pursue legal action.

Whatever the situation may be, avoiding plagiarism is a top priority for any serious writer.

Unicheck Plagiarism Checker

Unicheck is among the top-rated plagiarism checkers. When you upload a file to be checked, it compares it to billions of other webpages.

The results include any instances of direct plagiarism, but it will also tell you if any of your writing is similar to anything else on the web.

If there is any plagiarism present, it shows you what percentage of your piece is plagiarised. It also shows you the original web page from which your text is copied.

unicheck writing tool

You can add files from your computer or copy and paste text. Whichever one you choose, it saves all of your pages in your library for reference.

This is a fantastic resource for writers of all types to ensure their work is 100 percent unique and original. It is not available for free, but pricing is reasonable.

You pay for your checks by page. Unicheck considers 275 words to be a “page.”

To buy just 10 pages is $3.00 which makes each page 30 cents. From there, the more you purchase at once, the more money you save. You can purchase up to 2000 pages at a time, for $140. This works out to 7 cents per page.

Other Writing Tools

In addition to the fantastic and robust writing software I’ve talked about already, there are some other, smaller programs. These are more specific in their functions, but can still be useful in enhancing your writing experience.

Power Thesaurus

Another simple but powerful tool, Power Thesaurus is what you need to enhance your vocabulary and bring your writing to the next level.

You can enter any word you want, and get a plethora of helpful information. You begin by choosing what exactly you want to search for:

  • Synonyms – words with similar meaning.
  • Antonyms – words with an opposite meaning.
  • Definitions

The default option is synonyms, but you can toggle between each type of list as much as you want.

power thesaurus writing tool

Next, you can select a part of speech to explore, if you are looking for even more ways to use the word. It will narrow down your list of synonyms or antonyms to this part of speech only. Options include:

  • Expressions
  • Phrasal verbs

This free writing tool is useful for anything from short stories to a college research paper.

Read-o-Meter

Read-o-Meter is another writing tool that, while simple, is useful to writers trying to produce their best work.

Especially when writing for the web, many people focus on their word count. But, not many pay much mind to how long something will take someone to read. This can be an important factor.

If you are writing a professional scientific research piece, length may be of no consequence.

But, if you are writing a casual and informative article in order to help someone solve a problem, it shouldn’t be too long. If someone is having trouble with a piece of technology, for example, they don’t want to read for 30 minutes before being able to fix it.

Read-o-Meter helps you keep track of your writing’s read time. Of course, it is just an estimate as some people read faster than others. But, it will give you a good idea of how long it will take the average person to get through your piece.

read-o-meter writing tool

Of course, you could just read it yourself and time it. But, Read-o-Meter is much more convenient as it calculates the results in seconds. It is free to use and has no word limit.

CoSchedule Headline Analyzer

CoSchedule is a company that has developed a set of tools and resources designed to help writers and content creators. Among their services is a free tool called the Headline Analyzer . This tool will analyze your article headline and break it down for you piece by piece.

Headlines are much more important than a lot of people realize. Your content can be top-notch, but no one will ever notice it if they aren’t intrigued by the headline.

There are certain styles and tricks that a headline can use to be more eye-catching and effective. This Headline Analyzer helps you learn what they are and tells you how well your chosen headline does.

Once you type in your headline and click “analyze,” it begins by giving you an overall score.

coschedule writing tool

Beyond this, however, is much more information:

  • Length . It analyzes the length in both characters and words. It says that the ideal length of a title is around 55 characters and 6 words. The analyzer compares your title to these numbers and tells you if it’s too long, too short, or just right.
  • Keywords . It tells you what keywords are easily picked out of your headline. If these keywords match what your content is about, your headline is on the right track.
  • Sentiment . Headlines should show positive sentiment. A headline with positive emotion usually performs the best.
  • Google and Email Preview. It shows you a preview of what your headline will look like as a Google search result as well as an email subject line. Seeing exactly what these will look like helps you decide if you want to continue using this headline.

It may seem like a simple and inconsequential thing, but a good quality headline is crucial to the success of your content. Let this writing tool analyze your title and help you make it better.

Cliché Finder

This writing tool does exactly what its name would imply. It scans your text for cliches. A cliche is a phrase, saying, or expression that is excessively overused.

It can be easy to slip them into your writing without even noticing. This is because their meanings are so well known and understood. You can get your point across without coming up with something new.

But, using too many cliches will have your work sounding boring after a little while. If you say too many things that readers have heard before, they won’t be able to pull any value from your writing.

cliche finder writing tool

This is where Cliche Finder comes in. You can copy and paste your text and it scans your work for cliches. It starts by displaying your results in a list, with three sections:

  • Spelling errors
  • Word choice

The last one on this list is an interesting bonus. In addition to showing you the cliches you’ve used, it picks out some common and potentially overused words. It then offers you several alternatives that may make your writing more interesting and professional.

Overall, Cliche Finder is a simple but useful tool for writers looking to polish their work.

Find Your Writing Tool

Many writers will utilize more than one writing tool. Everyone has different styles and preferences when it comes to writing, and there is a writing tool out there for all types of writers. Finding that perfect combination will do so much for your career as a writer.

From increasing productivity, being more organized, taking better notes, and kick-starting your motivation, these writing tools are some of the most beneficial. Most programs are either free or offer a free trial, so don’t be afraid to try a few out and see what works best for you.

writing software meaning

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When You Write

The Best Writing Software for Authors in 2024 [Free & Paid]

Whenever I come across the question “what is the best writing software?” I tend to focus on something else other than the answer.

To be precise, I start to think contemporary writers really have it easy. A hundred years ago or earlier, this wouldn’t have been an important question.

Don’t get me wrong, I honestly think writing is still a laborious task.

But when you consider that the likes of Shakespeare, Hemmingway, and Ted Geisel, among countless others who never used writing apps to polish their work, the premise that “it’s a bit easier to write nowadays” becomes a bit more accurate.

The process of writing has evolved—we dumped the quill for a pen, then came a typewriter, and finally a computer.

Now we have all sorts of writing tools at our disposal, such as our top-rated Scrivener ,  but finding the right one for “you” can be a bit of a hassle.

That is why I decided to lift some of that burden off your shoulder and review some of the best free and paid writing software for authors available in 2024.

Let’s get started.

Our Top 3 Book Writing Software at A Glance

The best book writing software, 1. scrivener.

Best Overall

When it comes to book editing software, you need to have tools that have a writer’s soul—made for writers by inventive writers.

Scrivener isn’t your standard word processor; it isn’t your regular grammar checker either.

Scrivener—a book-writing software program developed by an aspiring writer called Keith Blount back in 2007—is a package consisting of a typewriter, ring binder, and a scrapbook in one tool.

The software tool comes with valuable features like corkboards, pre-set formatting, templates, file importing, metatags, automated document listing, and many others.

These features are perfect for novelists, scriptwriters, academics, lawyers, translators, journalists, students, and other professional writers .

Key Features:

  • Has the Cork Board and Outliner: Easy and convenient organization of notes and book sections.
  • Hit the Ground Running: The templates give the user a head start because it saves him/her the time it takes to set a genre-based workspace.
  • Goal and Progress Tracking: Scrivener’s customizable Goals and Targets are so important for tracking your progress. They are also helpful when you’re running against a deadline and want to know if you’re picking up the pace or not.
  • Weigh your Work : The Snapshots enable you to compare rewrites to original notes.
  • Made with Novelists and Fiction Writers in Mind: this software comes with specialized features for novelists and fiction writers, including the Linguistic Focus (MacOS) / Dialogue Focus (Windows).

Scrivener has separate payment plans for the three supported platforms— macOS , iOS , and Windows and they cost $49, $19.99, and $45, respectively.

What I Like About Scrivener

Scrivener has a bunch of features and capabilities that I like. It has customizable interfaces, the desktop apps work offline, offers a very generous trial period, and has specialized features for novelists and fiction writers.

What I Didn’t Like About Scrivener

I found out that Scrivener requires a separate License for each supported platform—which was a bummer. On top of that, the tool doesn’t have a plagiarism checking feature. Oh, did I forget to mention the steeper learning curve?

2. Write! App

Write! is another distraction-free text editor that offers an elegant workspace for you to create notes, to-do lists, create blog posts, novels, and texts of many different kinds.

In Writer App!, you’ll find similar features of a good word processor that have been neatly packed into a well-groomed interface.

It’s sort of like a regular word processor on steroids.

And it has some sleek looks too; Writer App has a browser-styled minimalistic interface that utilizes tabs to help you navigate— for bloggers and writers, the user interface alone is an appealing appetizer.

But the app isn’t all about the looks; here are some of the essential features and their benefits.

Key Features and Benefits

Two distraction-free writing options: To do away with distraction, you have two options:

  • Either you use the “Full-Screen Mode,” which basically blocks all the features except for the outline and document interface.
  • Or the “Focus Mode” that turns your screen into some sort of a typewriter—it only displays the sentence or paragraph with the blinker.

Sync Your Work : Write! App offers a cloud syncing feature, conveniently enabling you to access your work from any device you use. But, the sync feature comes at an extra cost of 4.95/year.

Collaborate with Your Team: Write! App allows you to publish your work directly to the web and get a share link which you can use to share and collaborate your work.

The tool costs $24.95 annually.

What I liked About Write! App

The goal-setting features, the customizable interface, and the sharing and publishing features.

What I Didn’t Like About Write! App

There are a bunch of things that I didn’t like (not necessarily related to the tool’s functionality). The tool has no trial period, no app for mac.

Novlr is less complicated than Scrivener; a shorter learning curve and simplicity offers relief to users that found Scrivener some sort of rocket science.

It has a feature that turns it into a distraction-free tool; it eliminates all the other distractive features. The tool also checks for grammar errors, gives cheerleading leading one-liners when you are about to achieve a goal, and helps track your progress and performance.

Novlr also has an ambient-dependent color setting, which feels comfortable and sometimes stimulating.

The good thing is since it’s cloud-based, you can access the tool from any device via a web browser.

Key Features and Benefits :

  • Share or Keep Your Work Safe: Novlr can automatically sync with both Google Drive and Dropbox. This way, you can easily share your draft with a co-author, book editor, or an entire project group.
  • Write Within the Language’s Rules : Novlr comes with a grammar checking feature that prevents your text’s syntax and semantics from derailing.
  • Chase Goals and Achieve and Manage Your Objectives: Helps you track your performance and customize your goals
  • Offline Writing: you don’t essentially need a working internet connection to use the app.
  • Focus Mode – remove all kinds of distractions and stay focused on writing and editing.

But all these features come at a healthy price of $100 per year.

What I Like About Novlr

I like the offline capability, the Auto-save feature, the software’s suggestions for various writing styles, and the trial period.

What I Didn’t Like About Novlr

It is relatively expensive, exports fewer file formats, and is not available as a mobile app.

4. Microsoft Word

This list wouldn’t be complete with this word-processing warhorse—Microsoft Word.

Most contemporary middle-aged writers grew up using Microsoft Word and can literally point to any of its tabs with their eyes closed.

This veteran word processor is neat and is the most underrated writing tool nowadays.

It’s just like the beautiful wife you’ve had for years, and then she becomes a 5 out of 10 just because you’ve spotted some new “Jenny” on the block.

But… do not be fooled; MS Word is still the “OG” of the writing software category.

This tool still comes equipped with core features like translation, grammar checking, web publishing, and other standout features.

Here are some of these features (a mere glimpse of what MS Word has to offer):

  • Custom Styles : Whether you want to customize headings, subheadings, or subtitles, the tool allows you to tweak your text however you like.
  • Easy to Use Custom Navigation Pane : once you’ve customized the styles, the headings and pages appear in a very intuitive sidebar called the navigation pane. You can rearrange the headings by dragging them in the navigation pane.
  • Automatic links: you can easily link a word or sentence to a place in the same document or a web page. This is convenient when you want to publish your document in digital formats—a reader can simply click on the link and jump to the desired content or page.
  • Automatic Table of Contents : MS Word lets you create a table of contents to which is also hyperlinked the headings.
  • Mailing : easily send your manuscript to an editor, straight from Word. You can either mail your document to a single recipient or multiple email accounts.
  • Track Changes : the tool also lets you track, accept, and reject changes you or anyone else makes to your document. You can set the tracking feature on or lock tracking—whatever is your cup of tea, eh?

There are a bunch of Microsoft 365 plans available—too many, almost inconveniently too many. So for conciseness sake, I’m only going to list the basic plans (for personal and family use):

  • Microsoft 365 Family – free for one month; $9.99 monthly or $99.99 yearly
  • Microsoft 365 Personal – costs $6.99 per month and $69.99 yearly
  • Office Home & Student 2019 –offers a one-time purchase priced at $149.99 (for both Mac and PC)

The pricing section doesn’t seem concise, but I had to exscind almost 75% of Microsoft 365’s catalog pricing plans.

What I Like About MS Word

The app is packed with powerful formatting options, templates for almost anything, and an easy-to-use interface.

What I Didn’t Like About MS Word

No virtual boards like some of the other dedicated writing software programs I’ve listed.

Ulysses has been in the game for a very long time. In fact, it is the software that inspired Scrivener.

And just like Scrivener (which seems to have overtaken it), it has a modern, streamlined interface and is stuffed with essential features for a modern writer. Ulysses provides document management, file syncing, style editing, and many other essential capabilities.

It is the perfect book writing tool for serious authors because it allows the writer to organize the manuscript in a clean, focused writing environment.

Improves Focus & Productivity: Ulysses comes with features that allow writers to completely focus on writing and increase their output.

It has a distraction-free interface that helps you get around in no time-such as; typewriter mode, keyboard navigation mode which enables you to operate Ulysses via keyboard only, markup-based text editor, and many other customizable features.

Offers Sufficient Organization & Management: Ulysses offers a wide range of organizational tools that helps writers organize their work from something as small as note-taking to a bulky novel. The tool has:

  • A unified library for your texts
  • Hierarchic groups which let you organize your drafts
  • Enables you to attach additional information such as images, PDFs, notes, keywords, and others.
  • Filters which allow you to narrow down your library’s content according to keywords, text occurrences, et cetera.
  • Writing Goals for tracking your daily objectives, set word or character limits, and overall progress.
  • Auto-Save & Automatic Backup feature, which automatically saves your work and keeps local backups.

Versatile Synchronization and Export functions: With Ulysses’ syncing capabilities, you write anywhere without repeatedly setting the tool . Ulysses offers full iCloud sync, macOS-iOS sync (iPhone to iPad to Mac), and you can add Dropbox folders to your text library.

Ulysses also boasts of a versatile export function; among other capabilities, you can export your document as a Markdown file or HTML code, DOC, PDF, and other file formats. You can also publish your text directly to medium and WordPress.

Ulysses costs $5.99 monthly or $49.99 yearly. It also has a 14-day trial period.

What I Liked

The tool comes with a lot of perks. Still, there were some special ones including effective document management, progress tracking tools, multiple view options, and the direct WordPress and Medium publishing feature.

What I Didn’t Like

I didn’t like its exclusivity to Apple devices. I thought that it only affects the owner’s revenues more than anything else.

6. Manuskript 

Manuskript is an open-source tool for writers including novelists, journos, and academicians.

It comes close to providing the same features as its paid counterparts. It has an Outliner for you to hierarchically organize your work, allows you to set writing goals and has a feature called the “Novel Assistant,” which helps develop a random idea into a lucid plot by using the “snowflake method.”

The tool lacks cloud collaboration and other essential elements that paid tools have.

“If it doesn’t cost you money, don’t complain sonny!”

  • Outliner: This feature lets you organize your ideas and little pieces of your story hierarchically. You can arrange and rearrange whichever way you like.
  • Avoid Unnecessary Detours: With the Distraction-free mode, you can get rid of all distractions that impede the pace of your writing process.
  • Monitor your Progress: Set personal goals
  • Novel assistant:  You can utilize the snowflake method to develop your basic ideas into a coherent plotline or a full-fledged story with characters, plots, and comprehensive settings.

What I Like About Manuskript

Firstly, it’s an open-source tool. I also like how the “Novel assistant” adds something extra to your writing, the spell checker, and language translation.

What I Don’t Like About Manuskript

The app might be a bit difficult to install for people who are not tech-savvy.

7. Livingwriter

Here’s another tool with a shorter learning curve but stacked with all the necessary features to help you write your book—from the plotting phase right up to the publishing stage.

Livingwriter has an intuitive interface that was designed to make you feel comfortable right from the start.

You can collaborate with your co-authors and share your live chapters or the entire draft with an editor. The tool lets you restrict the view, comment, and editing permissions of your editor, proofreader, or co-authors to protect your work.

  • Casually Organize and Plot Your Stories: Utilize the tool’s sidebar to arrange your chapter notes quickly.
  • Get A God’s-Eye View of Your Writing: rearrange your plot lines or your book simply by dragging and dropping notes on the app’s board.
  • Focus Mode : For a distraction-free writing experience, the right sidebar, which displays details on Chapters and Story Elements can be turned off, leaving the editor window only.
  • Set Writing Goals: Writing goals enable you to observe differences in your writing pace and see how much content you have written.

Liivngwriter offers a 14-day trial. If you’re hooked, you have to choose between two payment arrangements: either pay $9.99 monthly or choose to fork out $96 once a year.

What I Like About Livingwriter

I liked the Grammarly Integration, the free trial, and its collaboration capabilities.

What I Didn’t Like About Livingwriter

I didn’t like the fact that the tool is not available as a desktop app and wasn’t ideal for screenwriting.

Although Dabble’s interface is more streamlined and intuitive than most of its competition, it is stuffed with features similar to those that Scrivener and its closest competitors have.

Well of course I used the word “stuffed,” but Dabble still has less features than Scrivener.

The tool comes with features like a word tracker, Cloud Sync, plot grid, and Spelling and Grammar checkers, among others.

Take a look at what you’ll be getting when you have Dabble as your writing software.

  • Plot the “Bestseller Course”: One of Dabble’s most essential features is the Plot Grid.  With this feature, you can arrange plot lines and plot points in a notecard format. By dragging and dropping the notecards, you can develop basic ideas into a detailed scene chart.
  • Up your Game—Focus: Dabble let’s switch into focus mode as you type, which reduces the distractions.  You can also customize the interface manually to give you a more focused writing space.
  • Keep Track of the Mileage: Dabble has a goals module that keeps track of the daily word count. In the right module, there’s a bar graph that shows you the daily written amounts.

Dabble offers three plans: Basic, Standard, and Premium. The plans cost $5, $10, $15 respectively.

What I Like About Dabble

I like the Intuitive dashboard, the grammar checker, and the free trial

What I Didn’t Like About Dabble

There is one thing that I disliked about this tool; it isn’t ideal for writing screenplays, short stories, scripts, and other formats.

9. Google Docs

Google is the best Microsoft Word alternative—one of the most preferred writing tools out there. And just like its buddy, the word processor is supplemented by Google Sheets and Google Slides in G Suite by Google.

Unlike MS Word though, Google Docs tool is a cloud-based editor (although docs can be accessed offline). With the app, you can edit your docs offline and online (tablets, PCs, and phones).

This isn’t your sufficient Scrivener alternative though; it lacks the tools for you to seamlessly jump from one subsection of a bulky chapter to another section in another chapter. I usually use it for blog posts and other short reads.

Take a look at some of the standout features that Google Docs has to offer:

  • Add Fonts: Just like MS Word, Google Docs lets you add fonts to its library, the good thing is that you don’t need to download and install the fonts separately.
  • Enjoy the Voice to Text Feature: if you don’t feel like typing, you can utilize the voice typing feature and the app will translate your recording to text.
  • A Variety of Styles: Google Docs comes with lots of different styles for formatting your text.

Google Docs Pricing

Google Docs is free, but you can purchase Google Workspace plans for you to get more storage space and other benefits of Google’s apps.

A Few Other Notable Pieces Of Writing Software Worth Mentioning

  • Quoll Writer

What Makes the Best Book Writing Software?

Most writers I know are over 30, the average age being 40. Now, these seasoned wordsmiths have been doing all their writing using Word for a very long time.

For them to adopt a new tool to use in the writing process, the tool needs to have something extra special, an extra oomph!

They are not just going to start using a tool just because someone says it’s good (I’d expect the same attitude from you too), but some of the factors I have listed below would do a lot to convince them, and they’re the ones you should be considering before you decide which book writing software is the best for you.

How to Decide Which Book Writing Software Is Best for You?

The following are things to consider before choosing a book writing software:

Offline Functionality

Having a tool that only works online is okay, but sometimes writers take writing excursions to a remote location to get their writing juices flowing again.

They might choose an area with no internet connection and need their Scrivener working full time whilst they’re there.

Or the internet might be working just fine, but the writer might decide to go offline. Offline writing software comes in handy in such situations. 

Desktop App

Nobody expects to write or edit a whole 100k novel in a web-based text box. That would just kill the fun of writing the book.

Conveniently most good writing apps have desktop apps.

And the app ought to be available for both macOS and Windows (although I’ve listed some tools which are only available either as macOS apps or Windows apps).

Distraction-Free Writing

Focus is so important, especially when you’re writing bulky creative pieces.

But writing on a laptop or tablet computer offers plenty of distractions. With notifications flying in from everywhere, your unfinished movie staring at you, et cetera.

A good writing app needs to be able to block all these distractions from your writing environment.   

To achieve this, some apps go full screen and inhibit inessential background processes while others turn into a typewriter and only display the text being typed.

Easy or Steep Learning Curve

Although a steeper learning curve indicates the sophistication of a writing app, some tools are just complicated for no substantial reason.

If an app like Scrivener has a steeper learning, it is for a very good reason: the tool is stuffed with comprehensive features that help you from the first step to the publishing stage of your manuscript crafting process.

However, Scrivener is an exception (the steeper presents an investment into a Rambo of a book writing software), and writing tools need to be easy to master.

Tracking Your Progress

The best writing tools are equipped with features that help see how much ground you’ve covered.

They furnish you with stats to help you track your writing progress and set personal milestones.

Writing tools like the veteran MS word allow you to easily track, accept, and reject the change made to your document.

Scrivener and other tools like it have virtual boards called Cork Boards where you can organize, plan, and keep track of changes made to your draft.

Cost of Software

The overall cost of writing ought to be the least of your worries. The concern should be what you want from software.

If you are paying $49 to use Scrivener, it means you are paying for all its features.

But, are you using all of them?

If all you need the tool to do is help you outline your book and check some grammar and spelling mistakes , then you’re overpaying.

You can use a less sophisticated tool that costs less but has the basic features which you need.

But if a tool has the perfect features for your project (no major inessential elements), then pay up, buddy!

Is Free Writing Software as Good as Paid Software?

The answer—put simply—is no.

Free writing software is sufficient, but paid ones usually are more developed with better user features.

Free writing software tools feel like regular milk, but the paid have this extra edge, a thickness that feels more like condensed milk. The developers always make sure to stuff the paid ones with more indispensable features to make them way cooler than the free version.

And if a tool is completely free, then it probably generates revenue using other sources. Such tools usually bombard you with ads and lack many essential features you’d typically find in a paid tool.

So, the free ones will do the job for you, just not as efficiently as their paid counterparts.

What Software Do Most Writers Use?

The ‘word processor’ market has been flooded with a lot of software, but there is one that has stood the test of time.

The Granddaddy of word processors—Microsoft word. It’s been here for decades and still reigns as the most used writing software even though other apps do a better job.

The issue lies with trust. The tool still has millions of users (in the US only), and its popularity has never been matched anywhere else in the world.

What Writing Software Do Famous Writers Use?

1. stephen king.

The bestselling horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novelist uses MS Word for manuscript and Final Draft for screenplays.

2. J.K Rowling

The Harry Potter author uses MS word. She once tweeted that she writes her very first draft using pen and paper then transfers it to Word.

3. Sabba Tahir

 The bestselling author of a YA fantasy series uses both Scrivener and MS Word. Sabba starts out in Scrivener, then after organizing the book she moves it to Word and finishes it there.

4. Jeff Goins

Jeff is a best-selling author of books, including Real Artists Don’t Starve and The Art of Work. He uses Scrivener to craft his bestsellers.

So, What’s the Best Book Writing Software?

Scrivener , without Doubt.

It is so good that new apps strive to be the perfect copies of this standard-setting tool.

Just imagine, it completely tramples the app it was accused of copying.

And I have talked about the steep learning curve about a thousand times and why the case is so…

You can’t build something this good and expect the average joe to quickly and easily master it.

Almost anyone can drive a Cadillac, but how many can get a spaceship to mars?

You get the idea.

Recommended Reading...

Best dictation software in 2024, best essay writing software: 16 apps that can help you write perfect essays, scrivener vs word: which is the better book writing software, vellum vs scrivener: which is better for writing and formatting your book.

Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

© 2024 When You Write

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Writing > AI Writing: What Is It And How Does It Work?

AI Writing: What Is It And How Does It Work?

Artificial intelligence has been all the buzz since ChatGPT came into the mainstream in November 2022. The question of how we should ethically use AI in our everyday lives has been asked in academic and professional circles alike. Understanding AI writing software and how it works is an important part of knowing what you can and should be using it for. Our guide will answer some questions you might have, like “What is AI writing?”, “How should I use AI writing software?”, and others.

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What is AI writing?

  • AI writing involves using artificial intelligence tools to create written content.
  • You can submit a prompt and have it write a short essay, for example, or draft a screenplay, write a short story, edit your content for grammatical/syntax errors, and beyond.
  • It completes the task in a matter of minutes, compared to the hours spent research and writing from scratch.
  • The capabilities depend on the software you use.

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How does AI writing work? Have you ever used the predictive text feature on the keyboard on your smartphone or tablet? The AI of predictive text follows along with what you’re typing and provides “educated” guesses as to what you might say next based on your history of typing in a specific app. For example, if you’re telling a specific person that they’re awesome every day in a text message, your predictive text feature will guess that you’re going to say the same thing again. You’ll notice this in other apps on your phone as well.

Another example might be if you use your phone to upload and post YouTube videos. Your YouTube Studio app and the predictive AI will automatically assume certain words and phrases if you use them often in your titles and video descriptions. AI writing software does this on a much, much larger scale.

Rather than comparing your habits against themselves and making a prediction about what you’ll say next, an AI writing tool will gather information based on what other people have said in response to a similar prompt. The bot will search the internet for information about what you’ve asked it to write, then compile that information into a response. While this used to come back as clunky and robotic, the algorithms and programming for AI writers have become much more advanced and can write human-like responses.

Are there different types of AI writing? There is a ton of AI writing software available to help with efficiency, accuracy, and proficiency in content creation, no matter what type you need. For example:

  • Bloggers can lean heavily on AI writing programs to help save time when building out a content calendar and editing blog posts.
  • Small businesses that don’t have the resources to write monthly blogs, for example, or compose marketing emails, or create social media posts can lean heavily on AI writing to create content for them. Of course, it’s recommended that somebody checks the content for accuracy and quality.
  • YouTubers can prompt an AI program to write a script for their videos. AI writing programs come in all sizes, functions, and price points (yes, you’ll probably have to pay to get the best features) to help anyone who creates content.

How should I use AI writing software? One of the first concerns that arose with the flood of AI writing software was that students would use it to write their term papers, or professionals would skimp on their writing duties and let the AI do it for them, and so on. These things, unfortunately, are going to happen.

However, AI can still be a tool that’s used for good. Anyone can have an AI chatbot do the heavy lifting in research, ideation, and organization. Let AI software get you started with your research, then take over to verify information, put it into coherent thoughts, then add emotion and storytelling.

A group of people at a coffee shop sharing information using a tablet.

Will AI writing replace real writers? No, AI will not replace real writers . However, it can help the cream of the industry rise to the top. AI writers are, so far, limited in their abilities to create emotional and engaging content. Humans, by nature, are storytellers. We have been since the beginning. Robots, however, are not. They are limited by what they’re programmed to do, and AI bots are programmed to gather information and make an educated guess about what you want to hear.

Take the movie Return of the Jedi, for instance. C-3PO was a protocol droid programmed to speak fluently in 6 million languages. Yes, he told a story to the Ewoks about how Luke and his friends got to Endor, but his telling was flat and factual. He couldn’t include the emotion that came with the story’s events.

AI writing is taking the world by storm because it’s an excellent way to work more efficiently. Does it have its limitations? It absolutely does. Because of these limitations, it’s essential to know how to use AI writing so it can be used more effectively.

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Software Documentation Terms Every Technical Writer Should Know

Every industry hosts a complex, elaborate landscape full of particular terms and expressions. That's why we’ve put together this glossary of software documentation terms: so you always have a guide to refer to when writing software documentation.

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To the untrained eye, software development can be a big, scary place. The industry hosts a complex, elaborate landscape full of particular terms and expressions.

For example, how often have you heard medical staff say: ‘oh, we’re Agile’? Have you ever met a salesman who has a ‘debugging process’? Probably never.

All these new words can be intimidating when compiling software documentation , especially if you’re just starting as a technical writer .

That’s why we’ve put together this glossary of software development terms: so you always have a guide to refer to when writing software documentation .

Documentation Guide

A documentation guide is an extensive project document without which you couldn’t even begin the documentation process.

This guide will specify must-know information such as content, format, terminology, chapter outline, and similar.

In other words, it serves as a reference point while you write your documents.

Here’s an example of a documentation guide:

SUSE Documentation Style Guide

As you can see, this documentation guide has instructions on almost all aspects of technical writing , making it an invaluable resource.

We suggest you start writing only after you have familiarized yourself with an approved documentation guide, as it will significantly facilitate the process.

A manual is a set of instructions for various circumstances that users keep ‘on hand.’ Product installation, configuration, and system administration manuals are the most common variants.

If you hear the term ‘guide,’ this can also be used interchangeably with ‘manual’; the meaning is the same.

Manuals can more or less be divided into the following three categories:

Manuals can more or less be divided into the following three categories

This organization is divided by intended audience groups.

In other words, manuals will differ in style and content based on who you’re writing for, whether end-users, vendors and contractors, or developers.

SME stands for ‘subject matter expert.’ They are knowledgeable individuals specialized in their chosen fields and are invaluable resources when writing technical documents.

It’s a good idea to interview SMEs before writing, as they can often provide valuable data and feedback.

As a technical writer, your job is to translate their knowledge into a language that the general public can easily understand.

Here are some SME examples:

SME examples

As you can see, SMEs are experienced professionals with unique expertise.

Their input is a considerable resource while writing ; they might even review your document afterward for any errors.

Functional Writing

Functional writing is a subset of technical writing that deals purely with operational elements; it describes the what, not the how.

This writing will explain in detail what each component or part does.

Imagine your standard Word ribbon. You’ll find options like ‘File,’ ‘Edit,’ ‘View,’ and similar.

Functional writing will detail the function of every such button and describe all the options in the drop-down menu that appears after clicking on them.

For example, look at this image:

Functional writing will detail

In functional writing, every element on this page - even those not highlighted - would be extensively explained and documented.

Procedural Writing

Procedural writing can be considered the direct opposite of functional writing. Instead of listing functions, procedural writing describes how the users would utilize the product .

It places the product in the context of use cases.

To accomplish procedural writing, you should have a very good understanding of performance goals—the main objective when using a product.

Here’s a sample performance goal from Stripe:

Sample performance goal from Stripe

This goal is clear: build a customized payment page for desktop and mobile devices.

In procedural writing, always keep this goal in mind, and try to compose a document that will help the user achieve this objective.

Documentation Review

Before a text can be approved and published, it’s a good idea to have someone look over the document and double-check that everything is in order.

This is precisely what documentation review entails—feedback on the text and an opportunity to suggest improvements.

A crucial part of the documentation process, this is what an ideal review procedure looks like:

Ideal review procedure looks like

However, keep in mind that this process is often a long one.

Reviewers tend to be SMEs and have numerous other duties in a corporate setting, so the review period can easily be extended due to their limited availability.

Document Management

Document management, also called content management, is concerned with developing a documentation structure.

The aim is to organize documents in a logical and accessible manner, so employees can quickly locate the information they need.

One of the easiest methods for this is a documentation platform. That way, you’ll host all your documents in one location , making them extremely easy to find.

Furthermore, some documentation platforms offer a search function and a table of contents . Take a look at these functions in Archbee :

Archbee functions

With a documentation platform, all your documents will be in one location, significantly streamlining team collaboration.

A lifecycle refers to the continuous work done on products or applications, from the day development starts until they are no longer used.

This process usually begins with planning, encompasses development, and ends with maintenance or retirement.

For your better understanding, here’s an example of the typical document development life cycle :

Typical document development life cycle

As you can see, the extensive process covers every aspect of a product’s lifetime.

While working on projects, technical writers are usually included from the beginning to the end, as they’ll need to document all stages of the product’s development for better future reference .

Stakeholders

Stakeholders refer to every individual involved in the product development process; everyone with an investment or an interest.

They can be either external or internal , depending on their relation to the company.

The visual below shows the most common stakeholders:

The most common stakeholders examples

Depending on the stakeholders you’re writing for, the tone and content of your documentation will change.

For example, you’ll write user guides and manuals for customers, compose records and summaries for shareholders, and develop various types of internal documentation for employees.

In a software development context, these internal documents can be software testing documentation , API documentation , and more.

Information Architecture

Information architecture focuses on structuring, presenting, and labeling content effectively and continuously.

In other words, it deals with how information inside a document is given; in which order, and in what format.

The screenshot below is an excellent example of quality information architecture:

Example of quality information architecture

The information in this screenshot is clearly displayed and easily navigable .

Similar content is consolidated in one group (e.g., ACME versions into ACME Series), and each group has an overarching theme.

Furthermore, these content groups are color-coded, providing additional visual aid to differentiate the two types of information.

Software Build

Software development is a continuous process in which developers constantly edit, remove, input, and refactor their code.

Depending on the company and its internal processes, the software can be compiled daily, twice a week, weekly, or bi-weekly; the business decides whatever timeline suits them best.

Each of these new versions of the source code is called a build. Builds are a standard part of the CI/CD pipeline, as displayed in the visual below:

Continuous integration and continuous delivery pipeline

As you can see, developing a build is the last step before beginning testing and eventually deploying the software.

A release is a process of providing users with the latest software version (or build).

Usually, this new version significantly differs from the previous version in several ways and is a significant milestone in the product’s lifecycle.

The image below shows three distinct software releases and the new features of each release.

Three distinct software releases and the new features of each release

Each release comes with multiple new aspects that will enrich the customer experience.

Given the broad scope of changes, a release only happens once or twice a year. In fact, it’s not unusual for companies to issue a release only once every few years.

Software Release Notes

Software release notes are a document that outlines the changes that have been made in the latest software release.

It’s essential to explain what has changed, how the new edit functions, and why this release will improve the user experience.

Release notes should typically contain the following information:

Release notes should typically contain the following information

If your release notes contain the above components, you’ll be much more likely to have a quality document on your hands.

When writing the release notes, use plain language, and keep the content short and sweet.

Your aim is for the document to be easily digestible and understandable without too much technical jargon.

A bug is a term used to describe errors in software that are caused by mistakes in the codebase. They result in a program not acting as intended or even crashing completely.

Clearing bugs from the codebase is called ‘debugging’ and will result in more efficient and functional software.

There are several types of bug tracking software that can help stay on top of these errors and facilitate debugging. Here’s an example:

Several types of bug tracking software

As a technical writer, one of your tasks could be to write bug reports. If so, investing in one such bug tracking tool might be wise.

Version Control

Version control is the process of tracking edits in a file.

This practice is an essential and necessary component in all software documentation, as it makes it possible to identify different file versions.

Furthermore, it provides a clear overview of changes made to a product or feature, which can be helpful when making business decisions.

Here’s what version control looks like with Archbee:

Archbee’s version control provides a document’s history for up to 12 months, allowing you to really drill down into the changes made.

If required, you can also effortlessly revert to the old versions.

Configuration

Software configuration is a procedure in which the software that makes up an app is defined and managed.

This is an extensive process, and larger companies might have a team whose sole task is configuring software.

Configuration includes selecting applications for a project, deciding how they should be configured, what their dependencies are, and more.

Given the considerable scope, companies often uphold a configuration management plan, typically composed by a technical writer.

Here’s a standard table of contents in an example configuration plan:

Standard table of contents in an example configuration plan

With this document, you’ll create a framework to keep track of all changes in your software’s configuration.

Agile is a software development methodology that values quality over quantity.

This framework takes an iterative approach, advocating that developers work in short cycles of time (typically one to four weeks) called sprints.

During these sprints, quality is preferred over quantity, as developers do their best to plan out and complete a set of tasks.

Agile supports flexibility and a team-oriented approach to solving problems, which encourages collaboration among developers. Its core values are summarized in the following four principles:

The Agile Manifesto

These four sentences succinctly encompass Agile’s central philosophy, as the methodology significantly emphasizes cooperation and adaptability.

Gamification

Gamification is the inclusion of design game elements in non-game environments. In software development, gamification can motivate developers to adopt certain programming practices.

For example, gamification has been used to incite the Agile methodology. Since this is a new model compared to Waterfall, acquisition can be slow.

However, engagement with Agile can increase by implementing game-like elements and rewards.

Gamification is also present in online programming learning portals. Codecademy, for example, has devised a badge system for users’ achievements.

Here are the available badges:

Codecademy has devised a badge system for users’ achievements

These badges result from gamification; users are rewarded with items for their efforts.

Specs, or specifications, is a document that provides a detailed description of system requirements.

This text makes it easier for developers to understand the needs of the system, which then aids their planning.

Specs typically describe why the system is being developed, its functions, limitations, and similar.

All this information should be highly detailed so as to be as helpful as possible to the developers .

Here’s an example specifications document:

Example specifications document

As you can see, the document encompasses external interface requirements, deals with user environments, and details the system’s features.

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance is an extensive testing process where testers evaluate to which degree a product delivers what it is supposed to.

Before a product is released, QA testing must give the product the ‘green light’ for market suitability.

Several types of documentation are involved with Quality Assurance , including a test strategy, a test plan, a testing checklist, etc. As a technical writer, you’ll likely compose these texts.

Here’s a testing checklist example:

Testing checklist example

With this document, you can ensure that QA testers will do their job thoroughly, as they’ll have a written record of necessary test requirements.

Use cases document interactions between the user and the system. This is done to determine the correctness and completeness of system requirements.

Because of their insight into software requirements, these texts are a great asset for developers during the planning process.

In other words, they help developers see what users will want from the product.

There are two types of use cases:

Two types of use cases

Functional use cases are focused exclusively on the system’s behavior, taking stock of how it performs and why.

Non-functional use cases detail the system’s attributes, dealing with technical elements such as reliability and maintainability.

Software development is a multi-layered, intricate industry with more or less its own language.

A technical writer from a medical or machine field, for example, won’t have an easy time in software development.

However, with this comprehensive guide, you’ll never wonder about software development terms again.

From business phrases such as ‘stakeholders’ to software expressions such as ‘version control,’ ‘configuration,’ and ‘build,’ this glossary lists everything you’ll need to know when writing software documentation.

When in doubt, check back here—you’ll find the answer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a documentation guide in software development, what is a manual in the context of software development and technical writing, who are smes in technical writing and software documentation, what's functional writing in the context of software documentation, what is a software build and release in software documentation and development, read more in, documentation.

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Home › Career › What Does a Software Technical Writer Do?

What Does a Software Technical Writer Do?

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Become a Certified Technical Writer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A software technical writer creates documents to describe how to set up and use software products.

Software technical writers make user guides, setup instructions, instruction manuals, online training material, release notes, new feature documents, how-to guides, and quick reference articles.

writing software meaning

Many software technical writers work for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies. A SaaS company hosts software at a central location, usually on the cloud, and provides software services on a subscription basis. Software technical writers must document software changes with each released version of the application. Software technical writers join the planning phase of a release because technical writers understand user needs and final intents.

If you’re interested in learning more about the role via video, then watch below. Otherwise, skip ahead.

CMMS Software

Software documentation is highly technical and requires critical thinking skills as well as knowledge of programming languages and scientific and technical products. Sometimes a background in computer science is even preferred to become a technical writer. Other technical writers may not need such a background.

Technical writers write for a broad audience because some of their readers will have more technical knowledge than others. Software technical writers work with many teams, including subject matter experts (SMEs), project managers (PM), developers, customer service representatives, and quality assurance (QA) personnel to create clear, helpful documentation.

A software writer’s technical documents publish through online help, printed manuals, blog posts, white papers, and web pages. As a result, software technical writers must communicate with agility, work in a fast-paced environment, and remain comfortable working across backgrounds.

Software technical writers work with people worldwide, speaking many languages and coming from different backgrounds. In software technical writing, it is essential to understand what each audience, team, and collaborator needs to stay informed.

Who is a Software Technical Writer?

Software technical writers write and maintain technical documents for software products, playing a crucial part in software development. Technical writers create documents that many companies need before releasing a new product or version. A software product cannot release new versions without the necessary documentation to support users and developers.

The software technical writer communicates between a company and its end-user. Technical writers take complex information and deliver it in a valuable and comprehensive way. Software technical writers need to understand what information users need and the best genre or format of dissemination.

A developer may have such intricate, complex, and technical information about the program that, unlike technical writers, they have no idea how to explain it to a user in a way that is easy to understand.

Software technical writers digest technical information and dispense practical instruction to users. Technical writers gather all essential information, analyze their intended audience, and structure cohesive documents, guides, and videos. Technical writers also update technical documents and instructional content when features have changed in the program.

The technical writer must understand documentation needs, including menu paths, screen call-outs, and complete procedures. Software technical writers determine when it is essential to include a screenshot or cross-reference another document.

Software Technical Writer Job Description

A technical writer must research the subject matter, understand its functionality, and interview team members to create the software documentation. A senior technical writer in software can also be responsible for:

  • Participating in daily scrum meetings.
  • Working in an agile environment.
  • Entering cases for any bugs found in the system.
  • Performing QA.
  • Creating how-to videos to complement documentation.
  • Participating in meetings with the documentation team.
  • Creating eLearning courses.
  • Creating and managing online documentation.
  • Helping with the user experience (UX) of an application.
  • Attending conferences to communicate with clients.
  • Working with source document management systems.
  • Submitting the software documentation for technical review.
  • Working on many documents at once.

Software Technical Writer Responsibilities

Education Requirements

If you want to become a software technical writer, you must have a Bachelor’s degree in a field such as English, Computer Science, Computer Programming, or Communications.

Some positions in technical writing may also require an Associates’ or Master’s degree. Many technical writing jobs also need a background in a technical field, experience working with software products, or familiarity with technical writing processes, business writing, and other disciplines.

If you have the education, you can take courses and certifications to add to your skills and create technical documentation for scientific and software products.

If you come from a non-technical background, you can still get a job in software technical writing. With solid writing skills and a desire to learn, a career in this field is achievable.

Technical Writer HQ also offers the #1 certification for aspiring software technical writers.

Technical Writing Certifications

Software Technical Writer Skills

A technical writer must have strong writing skills with an interest in working with technical documentation and software. Technical writers must know the standard procedure of their organization and have a working knowledge about many specialized areas.

For example, you may work for an organization that has a program for investment properties. The robust program has many features, and you must create the documentation for the financial part of the program. You would need to have a strong background in technical writing and software and financial terminology.

Software technical writers must know how to write technical information for many audiences with a fluid style. A software technical writer must be comfortable interviewing people with different technical skills, such as subject matter experts, and understand what users value.

Strong research skills are also an essential part of technical documentation. Technical writers need to gather large amounts of information to write software documentation. Software technical writers interview their colleagues on setting up the program, working with it, and its purpose. Technical writers research new and existing functionalities that many may not understand in early releases.

How Can You Get a Job as a Software Technical Writer?

If you are interested in writing and software, a career in software technical writing may be for you. To become a software technical writer, it helps to have a background in writing, content development, software development, software engineering, or business administration. If you have a background as a software developer or a product manager, you could also use your experience to your advantage.

If you don’t have any experience creating technical documents, you can practice and create samples to use in your portfolio. Most software technical writing jobs require a portfolio of your written work that showcases your writing and documentation abilities.

If you want to advance quickly in software technical writing, strengthen your skills in writing, technical communication, and software documentation by taking online courses or enrolling in higher education classes.

Also, broaden your technical knowledge by learning new, industry-leading tools. For example, some technical writers need to know how to manage servers or work with code. The more technical skill a technical writer has, the more valuable technical writers are for their company’s communications and, ultimately, the end user’s experience of the product.

You can also try making the transition from within your current company. If you already work for a software company but are in the customer service department, you already talk with customers and note their issues with the software. You have valuable, hands-on knowledge about the program and its users. Leverage your experience to secure a role once you have the education to support your transition into a software technical writing career.

Where Do Software Technical Writers Work?

Software companies always hire for these roles, including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Adobe, Oracle, and Citrix.

Many top companies accept applications on an ongoing basis and will contact you if they have an opening that matches your profile. You can also check out our job section to find out about job openings near you.

How Do Technical Writers Work on Software Documentation?

Several types of software technical writing require a unique approach. Such software documentation includes technical and non-technical details like setup, pre-requisite requirements, screen reference diagrams, and functionality.

These are some of the things you need to consider when you are writing a document. Excellent software documentation must have:

  • Good audience analysis. Technical writers analyze their audience before creating their documents. Technical writers need to determine how technical or non-technical the information needs to be for their intended audience.
  • A structured outline. Before technical writers create their documentation, they must outline with headers, subheads, and valuable information for a clear, clean, and logical outcome.
  • Images and screenshots. Good documents include great images and screenshots that include the entire screen and call-outs. Technical writers should have guidelines about how to incorporate screenshots in documents.
  • An end goal. Good documentation must consider the user’s end goal. What is it they are trying to achieve, and what do they need to get there? What information do technical writers need to describe for set up, and what does a user need to do?
  • Complete menu paths. Technical writers must ensure that their document has the entire menu path, followed by the screen name.
  • Presentation. How should technical writers present the information to the user? Are you going to write a user guide? What document type do you need? Will technical writers develop an instructional video? Do you need to include online help tokens in your documents?
  • Upkeep. Software technical writers update documentation for each new release, adding to the technical information available to users. Technical writers must ensure that all on-screen information is correctly displayed and archive old documents and instruction manuals.

Examples of Software Technical Communications

The following are great examples of software technical communication. Note how software technical writers use many methods to display information. Compare it with your own writing.

Mailchimp Documentation

Mailchimp’s online help is easy-to-use with a search function at the top. It also includes helpful how-to videos for more complex subjects. The technical writing in this example is clear and to the point.

Github Documentation

Another great example is Github’s online help . It has a search function with a quick-start guide and a great documentation structure divided by guides, articles, and a “what’s new” section.

Amazon Developer Documentation

The target audience of Amazon’s Developer documentation is developers. They divide depending on the product, then have relevant topics for each product.

Stripe Documentation

Stripe’s documentation aims at developers, and the technical writing is efficient and tidy with headers for each section. The technical writing stays clear, informative, and understandable.

Is Software Technical Writing the Right Career For You?

If you are interested in software technical writing, a career as a software technical writer may be for you. There are billions of software products currently in the market, and new ones come out daily, making for an exciting job market.

Technical writers work in a fast-paced environment with many collaborators and a variety of subjects. For example, a technical writer in software could focus on construction, accounting, marketing, or aerospace. The possibilities are endless.

Software technical writers are often considered in final decisions because they clearly understand what users need. As such, software writers participate in development and forecasting meetings. Software technical writers provide their team with critical feedback and ideas.

The technical communication field has a projected growth of 22% by 2030. According to Glassdoor, the average technical writer’s salary is $68,040, with a range of $54,000-86,000.

If you have a strong portfolio and working experience, you can even consider becoming a freelance technical writer and offering your technical writing services to major companies. If you are interested in a software technical writing career, you can check out this post to help you create a great resume to land that job.

A career in software technical writing can span millions of software programs developed by large corporations and small companies.

The need for people with expertise in software technical writing is essential in today’s high-tech, software-centric world. If you want to become a technical writer and document some of the world’s most exciting products, a career in the field of software technical writing is for you.

If you are new to technical writing and are looking to break-in, we recommend taking our Technical Writing Certification Course , where you will learn the fundamentals of being a technical writer, how to dominate technical writer interviews, and how to stand out as a technical writing candidate.

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  • The Best Writing Software in 2024

10 Writing Tools for Copywriters and Authors of All Levels

Artem Minaev

  • Software & Services

The Best Writing Software in 2024

Writing software is an essential tool used in all industries. Writing programs have come a long way, starting from MS-DOS Editor and Notepad to now becoming one of the most sophisticated tools in the software market. Finding the best writing software for your needs can prove challenging.

One of the reasons this is a challenge is that there are way too many options available. While all writing software shares one common feature – the ability to write and edit text – each of them comes with unique features to streamline your writing. Also, there are paid and free writing software choices. How do you determine which one to choose and whether it’s worth investing money in one of these software tools?

To help you out, I have decided to put various writing software solutions to the test.

In my effort to deliver you a verdict on the best writing software, I’ve worked hard to remain unbiased. All of the tools on my list can help you to write and collaborate on your documents.

Let’s start with the most popular tools, see what each one has to offer, and examine their best use cases.

The top 11 most popular writing tools

EDITORS’ CHOICE

A writing tool has to be easy to use. It should also help you to focus on your writing while allowing you to access useful features ranging from grammar and spelling to collaboration on documents.

If you Google “writing tools” you’ll get hundreds of results. To be honest, not all of them are worth your time. Here are the ones that you should focus on:

  • Google Docs Best free writing tool
  • OfficeSuite Comprehensive Office Work Made Easy
  • Scrivener Leading book writing software
  • ProWritingAid Outstanding editing tool
  • Apple pages Excellent personalization features
  • Draftin Great document version control
  • Evernote First-class for taking notes
  • Freedom.to Best for staying focused
  • Microsoft Word Great publishing potential
  • Campfire Perfect for making writing plans
  • RoamResearch Best for organizing research

Google Docs — Best free writing tool

Google Docs homepage

Google Docs is a writing tool straight from Google’s lab. It’s a completely free cloud-based writing software. It integrates with all of the other tools in Google Suite, including Sheets, Mail, Drive, and Calendar. You can write your documents on the go, download files directly to your drive, or keep them on your Google Drive.

Google Docs comes with all of the features you need to create a variety of documents. You can insert tables, images, format text, and check spelling and grammar, all with a few clicks. It also comes with pre-built templates you can use to create stunning documents for personal or business use.

Key features

  • Dedicated smartphone app – access, edit, or create documents on the go whether you are on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
  • Built-in chat – collaborate with editors and chat with them in real-time without closing the document.
  • User permission rights – share your documents with others and control whether they can view or edit them.
  • Real-time collaboration – access the same documents with your team and share your efforts to edit them.
  • Auto-save – Google Docs automatically saves your documents as you type.
  • Add-ons – get access to powerful add-ons to create more visually appealing documents.

Plans and pricing

Google Docs is available for Personal and Business use.

Personal Use

Google Docs for personal use is free writing software.

With free access, you can use Google Docs and all of its features, including collaboration, version control, addons, and spelling and grammar, without spending a dime.

Business Use

Google Docs for Business Use is part of the Google Workspace, which comes with added control for teams and additional security layers. It’s available in two packages – Free and Basic:

  • Free of charge

Free Google Workspace comes with business email, Meet, Chat, Calendar, 15GB Drive storage, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Sites, Keep, Currents, and Apps Script. It has standard 24/7 support, admin security controls, and endpoint management.

  • $12 per month

Basic Google Workspace comes with everything in Basic plus unlimited cloud storage, Cloud Search, and Google Vault.

OfficeSuite — Comprehensive Office Work Made Easy

writing software meaning

OfficeSuite is a comprehensive solution for document management, offering a suite of applications designed to cater to all your office needs. This tool is a trusted name in the realm of productivity software, providing tools for documents, sheets, slides, mail, and PDFs all in one pack.

Whether you’re editing and formatting documents, analyzing data in sheets, designing presentations in slides, managing PDFs, or connecting mail accounts, OfficeSuite provides a smooth experience.

Its integration with cloud services means you can easily access and sync your data, and its support for multiple languages makes it a versatile choice for users worldwide.

Key Features:

  • Integrated Apps : Access Documents, Sheets, Slides, Mail, and PDF tools in one suite.
  • Compatibility : Works with Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, iWork, and more.
  • Cloud Sync : Offers 20GB free storage and connects to multiple cloud services.
  • Multi-Language Support : Available in various languages for global accessibility.
  • Mobile Scanner : Transform your device into a scanner for quick document digitization.
  • Real-Time Collaboration : Collaborate on documents with team members in real-time.

Pricing and plans

OfficeSuite comes with different plans, depending on your needs. For home, they offer three plans to choose from: Personal, Family, and Home and Business.

  • $39.99 per year for 1 user

This plan gives you access to all the tools and 50GB of cloud storage.

  • $59.99 per year for 6 users

The family plan has all the same benefits as the personal plan but for 6 users.

Home & Business

  • $99.99 lifetime for 1 user

The main difference for this plan is that you’ll be licensed for the commercial use of OfficeSuite.

Scrivener — Leading book writing software

Scrivener homepage

If you are looking for writing software to use on your new book project, Scrivener is definitely worth considering. This tool comes with all of the features that both new and experienced writers can benefit from. You can quickly create a new draft and save it for later use.

Scrivener also allows you to write notes and compile and organize your research into one document. You can compose your text however you want and when you want. Integrating text into your main story is easy with the “Scrivenings” mode.

  • Familiar text editing – Scrivener keeps writing as simple as possible.
  • Formatting presets – make your own formatting presets to consistently create visually appealing texts.
  • Import support – import your research from Word files, PDFs, web pages and have it all in one place.
  • Corkboard – attach every section of your project to a virtual index card for easy project management.
  • Outliner – quickly arrange files in folders and subfolders, review synopses, and word counts from a drag and drop interface.
  • Metadata – leverage color-codes and keywords to easily record and find important information.

Scrivener is available for macOS, Windows, and iOS.

  • $49.00 – Standard License for macOS
  • $41.65 – Educational License for macOS

Scrivener is optimized to work on macOS and comes with integrated outlining tools, Scrivenings mode, corkboard, and outliner.

  • $49.00 – Standard License for Windows
  • $41.65 – Educational License for Windows

Scrivener for Windows provides you with access to synopsy reviewer, meta-data, full-screen writing, corkboard, and outliner.

  • $19.99 – available on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch

Although light, Scrivener iOS app delivers all of the important features including integrated outlining tools, outlining, dark mode, and document export customizations.

Two standard licenses, one for macOS and one for Windows.

ProWritingAid — Outstanding editing tool

ProWritingAid homepage

If you are wondering what the best writing software with strong editing features is, ProWritingAid can provide you with everything that you need. It comes with a comprehensive list of features. All of the built-in editing tools have an educational component as well. ProWritingAid will ensure that you write using correct grammar, spelling, style, and tone of voice and help you to become better at writing.

All of the write aiding tools are created to provide corrections and feedback in real-time. You can even get insight into dozens of custom-tailored writing reports to learn what you can do to improve your copy and your writing.

  • Real-time readability improvements – get suggestions to improve the readability of your copy as you write.
  • Writing reports – get access to an abundance of writing reports to take your writing to the next level.
  • Writing style – receive writing style suggestions to improve the clarity of your copy.
  • Edit & learn – become a better writer thanks to in-app suggestions, quizzes, explanations, and videos.
  • Word explorer – find perfect synonyms for your overused words.
  • Style and dictionary editor – create new rules and turn them into automated suggestions.

ProWritingAid offers two packages, Free and Premium. Both packages come with three pricing plans: Monthly, Yearly, and Lifetime. ProWritingAid offers a standalone Plagiarism Checker.

Plans come with a set of features.

  • $30 per month
  • $10 per month billed annually
  • $399.00 one-time payment

The Premium plan comes with all of the features in the Free plan, plus 60 plagiarism checks per year.

Apple pages — Excellent personalization features

Apple Pages homepage

Pages comes from the world-famous IT brand Apple. It’s a standard word processor with a focus on enabling you to create visually stunning documents. Although an Apple product, Pages is available for PC users as well. It comes with hundreds of professionally-designed templates organized by use case categories.

When it comes to standard word processor features, Pages has all of them. It also has support for interactive stories so that you can create the most engaging copy for your target readership. There is even video support which allows you to add and play web videos inside of your documents.

  • Easy skimming – read and edit your documents on the go without accidentally making unwanted changes.
  • Create objects – turn text, images, shapes, and videos into objects to easily move them across the document.
  • Video support – insert YouTube and Vimeo videos into your document without leaving Pages.
  • Color settings – add colors or gradients to text, document, or background to create visually appealing documents.
  • Presenter mode – enable automatic text scrolling to streamline your public speeches.
  • Charts – convey the meaning of your data thanks to beautiful column and donut charts.

Apple Pages is free for anyone with an iOS and macOS device.

Draftin — Great document version control

Draftin homepage

There are several reasons why Draftin is one of the most popular writing software tools. While it comes with all of the standard writing software features, Draftin also caters to the needs of teams of content creators. This tool streamlines document version control and enables smooth collaboration for writers and editors.

Draftin makes publishing very easy. Thanks to WebHooks, you will be able to publish your content via JSON payload to any platform that supports it. On top of that, you can publish your Draftin drafts on other platforms including WordPress, Twitter, Basecamp, and Mailchimp.

  • Enhanced version control – take a look at all editors’ individual changes and accept or ignore them.
  • Insightful version history – take a look at an older version of your draft any time to choose the best copy.
  • Cloud syncing – bring your documents from Google Drive, Dropbox, and Evernote to one place and automatically sync changes back to the original cloud destination.
  • Chrome draft extension – use Draft with any webpage you can write on.
  • Easy publishing – publish your drafts directly to WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, Twitter or LinkedIn.
  • Audio and video transcription – transcribe any video or audio with easy to use built-in transcription tools.

Subscription plans

  • $3.99 – 1-month subscription
  • $7.98 – 2-months subscription
  • $11.97 – 3-months subscription
  • $15.69 – 4-months subscription
  • $19.95 – 5-months subscription
  • $23.94 – 6-months subscription
  • $27.93 – 7-months subscription
  • $31.92 – 8-months subscription
  • $35.91 – 9-months subscription
  • $39.99 – 12-months subscription
  • $74.99 – 24-months subscription

Draftin offers a variety of subscription plans, and each plan comes with all of the Draftin features.

Evernote — First-class for taking notes

Evernote homepage

Evernote is all about efficiently taking notes. The toolkit Evernote offers can quickly make it into your go-to app when doing research. You can create, sync, and organize your notes. It also makes the information easily accessible to you. Evernote also comes with collaboration features to help your entire team stay on top of the notes and use them easily.

Evernote supports integration, which is great news for writers that already use other core apps. The team behind Evernote also offers a few additional functionalities to digitize your offline documents and become paperless hassle-free.

  • Note sync – keep your notes synced across all devices you use regularly.
  • Offline support – get access to your notes even if you are not online.
  • Notes management – put your notes into a notebook system, then use keyword tags or advanced search to find your notes in a matter of seconds.
  • Web clipper – add useful information online to your notes in one click.
  • Search handwriting – capture your handwritten ideas.
  • Document scanning – digitize all of your important documents and have them with you at all times.

Evernote is available in three packages – Free, Personal, and Professional:

The free plan comes with a 60MB monthly upload limit, all note creation features, web clipper, and search functionality.

  • Contact sales for price

The Personal plan comes with everything offered by the Free plan, plus a 10GB monthly upload limit, AI-suggested content, Google Drive, Outlook, and Slack integration.

Professional

The Professional plan comes with everything offered by the Premium plan, plus a 2GB per user monthly upload limit, CRM integration, team collaboration, and administration.

Freedom.to — Best for staying focused

Freedom.To homepage

If you have trouble focusing on your writing, Freedom is a writing program that will help you to stay on your task. You can look at it as a sort of writer’s aid tool. It can help you to tune out and stay focused on your copy. Freedom can block anything ranging from websites to apps.

This app can even block videos and games and help you to improve productivity and prevent procrastination. All of its features work towards providing you with the means to take back control of your time and improve your attention span.

  • Block websites – block unlimited numbers of websites.
  • Block apps – block distracting apps including games.
  • Block the internet – go and stay offline with the click of a button.
  • Blocklists – create customized block lists of sites and apps.
  • Device sync – stay consistent with your blocking routine across all devices you use.
  • Advance Scheduling – automatically use your blocking filters at any given time.

Freedom comes with three pricing plans: Monthly, Yearly, and Forever. All plans come with unlimited access to Freedom features for the duration of the subscription.

  • $8.99 per month
  • $3.33 per month billed annually
  • $159.99 one-time purchase

Microsoft Word — Great publishing potential

Microsoft Word homepage

Microsoft Word is famous writing software that has been around for over 20 years. It comes with a robust set of features. Microsoft Word comes with literally every tool you’ll need as a writer, whether your niche is booklets, e-books, blog posts, or books. Over the years, Microsoft has continued to update Word to keep it relevant to modern users.

Today, you can use it to convert your documents into ready-to-publish web pages instantly. A built-in translator can help you collaborate on an international scale. There is cloud support as well, to take your writing with you wherever you go.

  • Publish documents online – export your documents as web pages for easy online publishing.
  • Real-time translation – overcome a language barrier to collaborate with people across the globe.
  • Import support – insert anything you want into your documents, 3D models included.
  • Voice reader – Word can read your copy back to you so that you can catch easy-to-miss mistakes.
  • Learning tools – improve your writing thanks to Word-powered learning tools.
  • Task pane – do your research without ever having to leave Word.

Microsoft Word is accessible via personal and business Microsoft 365 plans.

Microsoft Office for Personal Use

Microsoft 365 family.

  • $99.99 per year

The Family package has support for 6 people and comes with 6TB of cloud storage. It includes the following Microsoft apps: Word, Excel PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access, Publisher, OneDrive, and Skype.

Microsoft 365 Personal

  • $69.99 per year

The Personal plan comes with 1TB of cloud storage and contains all of the apps included in the Family package.

Office Home and Student

  • $149.00 one-time purchase

Office Home and Student plan comes with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Microsoft Office for Business Use

Microsoft 365 business basic.

  • $6.00 per month

The Business Basic plan provides access to the web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams.

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

  • $12.50 per month

Business Standard is tailored for companies that need desktop versions of the Office app on a number of devices. It comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access, Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint.

Microsoft 365 Business Premium

  • $22 per month

The Business Premium plan comes with everything included in Business Standard, plus premium cyber threat protection and device management.

Microsoft 365 Apps for business

  • $8.25 per month

Microsoft Apps for business comes with desktop versions of Microsoft 365 apps with premium features, 1 TB of cloud storage per user, standard security, and anytime phone and web support.

Campfire — Perfect for making writing plans

Campfire homepage

If you are interested in writing programs that can help you to plan and execute complex writing projects, you should definitely take a closer look at Campfire. With Campfire at your disposal, you can create worlds as complex as Tolkien’s Middle Earth and never lose track of your characters and their story arcs.

This app has a very interesting set of features designed to help you to make profound writing plans. More importantly, all of the features are easy to use, even if you have never used writing software before.

  • Worldbuilding tool – build elaborate fantasy worlds and keep all of the information in one place.
  • Characters – work on your characters’ background stories, develop relationships, and use images.
  • Plot – work on story events and add them to the narrative timelines.
  • Magic systems – develop complex magic systems from scratch and introduce magic items.
  • Encyclopedia – build a wiki about your world.
  • Visualization tool – get instant insight into character arcs and identify errors early on.

Campfire offers three packages – Free trial, Pro, Pro + Worldbuilding pack, and Campfire Blaze:

  • 0$ for 10 days

Get access to character development, story timelines, maps & locations, and advanced worldbuilding for 10 days, completely free of charge.

  • $49.99 one-time purchase

Pro plan includes character development, story timeline, and maps & locations features.

Pro + Worldbuilding pack

  • $74.98 one-time purchase

This plan comes with everything included in the Pro plan plus advanced world-building.

Campfire Blaze

  • Price depends on the chosen module

Campfire Blaze plan enables you to choose and pay for the modules that you need to complete your specific writing project.

The modules are available with this arrangement: Free – modules come with limited functionality. Monthly – pay for modules every month no strings attached. Yearly – pay for modules yearly and get 2 months out of every year free. Lifetime – get lifetime access to a module if you pay 3 years for it.

  • $300 one time purchase

The Wildfire plan comes with a copy of Campfire pro, and a lifetime subscription to all modules.

  • $150 one time purchase

The Bonfire plan comes with a copy of Campfire pro, and lifetime subscriptions to 4 modules you choose to purchase in Blaze.

The Flames plan comes with a half a year subscription to all Blaze modules.

RoamResearch — Best for organizing research

RoamResearch homepage

Writing a compelling piece of copy has to be based on facts and in-depth research. RoamResearch is writing software that can help you to facilitate that research and keep all of your information well-organized and in one place. You can create notes and make links between the notes so that you can move back and forth, looking at your ideas and valuable information.

RoamResearch also provides you with quick insight into your notes network to help you identify the most valuable notes – notes with most internal links. At this point, RoamResearch is only available as a web app.

  • Notes – easily create notes to write down your ideas or findings.
  • Elements – add various elements ranging from page reference to date picker to your notes to make them more meaningful.
  • Multitasking – work on several notes simultaneously to capture all relevant data at once.
  • Daily notes – keep random notes and plans for the day.
  • Graph overview – get a birds-eye view on all of your notes and internal links.
  • Easy commands – use double-brackets to commit information to a single file, or simply hit to associate facts with a file.

RoamResearch offers two plans – Professional and Believer:

  • $15 per month
  • $13.75 per month billed annually

The Professional plan allows you to use up to 3 private or public roam graphs and comes with an unlimited number of collaborators.

  • $500 5-year term

The Believer plan includes everything in the Professional plan plus exclusive access to new features, community calls with the team, and priority support.

How to choose the right writing software?

Even though you know now a great deal about the best writing software solutions, it could still be a challenge to choose the right one for you. The abundance of features available can make it hard to get a clear idea of which tool to pick. To help you, I have put together a quick checklist you can consult anytime you are shopping for writing programs.

Take your goals into account

You can’t choose the right writing software unless you take your goals into account. What is the project you are working on? Are you writing a newsletter, blog posts, reports, case studies, or a book? Are you often creating various types of copy?

The right writing tool is the one that helps you to accomplish your goals. In other words, a writing tool and its features have to serve the specific purpose of your writing. Keep in mind that the right tool for your colleagues may not be the right tool for you.

Do your research, and test various features to see whether the tool you are interested in can help you to accomplish your goals.

Define your writing process

The chances of finding two writers with the same writing process are pretty slim. Your writing process is unique, and you have to define it if you want to find the right writing tool for you. If you are basing your writing on thorough research or a complex flow of ideas, you will probably need to look for tools that allow you to take quick notes.

On the other hand, if you tend to get easily distracted, you will probably need a tool that helps you to stay focused. It’s essential to outline your writing process down to the last detail so that you can identify your needs and find the software features that can complement your process.

Identify the risks

Writing comes with a variety of risks. You can lose your documents due to a power surge or fall victim to a cybersecurity hack. Do you find yourself often writing in cafes and restaurants? Do you know all of the risks of working on unprotected WiFi networks?

These questions can help you decide whether you need writing software that offers user permission rights, saves as you type, and comes with industry-grade cybersecurity protection.

Be honest about your budget

The right tool is the one that you can afford. There are plenty of cutting edge writing programs out there. However, some of them come with a significant price tag. Can you afford such a tool?

Carefully consider your options and plan for the future, especially if you have your eye on a tool that comes with a monthly subscription. What if you can’t afford to pay your subscription? What happens with your work? Make sure to choose a tool your budget can sustain without giving you stress.

Do you work alone or often collaborate?

Writers often work hand in hand with other writers, editors, and publishers. If you are one of these writers, then the right tool for you has to come with features that streamline collaboration, editing, and publishing.

This could save you a lot of redundant work in the future. You won’t have to juggle your documents via email. More importantly, you will be able to access version control and quick publishing so that you can focus on more pressing matters.

Ease of use

Last but not least, you have to take ease of use into account. Ease of use is a term that refers to how easy it is to use the tool even if you have no previous experience with it. Some writing programs are rather simple, while others come with advanced features that you will need to learn how to use.

If you don’t care as much about the extra features as you do about laid back writing, then you need a simple tool.

Best of the best

I know that selecting the best writing software can be a challenge even when you have access to this list. Furthermore, to help you make a decision, I’ve created the best of the best category, below.

Best free writing tool

If you want to save cash and use free writing software, you need a tool that comes with as many features as possible. It should include standard word processor perks, plus version control, user permissions, and easy editing and sharing. There is only one tool that offers all of this for free – Google Docs.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a completely free writing program. It’s cloud-based, allowing you to take your writing with you. There is even an offline mode so that you can continue working on your copy offline. The moment you go online, the copy on your device is synced with the copy on your Google Drive.

There is also support for real-time collaboration and chat within the document. With version control and user permission rights, Google Docs is definitely one of those all-around tools that can meet your basic writing needs and more.

Best editing tool

Are you interested in using a tool that comes with the best editing features? One that can help you to make your copies more compelling and help you to improve your style and writing skills? ProWritingAid comes with a set of features developed to do exactly this.

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is writing software that comes with a grammar checker, style editor, and writing mentor. You can use the ProWritingAid web editor to write your documents or upload your documents to edit them. It streamlines editing with powerful integrations that currently support Microsoft Outlook and Word, Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Open Office, Scrivener, and Google Docs.

ProWritingAid automatically offers suggestions for style improvements, corrects spelling and grammar errors, and provides access to word explorer and contextual thesaurus. Every suggestion it makes comes with an explanation, thus improving your style and eliminating bad habits.

Best writing organization tool

Juggling notes, references, and stitching them together during the writing project is tedious, especially if you have to do it manually. Fortunately, there is writing software to help you stay organized from start to finish. Scrivener can help you to unite all of your research and use it in the best possible way.

Scrivener is the best writing organization tool because it comes with features that facilitate research and use of notes and references. This tool also enables you to stay organized while working on your copy. You can break your entire text into small meaningful chunks, then the app can stitch those up into whatever you need.

Thanks to their outlining tools, you can plan your entire projects ahead and restructure sections later without sacrificing the original flow and meaning. Metadata will help you to color-code sections of your copy so that you can quickly find any information you need.

Best book writing software

While you can use any of the writing programs available to you to write a book, there is only one software that streamlines the entire book writing process. Scrivener comes with a specialized toolkit to help you to plan your book, keep research in one place, and stay productive.

We have covered the Scrivener features that can help you stay organized. Let’s focus on the aspects that make this tool the best book writing software. Scrivener provides you with access to Corkboard and Outliner.

Cardboard is the best planning tool for book writers out there. Attach every section of your project to an index card and rearrange your manuscript however you want at any given time. Outliner, on the other hand, allows you to work with an overview of a chapter. You can use it to structure your draft, quickly access metadata, and check word counts. It even supports drag and drop so you can organize things faster and focus on writing.

There are several things that you need to do to be able to start writing. The most obvious ones include deciding when and where you want to write and choosing a goal. But there is one more thing that you will need – a writing tool. Unless you are devoted to old-school typewriters, you will probably need writing software. With the right writing software in your hands, you will be able to plan your writing, take quick research notes, and complete your projects on time.

Yes, you do. The tools you’ll need to start writing are called writing programs. Whether installed on your computer or cloud-based, these apps enable you to write, style, and format your documents without breaking a sweat. Cloud-based writing apps are extremely popular these days because they allow you to write anywhere you want. Since there are plenty of them, you will need to assess your unique writing needs to pick the right tool for you.

To start writing a blog, you will need to choose a topic . The topic can vary. You can stick with something that’s personally interesting to you, or write copy that can help your readership stay informed or solve relevant problems. Writing a good blog also means coming up with an engaging headline that can capture the visitors’ attention. Often you will have to use images to explain complex topics better, improve your post, and make it more appealing. If you are interested in learning more about blogging, you can visit our comprehensive guide on how to start a blog .

There are four types of writing: narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository. Narrative writing is typically used when you want to tell a story. It works well with both fictional and real stories. The purpose of descriptive writing is to enable readers to connect with the copy and visualize places, characters, and relationships. Persuasive writing is often used to change the readers’ point of view and align it with the writer’s. And, finally, expository writing is used to disclose facts in an unbiased fashion. For instance, the article you are reading is an example of expository writing.

There is not a definitive answer to this question. The answer actually depends on two factors – who is writing it and for whom it is written. Generally speaking, a good writing topic is a topic that you are personally interested in. Your interest can motivate you to do thorough research, look for facts, and compile what you find into a copy your readership can get value from. Such copies don’t have to be based on research but on your own experience.

There are plenty of reliable and good writing programs to choose from. Each one comes with a specific set of features. Some of them are easy to use, while others come with advanced features and capabilities.

With all of this information at your disposal, you can make an informed decision and choose the right writing software for you. As you can see, there is no need to rush and make your decision quickly. Take your time to assess your needs to be able to see if specific tools complement them. If you are still indecisive, jump back to my “best of the best” category to choose the best software for a particular use case.

7 comments on “The Best Writing Software in 2024”

It is an amazing way I Thankyou!

Thanks for sharing this list. Grammar checker tool is really very important for any kind of writing. It rectifies your grammatical errors and punctuations. I always prefer NOUNPLUS grammar checker tool.

Thank you Sae!

Great list of helpful tools! Thanks

Thanks Taran!

Thumbs up for Grammarly!

Great recommendations, I’m using Grammarly, but this Hemingway App sounds interesting (and it’s not just because I’m a fan of his work :)) )

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50 Free Writing Software Tools And The Best Free Writing Apps

The best 50 free writing software and writing apps

Writers are spoiled for choice when it comes to free writing software, tools, and free writing apps.

Are you a blogger, author, content writer, or student?

You want the best creative writing tools and software that will do the job for you.

But you don’t want to pay a lot of money to be able to write more effectively. Read on to discover all the choices you have for software, programs, and apps to help you write better and more productively.

Your free writing software choices

every free writing software or app you will ever need

There is no need for you to spend a penny to get some of the best free writing programs to help you write more productively and accurately.

You can choose and try so many terrific writing programs and tools today. You will find that most of them are unrestricted and will cost you nothing to use.

If you are looking for new apps and tools to improve your writing, you have come to the right place.

This page is regularly updated to bring you the biggest choice of free software and apps for writers.

It includes free writing apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux users.

You can find creative writing apps, grammar checking apps, word processors, mind maps, index cards, book writing programs, and productivity tools.

All of them will help you get on with what you do best, which is writing, of course.

There are also many lite versions of popular premium apps available that can offer you tons of fantastic features.

I have tried almost all the writing tools and apps in this article and use a lot of them every day.

Find the best free writing software and apps for you

free writing software and apps for new writers

You can find lots of free writing software online, but you want writing apps that work best for you and your writing process and style.

With online writing software, I always start with a free version to make sure a new app does what I want it to do.

Very often, a free app will do everything I need.

But yes, sometimes I opt for a premium version to get all the features if it is really a fantastic tool.

It doesn’t matter if you are an author, a blogger, or an article writer.

Choosing the best tools for your writing needs will save you time, effort, and lots of money.

Free apps and writing software for students  are a huge bonus.

They will help you at school, college, or university.

For every type of writer, here are some of the very best free-to-use and freemium apps for you to make your choice.

Scan through my list of the best free writing software and apps below.

See if you can find a few new favorites to download for your laptop or to use online.

Please note that this page contains some affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you purchase a product from this page.

free grammar apps

6 Free writing apps for accuracy

The most essential writing app you always need must be a reliable grammar corrector and a spellchecker.

There are a lot of online apps to check, correct, and improve your writing.

For every writer, the options will be different depending on your writing style and needs. There is no one best or better choice.

Some writers might only need a simple online checker for blog posts, articles, or essays.

But for a content writer or author, it is different. You are probably looking for more developed programs and options.

In my case, I always use two programs to check my writing.

I use one for grammar and spelling and another for writing style and readability. It always pays to check and double-check your writing and sentence structure before you publish it online.

Here are six of the most popular free grammar apps to get you on your way. Each one will help you improve the quality and accuracy of your writing.

Try them all to see which one or two work best for you and your style or type of writing.

1. Prowritingaid – Free and Premium

ProWritingAid

Prowritingaid is one of my favorite writing checkers. I use it every single day of the week.

You can use the free version of ProWritingAid.

It offers you a lot of functionality to help you write more accurately online using a simple Chrome extension to check your grammar and spelling.

Are you an author? Then you should consider all the editing and checking tools that are available with this app.

It is a superb writing aid for authors and writers of long-form content articles.

There are over twenty different writing analysis tools and reports in the premium version. These will give you a huge range of suggestions to improve your writing.

There are also easy to use extensions available for Chrome, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener too.

It is my number one go-to editing tool when I need to work intensively on very long documents such as long-form articles or book manuscripts.

You can also read my full Prowritingaid review.

2. Grammarly – Free and Premium

Grammarly

Without a doubt, Grammarly is the number one online grammar checker.

For a lot of writers, it’s one of the best writing apps around.

I have used Grammarly for years now.

It is one online writing tool that I always have switched on in Chrome to use with my WordPress editor.

It works with so many sites, platforms, software, and applications. So it is always on and always helping me correct my writing in real-time.

Grammarly has a desktop app. It also has a plugin for Word in Microsoft Office for PC users.

You can use it in any web browser, with WordPress, and even on your social media sites. It also works on mobile devices as well as with an iOS Grammarly Keyboard app.

There is also support for Google Docs, but this feature is still in beta.

No matter what, when, or where you are writing, Grammarly is always helping you write better and more accurately.

The browser version of Grammarly works very well for most users. But for more advanced features to help you in your writing process, there is a premium version available.

You can read more in my Grammarly review .

3. ChatGPT – Free and Premium

ChatGPT to check writing

ChatGPT has to be on my list of free writing tools, but why is it under apps for accuracy?

Yes, it is a valuable and free tool for writers in several ways. You can use it as a writing prompt generator for inspiration and ideas for new stories or articles.

All you need to do is include keywords or phrases related to the topic you want to write about. ChatGTP will respond with various ideas and writing points to help you.

But you might not know that it can also help you correct your grammar and spelling.

All you need to do is start your prompt with, check the grammar and spelling:  then paste your text.

It will rewrite your text with the corrections.

You can also ask it to do other things. Ask it to change passive to active voice , and it will rewrite your text in all active voice.

Another use is to ask it to rewrite your text in a different point of view. Just ask it to rewrite in the second person .

However, don’t rely on it 100%.

It does an excellent job most of the time, but it doesn’t always get everything right, so make sure you proofread carefully.

AI writing tools are everywhere now, so writers can’t ignore them.

The free version of ChatGPT offers plenty of options with very few limitations.

So it’s probably one of the best tools to start learning how to use AI technology to help you with your ideas and writing accuracy.

Read more about how to use ChatGPT to correct your writing .

4. Hemingway Editor – Free

Hemingway Editor

I have a love-hate relationship with the Hemmingway Editor app.

The love is due to how quick and easy it is to check my readability score and grade.

The negative is that it always tells me to simplify my writing. It hates the passive voice, but that’s a good thing.

It is also a great tool for finding overused adverbs and difficult to read sentences.

It’s a simple app. But if you are looking for a free writing assistant, it is one of the handiest tools   a writer can have at their fingertips.

You can choose which Hemingway mode to use – either write or edit.

The online version is very convenient for checking up to a page or so of text. It gives helpful hints to improve your writing.

It’s one of the must-have free apps for any writer.

There is a paid version, but I am not sure it offers much value.

Read more about this app in my  Hemingway Editor review.

5. QuillBot – Free

quillbot logo

QuillBot Grammar Checker is a quick and easy free tool you can use to check your manuscript.

One of the best features is that you can use one-click corrections to fix your grammar, punctuation, and spelling very quickly.

Another advantage is that it has a generous word count limit. I tested it with a text of over 2,000 words, and it quickly analyzed all of my text.

You can probably check one chapter at a time with the tool.

You can check each underlined suggestion and make a quick correction. But it also has a “Fix All Errors” button.

I’m not sure I would trust it for a long text. But it could be useful for a shorter text.

To use the checker, simply paste in your text, or you can use it as an editor and type your text.

When you finish correcting your writing, copy and paste it into your word processor.

Quillbot has other features, but these are only available with the premium version.

However, the grammar checker is totally free to use, and it is an excellent tool to check and correct your writing.

There is also a free Chrome extension you can try.

6. Grammar Lookup – Free

Grammar Look Up

Grammar Lookup is another good choice for an online grammar checking app.

I used 3,000 words from one of my book manuscripts to test the app.

It started checking for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors almost immediately. It is a good app for checking short-form writing, such as blog posts and short stories.

If you’re looking for a robust grammar app with a generous word limit, this one is well worth trying.

Again, like a lot of online writing tools, it is ad-supported.

Free Word Processors

12 Free word processors

The first name writers associate with word processing is almost always Microsoft Word.

It is the default writing tool for many writers, bloggers, and authors. But it is definitely not cheap.

Depending on your country, the annual license for Office 356 can range from $60 – $100.

If you want to buy the one-time purchase version, which is called Office Home & Student, it can cost you as much as $150.

Microsoft Office is, as its name implies, software for office use. It includes Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint, and other programs. You will never use these software programs for creative writing.

Do you need to pay for all these extra programs to have a word processor to write a blog post, article, or short story?

What is the best word processor for writers? Are there free writing software tools equal to Word?

Yes. If you want to write, you can always find great word processors that cost you nothing to use. Often they come with many other options and tools that are better suited for writers.

Most of them will be suitable for your writing goals and any form of short creative writing project.

But you should note that a word processor is not the best app for writing a book. You can find better programs for authors in the next section of this article.

1. Google Docs – Free

Google Docs

Like Microsoft Office, Google Docs is a suite of office tools. The big difference, of course, is that Google Docs is available for free online.

If you are familiar with Word, you will have no problem at all adapting to Docs, which is the word processor component.

All the formatting options are very similar, as is the user interface.

Unlike some word processors, Docs has a word count so you can keep track of your word count goal.

I know that many writers, particularly content writers, use Google Docs because of the simplicity of sharing documents online.

Writing projects can be quickly and easily shared using Google Drive, which comes with 5 gigabytes of storage. It is usually plenty of storage space for writers. You can also use Docs offline .

If you are writing every day and working with other writers, content editors, proofreaders, or editors, Google Docs allows you to collaborate with ease.

There is no need to know what file format or program others are using.

As long as each person has a Google account, and who doesn’t, working together is very easy.

2. Apple Pages for Mac Users – Free

Apple Pages

If you are a Mac user and all you need is a word processor, Apple Pages can handle everything you could possibly need to do.

It really is the best free writing software for Mac.

Like Word, you can start with a blank document or use the template chooser.

Word processing in the page layout document view is easy to work with. All the text formatting, fonts, and writing tools are easy to find and use.

There is a spell checker, word and page count , and track change with an add comments option.

It also auto-saves directly to your hard drive or your iCloud drive when you are online. There is also the file duplicate function. It gives you very easy version control of your revisions and edits.

It is difficult to think of a standard feature or function in Word that is not available in Pages documents.

There is one other area where Pages shines. It has a lot more control over images compared to Word.

One other big plus with Pages for authors is that you can export directly to epub. You don’t need to convert your file formats into another program.

Pages is one of the best free writing software programs for Mac users.

There is also a mobile app for iPad and iPhone. You can download it from the Mac App Store.

Related reading: Can Apple Pages Replace Microsoft Word For Mac?

3. MS Notepad and Mac TextEdit – Free

notepad end textedit

These two writing programs are already under your noses. They are installed by default on Windows and Apple computers.

They are both ideal little apps for writing blogs or short articles.

However, they are both worthy of mention because of their usefulness in converting to plain text.

Most word processors can add a lot of background code over the time you take to write a long document.

Cut and pasting, saving, deletions, forgotten tabs and spaces, and formatting changes all add up to a lot that can go wrong.

Because of all this code, there is a chance that the text might have issues when you use it online. It can be especially true if you use WordPress and also in publishing ebooks.

The quickest and easiest way to clean a document, big or small, is to copy all the text into a plain text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit. You can then convert everything to plain text.

Then you can copy back the clean text into your blog editor or word processor for ebook formatting.

4. Libre Office – Free

Libre Office

I used Open Office for many years. It is an open-source project and is still available.

However, many writers now favor Libre Office.

These two office suites branched from the same development stable, so they have a lot of similarities.

Learning to work with Writer, which is the word processor, is easy.

However, it uses traditional and straightforward menus, toolbars, and icons but does not have the ribbon function found in Word.

In some ways, this is a good thing because it lets you get on with the writing process instead of hunting in ribbons for buttons.

If you want a word processor, and that’s all, Writer in Libre Office won’t disappoint you.

5. Word Online – Free

microsoft word online

Microsoft Word Online is a free web browser version of Word.

You can create, edit, and share Word documents, but it comes with relatively basic features compared to the paid desktop version.

But for students and part-time writers, it’s a handy free alternative.

One benefit is that you can use it on any device with a web browser, including computers, tablets, and smartphones.

You will need to create a Microsoft account, which is free. You also get 5GB of free storage.

Overall, it’s a worthwhile option for users who want a free and easy-to-use word processing software similar to Google Docs.

6. WPS Office – Free Edition

WPS Office

If you have used Microsoft Word or Google Docs, then you can work with WPS Office immediately.

Like other alternative word processors, it has all the standard features you would expect, and it works with most file types.

One of its key features is that it allows drag-and-drop paragraphs, which can, at times, be practical.

Another time-saving yet straightforward feature of WPS is tabbed documents.

While Excel has had this for years, Word never has, so working on two documents at the same time is much more efficient in WPS.

WPS also has a cloud storage service with 1G for PC and iOS.

7. SoftMaker Free Office – Free

Free Office

Free Office gets a mention because it can export .epub. It is a convenient tool for self-publishers.

TextMaker is the word processor in this office suite.

But it doesn’t come with the ability to save in docx format unless you opt for the premium version.

But you can open and edit docx files.

Apart from that inconvenience, it has all the advanced features you would expect in a modern word processor.

It comes with advanced formatting options, the ability to create databases for bibliographies and footnotes, as well as track change.

8. Dropbox Paper – Free

Dropbox Paper

All you need is your free Dropbox account to use Dropbox Paper .

It is a word processor, but there is so much more you can do with this app.

The design is clean and simple, but there are so many features at your fingertips.

As well as being a text editor, you can add audio, images, YouTube videos, Slideshare documents, and Trello cards.

It really is a great free writing app for you to create documents and then share them with your team or online.

9. Focus Writer – Free

Focus Writer

FocusWriter is a simple, distraction-free writing environment.

It uses a full-screen hide-away interface that you access by moving your mouse to the edges of the screen.

It allows the program to have a familiar look and feel to it. But by getting everything out of the way, you can immerse yourself in your work.

It’s available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X.

10. Calmly Writer – Free

calmlywriter

Calmly Writer has been designed to help you focus on writing.

As you start typing, all the distracting options disappear from the interface.

Calmly also includes a “focus mode” option, which highlights only the paragraph you are editing at the time.

If you are a writing minimalist, it could be a good choice for you.

It is a browser-based app, and there is a Chrome extension available.

11. Zoho Writer – Free

zoho writer

Zoho Writer is an online alternative to Microsoft Word.

You can sync between your PC or Mac, iPhone, Android, or iPad.

Almost everything you do in Word, you can do with this word processor. There are even collaboration tools.

You can import your existing Word documents and get to work.

There is also a plugin to link your Zoho documents to Word.

That’s not a bad deal for at all a gratis online writing tool.

12. Scribus – Free

scibus

Scribus is an open-source program for desktop publishing.

It gets a mention here because it is free writing software, but also because it is such a feature-rich cross-platform program.

Scribus is a page layout and desktop publishing program for Linux, FreeBSD, PC-BSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, OpenIndiana, Debian GNU/Hurd, Mac OS X, OS/2 Warp 4, eComStation, Haiku, and Windows.

Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as CMYK colors, spot colors, ICC color management, and versatile PDF creation.

Perhaps it is not a choice for most authors and bloggers. But you might have a desktop publishing need one day.

Free Book Writing Software

4 Free book writing apps

Are you ready to start writing a book? You need to hunt a little to find good writing programs for writing books and novels.

A writing app or author software for a book is entirely different from a word processor.

The best book writing programs consist of many elements.

You need plot timelines, character builders, and event tracking. It should also include note-taking and research pinning tools.

Here are four of the best free book apps to help with writing, formatting, and publishing your books or ebooks.

There is a link to seven more free book writing programs at the end of this list.

1. Shaxpir – Free and Premium

shaxpir

For a dedicated book writing tool, Shaxpir gives you a lot of features in its free version.

The Manuscript Builder uses drag-and-drop tools to rearrange your manuscript. You can change the order and hierarchy of chapters and scenes. So you can find a structure that works for you.

You can set your goals and track your progress. You can also keep detailed notes about your characters, places, and events.

It also allows you to add margin comments as well as collect concept art.

There is also an in-built spellchecker.

As far as a book writing program or author app goes, Shaxpir offers you a   huge range of features.

It is available for Mac and PC with offline and cloud access.

2. Scrivener – Free Trial

Scrivener-Logo

It is not free writing software, but I have to include Scrivener in this list of apps because there is a generous trial available.

Scrivener is one of the best book writing software tools for authors and screenwriters.

It has an outliner for chapters and scenes, a corkboard, and index cards.

There is also side-by-side viewing, word count targets, and a full-screen editor, along with print, export, and publishing tools. It has everything any writer could ever need.

There is a 30-day trial period offered by Scrivener.

But it is counted by the days that you use the software. So if you use it every second day, your trial period will last you for 60 days.

If you only write at the weekend, it will last you for a good few months.

Scrivener is available for download for both Windows and Mac. There are also iOS apps for iPhones and iPad.

To access your trial, click the Download Trial link.

3. Calibre Ebook Tool

Calibre ebook tool

Calibre is often called the Swiss Army Knife of ebook formatting tools.

There is so much you can do with Calibre.

But for most new authors, you will use it to convert your Word manuscript to mobi, epub, and pdf.

If you have some technical ability, you can also edit the epub or HTML files of your ebook.

It really is one of the most powerful ebook tools for authors.

It is available for download for PC, Mac, and Linux.

4. Kindle Create – Free

kindle create

If you are a self-publishing author on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Kindle Create is a must-have free writing software app for you to use.

The program has improved a lot over the last couple of years. Initially, it was a little unstable, and its primary function was to help you format a Kindle book.

But stability is much better now, and Amazon has been slowly adding new features since it merged Createspace into KDP.

Kindle Create can now format not only ebooks but paperback books as well. But this latest option is still in beta.

It is so easy to format beautiful ebooks using Kindle Create.

Do you want more free book writing software?

Are you trying to find the best apps for writing your book?

Do you want the best novel writing tool that can help you work on individual chapters and scenes?

Here are seven choices for apps and free writing programs for you that are specifically designed for writing your book.

Read our review of nine free book writing programs for authors.

Free writing Apps For Bloggers

7 Free apps for bloggers

Are you a content writer or blogger? You need to work with ideas, keywords, data, headlines, and images all day long.

It pays to stay one step ahead of your competition. You are continually working on improving your content, search engine optimization (SEO), and SERP rankings.

There is no way you can do all this work without having the best tools for the job at hand.

Make your life a little easier with some of these blogging apps to help you write and rank better.

Here is a choice of seven of the best blogging tools for busy content writers and bloggers. All of them will save you hours of work every day.

1. Fyrebox – Free and Premium

fyrebox

You’re writing lots of content for your blog.

But wouldn’t it be great if you could engage your readers a little more in your post topics?

Well, you can with Fyrebox by creating a free interactive quiz.

All you need to do is create your free account, and then you can start designing your quiz in a few minutes.

There are templates to help you get started with pre-made quizzes for you to personalize.

A quiz is a great way to keep your readers on your blog for much longer by letting them participate in your blog post subject.

2. Hubspot Blog Ideas – Free

hubspot

Hubspot’s blog topic generator is an old favorite for many writers.

All you need to do is enter a few nouns, and it will produce a list of blog title ideas for you.

It is such a handy tool to have when you are looking for new writing ideas.

3. Portent’s Idea Generator – Free

portent

Do you need a cure for writer’s block?

I adore this blog topic generator app.

Portent is an easy and clever way to find new writing ideas.

It is an app primarily designed for bloggers to find headlines and titles and not a genuine headline analyzer. But writers can use it to discover new ideas for any piece of writing.

All you have to do is input your base word or words, and then you can select a working title for a new writing prompt.

4. ShareThough Headline Analyser – Free

sharethrough

How engaging is your article headline?

Sharethrough must be my absolute favorite little app. Once you have a blog or article title idea, run it through this app to see how effective it will be in attracting readers’ attention.

You can edit as you go, and the app keeps a record of your variations so you can choose the best one.

The app’s blurb says: “Like the lead paragraph in a news story or thesis in an essay, your headline is your one true sentence: the single most important asset for capturing attention in the feed.”

5. Website Grader – Free

website grader

Website Grader is a quick and easy app to help you improve your blog.

Checking and optimizing your blog’s performance is essential if you want to increase your site traffic.

You should make sure that your website is easy for users to discover and easy for search engines to understand.

It is a quick app to check your page titles, headings, and meta descriptions.

It only takes a few seconds to run this performance check of your blog to see if you need to make any improvements.

6. Privacy Policy Generator – Free

privacy policy

Privacy Policy Generator is an app to help you write your privacy policy page for your blog.

You don’t even need to register or give your email address.

It is a time and money saver for all bloggers.

Just add your basic information, and the app will create the full text for your privacy terms.

All blogs should have a policy page about privacy to make sure that your site is GDPR compliant.

7. Canva – Free and Premium

canva logo blue

Now, this is not an app for writing articles. So it might not truly belong in a list of blog writing tools and programs.

But Canva is a fantastic tool for promoting your writing.

Canva is a free online tool for creating images.

Because using Internet images you find on Google images are very often copyright protected, it is a much better idea to create your own unique images.

You can find and use stock images to upload to Canva that you can then design and transform into a unique image.

You can use Canva to make images for social media promotion, images for your blog posts, Facebook headers, and even for quick and dirty ebook covers.

While there is a paid option, the free version offers more than enough images, graphics, icons, shapes, and backgrounds for almost any image creation project.

It’s so useful; I sometimes feel a bit guilty because I use this app almost every day.

Free Writing Productivity Apps

10 Free productivity apps

There are so many facets to writing. It would be great if all you had to do were to write.

But we all know that a writer’s life consists of lots of tasks and distractions.

You have to be organized to be able to write. Just collecting and collating your ideas takes a lot of time in your day. Then there is your to-do list and probably a long list of pending items.

It would be great if there was an all-in-one help for a writer’s app. But until it ever eventuates, here is a selection of some of the best productivity apps for writers.

Hopefully, some of them will help you stay organized and perhaps save a little time that you can invest in writing.

1. Trello – Free and Premium

trello

Trello must be one of the most popular apps for writers.

There is so much you can do to organize your writing projects, notes, and to-do lists. You can collaborate and assign tasks, start discussions, and so much more.

Trello is a beautiful as well as highly functional app. It is available for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, iOS, and Android.

2. Evernote – Free and Premium

evernote

Evernote is a popular application for lots of writers. It is one of the most popular note-taking apps, but it is much more.

Never let an idea escape when you are not at your keyboard. You can organize your thoughts, and create checklists and to-do lists.

There is also a handy web clipper that lets you save parts of web pages to help you with your writing research.

The free version comes with more than enough storage memory to suit most writers.

3. OneLook – Free

onelook

OneLook lets you describe a concept and get back a list of words and phrases related to that concept.

Your description can be anything at all: a single word, a few words, or even a whole sentence.

Type in your description and hit Enter to see all the related words.

This little writing app is a thesaurus on steroids.

4. Free Pomodoro Timer – Free

promodo

If you are a fan of the Pomodoro technique, to improve your productivity, you will need a Pomodoro timer .

There are many apps to choose from online.

But I like this one because it’s easy to set and to read. Nothing fancy, but effective.

5. Read-O-Meter – Free

readometer

How long will it take to read your article?

Find out with Read-O-Meter , and then you can add reading time to your blog post or article.

6. Wordcounter – Free

wordcounter

Wordcounter ranks the most frequently used words in your text.

You can use this browser app to see what words you are repeating too often and then make changes.

All you need to do is paste your text into the box. Then this little app will go to work and list all your repetitions.

7. Quetext – Free

quetext

Quetext is an online plagiarism checker.

Many paid apps feature checking plagiarism as a premium option.

But with this browser app, you can check your documents anytime you like.

8. Otter V0ice Notes – Free and Premium

otter

Otter is a dictation-to-text app for iOS and Android.

All you need to do is hit the record button, start speaking, and watch your words appear in the app. It even adds in punctuation.

There are many paid and premium dictation apps, but Otter offers a generous free option of 600 minutes a month.

9. Freemind – Free

freemind

If you are into mind maps to develop story ideas, here is a software download for you.

Many authors use mind map apps to help write a book by keeping their ideas connected and logical.

Freemind is open-source mind-mapping software built in Java.

It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

It has a wide variety of features, including location-based mind mapping, collaboration tools, restore sessions, and more.

10. DiffChecker – Free

DiffChecker

Do you sometimes get into a tangle when editing different versions of a text?

What and when did you make a change? Is it nearly impossible to remember every edit you make?

Well, with DiffChecker , it is easy to compare two versions of a text and find the differences between them.

It is a browser app, but if you want to save your revisions (Diffs), you will need to create an account to log in.

Free writing apps - quick mentions

8 Quick mentions

The following free writing software and writing apps are recent additions to our list.

They are not categorized. But all of them could be worth a look to see if they are a match for what you need in an app or program.

As they are quick mentions, you will need to investigate for yourself to see if they might be worthwhile.

1. Kindle Previewer – Free

Kindle Previewer logo

The Kindle Previewer application is a free desktop program that lets authors preview how their ebooks will appear on all Kindle devices.

It makes it easy to check your ebooks for different screen sizes, display orientations, and text font sizes.

2. Zotero – Free

zotero logo

Zotero is a free and easy-to-use program to help you with sources and citations.

You can collect, organize, cite, and share your research.

You can create references and bibliographies for any text editor directly with Word, LibreOffice, and Google Docs.

3. Reedsy Book Editor – Free

reedsy logo

It is also a writing program and editor.

4. NaturalReader – Free

natural reader

It’s often a good idea to read aloud when you proofread a draft text.

But with NaturalReader , you can create mp3 files from your text and then play them back to you. It makes it much easier to check your text for accuracy as you listen.

There is a generous free daily limit of 20 minutes for access to premium voices.

But if you select free voices, there is no restriction.

5. Bubbl.Us – Free

bubblus logo

When you want to mind map your ideas, it is easier with an app.

Bubbl.Us is a good choice if you want free mind mapping. You can share your maps with others and even on social media.

6. Pixabay – Free

pixabay logo

You’re right; this is not free writing software. But I have to include Pixabay because I use it every day to find great free images for my blog.

There are a lot of free stock image sites, but this one is my favorite because the choice of images is enormous.

7. Pixlr – Free

Pixlr logo1

Again, this is not a writing app. But when you need to edit an image for your blog or ebooks, then Pixlr might do the job for you.

There is a premium version, but you will find that the free version can do most of the basic photo editing tasks you would need to do.

8. DramaQueen – Free

DramaQueen logo

If you are writing scripts, this program could be what you are looking for.

With DramaQueen , you can format your script yourself or according to the official rules of the Writers’ Guild.

Fun Free Writing Apps

3 Fun free writing apps

Writers can sometimes be a serious bunch of people. But everyone needs to have a bit of fun from time to time.

To end my long list of apps for writers, here are three little apps to put a smile on your face.

Have fun, and enjoy being a writer.

1. Hipster Sound – Free

hipster

Do you have time to go to a café to relax and write?

If you don’t, you can bring the sounds of a Texas or Paris café to you with this cute little app.

Go to Hipster Sound , click play, pop in your air pods, and you will have all the ambient sounds you need to get your creative juices flowing. As an extra bonus, your coffee is on the house!

2. FlipText – Free

fliptext

Okay, you are not going to use Fliptext often. But it is a fun and funny little writing tool.

¡uoıʇuǝʇʇɐ ʇɔɐɹʇʇɐ oʇ ǝɹns sı ʇı ˙uʍop ǝpısdn buıʇıɹʍ ʎɹʇ ʇou ʎɥʍ ‘uoıʇuǝʇʇɐ ʇɔɐɹʇʇɐ ןןıʍ ʇɐɥʇ buıɥʇǝɯos op oʇ ʇuɐʍ noʎ uǝɥʍ

Yes, you can write upside down. Did you have to turn your screen upside down, or did you twist your neck in pain trying to read it?

3. The Most Dangerous Writing App – Free

dangerous writing app

The Most Dangerous Writing App is a fun little writing tool with a mean side to it.

You start by setting yourself a writing time of, say, five minutes. Then you start writing. But if you stop writing for more than five seconds, you lose everything you wrote.

However, if you get through your allotted time without stopping, your reward is that you can save your work.

Yes, that’s a seriously nasty little writing app. It is a brutal yet brilliant idea.

But if you treat it like a game, it is a fun challenge and maybe a clever way to help you overcome writer’s block.

Summary of free writing apps

Summary of free writing software

For all writers, there are plenty of free writing software, programs, publishing apps , and tools.

You can also find free book writing programs that work very well for any book project.

You don’t need to spend any money at all to get some of the best free writing software and apps.

There are so many open-source and free software alternatives for word processors, book writing, short story writing, and spelling and grammar correction tools.

Are you ready to write your book or get started as a content writer or blogger?

Then the writing tools in the list above will be more than enough to get you off on the right foot.

All of them are user-friendly and quick, and easy to learn how to use.

Make your choices based on what you need and want to achieve as a writer and what you think you will need to succeed.

Then head off to the coffee shop with your laptop, or pump up Hipster Sound at home and start writing.

Related reading: Choose Your Writing Apps For iPad To Write Anywhere

About The Author

Avatar for Derek Haines

Derek Haines

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28 thoughts on “50 free writing software tools and the best free writing apps”.

Avatar for S Lawrie

No Ywriter? Easy to set up and use. Takes around two minutes to learn from installation. More important it’s free.

Avatar for Derek Haines

I have noted yWriter in our article about free book writing software.

Avatar for Yasmin Dapit

Thank you for this article. It’s very useful.

Avatar for James A. Ritchie

As an editor and writer for thirty years, I’m not at all fond of grammar and style programs. None of them work well at all for the people who need them most. Every one I’ve tied, including Grammarly, makes terrible mistakes, and if you follow the style these programs want you to follow, you’ll never be a good writer. I can tell in a page or two whether a writer has used and RELIED such a program, and it’s almost always an instant rejection.

These programs should only be used by writers who don’t really need them, except for those brain fart moments, or when a truly esoteric question of grammar pops up. As a writer, you MUST know grammar inside out, and you must know style inside out, or you won’t have a clue whether Grammarly, or any such program, be it for grammar or style, is lying to you.

At BEST, these programs produce cookie cutter style that may be technically correct, but that simply is not professional level writing. Such writing may make you a couple of dollars on a site such as Medium, and you may even sell a few copies of something on Amazon, but this is all you’ll do.

If you really want to be a professional writer, you MUST learn grammar inside and out. These programs can’t give you the grammar you need, and contrary to popular belief, it is NOT an editor’s job to correct a manuscript full of bad grammar. Ain’t gonna happen. Grammar is your job, not the job of a software program, and not the job of an editor. Period.

Nor can you leave style up to software, or to an editor. Software can’t give you professional level style, and an editor simply doesn’t have the time. An editor will correct minor mistakes here and there, overlooked brain farts, but that’s it.

If you really want to be a writer, forget such silly software. Plant your butt and learn grammar. For style, story, characterization, plot, and other such necessities, read five hundred novels and a thousand short stories, then write several novel or fifty short stories. If you have any talent at all, this will bring it out. If you lack talent, well, you need a new profession.

Avatar for Reeta Chauhan

This era of digitization has changed the publishing industry completely and is still revamping it . The book writing software and industries are a true companion for writers and editors. They are just making our work more easy and accurate. Totally agree with your article.

Avatar for Tom

I have a fixed income due to my disabilities. I plan to purchase a new computer but is Microsoft Home and Personal a very reputable writing program? Is a Dell computer highly recommended?

I write • plays • poetry • historical fiction • children’s picture books • essays • short fiction for children and adults

Thank you! :-)

Sorry, Tom. But I can’t help you with advice about buying a computer. You’d be better trying computer review sites.

Avatar for Fabio Martines

Hi Derek, I hope someone is interested in my Scribis Project, a series o free online editors dedicated to those who want to work quickly moving between dictionaries, thesauri and databases of sentences selected from the great classics. Based on what you type in the editor, you will get synonyms, collocations, intermediate concepts, semantic fields, and dozens of sentences that contain analogies, similarities, emotions and images. With another tool, Scribis Matrix, you can generate word matrices from the same dictionaries and thesauri.

Avatar for Stuart

Why no YWriter? It does everything important that scrivener can do, but it is free.

We do feature yWriter in our listing of free book writing software. So, we haven’t missed it. https://justpublishingadvice.com/choose-your-free-book-writing-software-for-your-new-book/

Avatar for Doug Walters

PowerWritingAid and Grammarly are not free programs. You have to pay expensive monthly subscriptions.

StyleWriter will make you a better writer and does not get a mention in your reviews!

Prowritingaid and Grammarly both offer free versions. But I will investigate Stylewriter.

Avatar for Babs

I use Grammarly on a daily basis and only the free version and I don’t feel I am missing out on anything. I also use the free version of pro writing aid, not as often but I’ve never encountered an instance where I have wished I had the paid version. A lot of paid apps have a really good free version of those apps too. This is a pretty perfectly crafted reply because of my free Grammarly lol

Avatar for Arianna

Very great article with many great Apps. Recently I discovered Neperos, it is very intuitive and gives you the possibility to style your article with multiple pictures.

Avatar for Peter Caffrey

I bought Prowritingaid for the Word add-in, but found one of the most important features, the ability to customise reports, doesn’t work. Contacting the Support team led to promises of an investigation followed by nothing. A reminder led to a promise the issue would be passed to a developer who,would be in touch, then nothing. If you want it work with Word, look elsewhere or you’ll pay for a non-functional product with no support!

Avatar for Lisa Lepki

Hi Peter, Lisa here from ProWritingAid. I’ve just been through our support inbox and can’t find any emails under the name Peter Caffrey.

Avatar for marquez_MPH

So far, I am enjoying 3 out of your 10 recommendations. Your reviews seem honest and unscripted-thank you for that.

Avatar for seo a5

The only serious free option for desktop publishing right now is Scribus. It’s software, not web-based. I’ve used it a few times and it’s pretty decent. Of course, I also have QuarkXPress, which I prefer. Hope that helps!

Avatar for L.R. Hackert

It was informational and I liked it very much.

Avatar for S. K. Gardner

I found this article to be informative. In search of one thing, I happily stumbled upon much more. Thanks!

Avatar for Craig Warhurst

Generally in life you get what you pay for so you should expect limitations from anything free. If you’re serious about writing then Scrivener is what you need. Yes, you have to pay for it but it costs about the same as a couple of takeaways and once you learn how to use it you’ll wonder how you lived without it. I agree about Canva, but I wouldn’t bother with anything else on the list!

Avatar for Krzysztof Busłowicz

There is free Windows alternative for Scrivener named Quoll Writer. Of course, it has some limitations but is a lot easier to use and gives you all essential features writer or journalist needs. Chapters, characters, items, linking, tagging, annotating and more. It has Idea Board and stats and readability indexes. Text formatting is basic but hey, it’s software for writers not for editors. You can export your texts as .docx or .epub and format them with Sigil or Calibre. I’m using it for couple of years.

Avatar for David Davies

Good article, but you don’t mention StyleWriter – a powerful program to change the way y0u write. It shows you how to write and edit like a professional.

Avatar for Pamela Staton

So thankful I found this site. All the info I need in one place and much simpler than what I was trying to work with. Especially great for a tech dummy like me.

Avatar for Aleta K Dye

Great post, informative and gives me some options to consider that I didn’t know about before. Thanks.

Avatar for Cary Richards

Great article, I love Canva, Couldn’t run my website without it! Thanks for this. I learned some things.

Avatar for patriciaruthsusan

Thanks for this informative post. :) — Suzanne

Avatar for Frank Szewczyk

This post is one of the best and most informative I have read in years on publishing for home-based writers. Through your post, I have discovered new resources that will make my writing life easier. Thanks!!!

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What is a Manuscript? Definition, Meaning & 8 Tips for How to Write One

POSTED ON Oct 17, 2023

Audrey Hirschberger

Written by Audrey Hirschberger

No author can publish a book without a manuscript. But what is a manuscript anyway? How do you turn a manuscript into a book? And is it hard?

Today we will be demystifying what a manuscript is so you know how to write one for yourself. Before we go into our step-by-step guide on how to give your manuscript meaning and success, let’s answer the question: What is a manuscript?

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This blog will answer the questions, “What is a manuscript?” and more:

What is a manuscript, defined.

We can define manuscript in many ways. According to Merriam-Webster, we should define manuscript as:

  • “a written or typewritten composition or document as distinguished from a printed copy
  • also: a document submitted for publication”

The Collins Dictionary assigns this definition for what a manuscript is:

  • “A manuscript is a handwritten or typed document, especially a writer's first version of a book before it is published.
  • “A manuscript is an old document that was written by hand before printing was invented.”

And according to Cambridge Dictionary, a manuscript is:

  • “the original copy of a book or article before it is printed”

Now obviously, printing was invented a long time ago, so when we discuss what a manuscript is in terms of writing today, we are generally referring to written work before it has been published. 

In simple terms, a manuscript is the unpublished version of what might eventually become a book. Of course, we cannot call it a book until it is published. 

Whether your manuscript is edited or unedited doesn’t matter – it is simply a draft and not yet a book. 

A manuscript is what a writer works and reworks again with line editors and copy editors to turn into a final product. It can also be referred to as a “typescript,” since most writers these days use a computer or typewriter to complete their work. 

So what is a manuscript? It’s the original document created by a writer – in a pre-published stage. 

Whether you wish to learn how to write a memoir , a fantasy novel, or a children’s picture book , a manuscript is what you must complete first. 

So how do you write a manuscript? Let’s discuss some simple steps to follow for writing success. 

Related: What Is An Advanced Reader Copy?

8 tips for writing a successful manuscript

Now that you know what a manuscript is, it’s time to set to writing one. Here are our top tips for giving your manuscript meaning:

1. Come up with an idea

It doesn’t matter how much you know about manuscripts if you don’t have any content to fill one with. Before you set to writing a manuscript, you need to have something to write about. 

Decide what genre you will write in. (You can use our giant list of book genres for inspiration.) Make sure it’s a genre you are already comfortable with, and read books from that genre to make yourself more familiar with successful examples.

If you need help with ideas, you can use our writing prompt generator to get started!

Related: 250+ Writing Prompts By Genre

2. Create a distraction-free writing space 

Distraction is the enemy of all writers. As such, you want to create a dedicated writing space for yourself that is as distraction-free as possible. When you enter this space, your brain will intuitively know it is time to write. 

If possible, set up your writing space away from high-traffic areas. Decide if quotes and mood board will inspire your writing, or distract you from it. 

Remove any unnecessary items from your workspace and silence phone notifications. If needed, let your family know that you will be writing so they don’t interrupt you. 

Related: The 13 Best Distraction-Free Writing Apps

3. Set a writing schedule

To write a manuscript…you need to actually write. And if you don’t make time for it, it will be all too easy to avoid your manuscript.

Block out time in your schedule for writing and make it as non-negotiable as a doctor’s appointment. Sitting down to write is the single most difficult challenge most writers face, but if you can make yourself do it, you are already halfway there.  

4. Choose a book writing software

Every career has tools of the trade, and writing is no different. Leveraging the best book writing software can make writing your first manuscript SO much easier. 

You can set writing targets, make color-coded notes on your drafts, easily jump between chapters, drag and drop sections around, and so much more.  While it has a little bit of a learning curve, one software many writers swear by is Scrivener .

5. Create an outline

If you are new to writing manuscripts, you probably don’t want to go in blind. It’s a good idea to lay some groundwork first. 

Do some research. If you are writing a fiction book , decide what your character arc will be and work on world-building and fleshing out supporting characters.

If you are writing a nonfiction book , think about the goal of your writing. How will it help the readers? What lessons do you want them to take away from your work?

Draft up a general outline of key events that will give your manuscript meaning. 

6. Start fleshing your outline out

Now it’s time to fill in the details. To do this, just start writing! Set some daily or weekly writing goals to hold yourself accountable. And, instead of wrapping up a scene or chapter, try ending in the middle of a paragraph – this way, you give yourself a cliffhanger to wrap up the next day.

It will be much easier to pick up writing again if you enter in the middle of the action. You won’t need to start fresh every day while staring blankly at your screen. This technique may help you avoid getting hit with dreaded writer’s block. 

Of course, everyone has their own writing style , so find what works for you and stick with it!

Related: 9 Free Book Templates for Authors

7. Don’t worry about perfection

Many new writers get hung up on making their writing perfect the first time around.

There will be plenty of time to rework things after you finish writing your manuscript. If you nitpick every page and line you write, you will BURN OUT. 

Worry about formatting and editing later. After you have a completed manuscript, you can work with a book editor who can revise and proofread your work. 

8. Just keep writing!

Writing a manuscript can take a long time, but you can absolutely do it. Take your writing a day at a time in small, manageable pieces and before you know it, you’ll have a finished product. 

Want to turn your manuscript into a book?

Now you have a thorough understanding of what a manuscript is and how to write one. But, as we mentioned, a manuscript isn’t a book. If you’d like to turn it into a book, the team at selfpublishing.com can help!

We work with hundreds of writers to turn their ideas into successful, published pieces of literature. 

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10 Best Writing Assistant Software With AI in 2024

Senior Content Marketing Manager

February 14, 2024

On a mission to find the best writing assistant software? Whether you’re a small business owner, part of a marketing team, or a solo content writer, we’ve got you covered. 

In today’s fast-paced digital age, the demand for crisp, engaging, and error-free content is higher than ever. That’s where writing assistant software steps in. 

Writing assistant software will help improve your writing skills and optimize your blog writing for your audience so your message hits home every time. 

The cherry on top? Many of these writing assistant software options now leverage the power of AI, taking your content to new heights. 

We’ve curated a list of the 10 best AI writing assistant software tools available in 2023. Read on to find the one that suits your needs best.

3. QuillBot

5. simplified, 8. textmetrics, 9. readable, what should you look for in the best writing assistant software.

There’s a vast ocean of AI writing assistant software out there. So, how do you choose the right one? Start by examining its capabilities.

Your AI writing assistant software should ideally offer a grammar checker, writing style suggestions, plagiarism detection, and content optimization. These features in writing assistant tools ensure your content is accurate and resonates with your target audience. 

Next, consider the integrations available for each AI writer. Your chosen tool should be able to connect seamlessly with other platforms you regularly use, like Google Docs, WordPress, or any project management software. This allows for a streamlined and efficient workflow. 

Lastly, pay attention to the user-friendliness of each AI writing tool. Good writing assistants should be intuitive and easy to navigate. A complicated interface can slow you down and complicate your AI content creation process , which we want to avoid.

ClickUp goes beyond being an excellent project management tool—it’s also a stellar writing assistant.

 It’s designed to streamline your writing process, elevate team collaboration, and sync effortlessly with your go-to platforms. And with its built-in ClickUp AI ‘s writing abilities it helps refine your content, ensuring it’s SEO-friendly and maintains a high level of clarity and coherence. 

That’s not all. ClickUp also keeps track of your tasks and deadlines, making sure you’re always on top of your work. There are not too many writing assistant tools with artificial intelligence to do that!

ClickUp best features

  • ClickUp lets multiple users work on a ClickUp Docs together, boosting team productivity
  • The built-in AI writing tools tailor your content for SEO—ideal for content marketers and writers
  • Manage your writing tasks and project deadlines all in one place. No more missed date
  • Style your content effortlessly with ClickUp’s rich text editor
  • Plan your content strategy with ease using ClickUp’s content calendar
  • Keep track of the time spent on each task to ensure optimal productivity
  • Sync ClickUp with your favorite tools, ensuring seamless work processes
  • Tailor your workspace to your liking, making it easier to manage tasks and projects

ClickUp limitations

  • Some users find the interface initially complex, but it becomes more intuitive over time
  • Maximizing the full potential of its features may require a bit of a learning curve
  • AI writing assistant features are not in the Free Forever plan

ClickUp pricing

  • Free Forever
  • Unlimited:  $7/month per user
  • Business:  $12/month per user
  • Enterprise:  Contact for pricing
  • ClickUp AI is available on all paid plans for $5 per Workspace member per month

ClickUp ratings and reviews

  • G2 : 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)
  • Capterra : 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)

Ready to get started with ClickUp’s AI writing assistant? Try out the ClickUp ChatGPT Prompt Template in ClickUp Docs!

ChatGPT Prompts for Writing Template

Rytr is a powerful AI writing tool that generates high-quality content quickly. Its robust machine-learning capabilities turn your input into engaging, SEO-optimized content. Ryter can be used for academic and technical writing tool while using a grammar checker to ensure you don’t have any mistakes.

With various content types to choose from, Rytr is a flexible writing assistant tool for content creators of all stripes. The language correction AI tool can be used across the board as a personal or business writing assistant.

Rytr best features

  • Rytr offers multiple modes like newsletters , blogs, social media posts, product descriptions, and more
  • It’s intuitive to use, meaning you can start creating engaging content in no time
  • It supports several languages, broadening your content’s reach
  • Includes a grammar checker to catch spelling mistakes and make sure your copy is clean

Rytr limitations

  • Written content sometimes requires editing for better context alignment
  • Even the “unlimited” plan comes with word count limits

Rytr pricing

  • Saver plan:  $9 per month or $90 per year
  • Unlimited plan:  $29 per month or $290 per year

Rytr ratings and reviews

  • G2:  4.7/5 (750+ reviews)
  • Trustpilot:  4.8/5 (2,100+ reviews)

QuillBot Dashboard

QuillBot is an advanced  rewriter tool  that spins your content while retaining its original meaning.

It’s a popular AI writing tool for writers looking to avoid plagiarism and improve sentence structure. Quillbot’s different writing modes make it adaptable to various writing styles.

QuillBot best features

  • It rewrites sentences while keeping the original context intact and avoiding mistakes with grammar checking
  • Different writing modes adapt to your writing style
  • AI writing assistant provides synonyms to enrich your vocabulary
  • Integrates with your browser for on-the-go editing

QuillBot limitations

  • Users say they spend a lot of time troubleshooting
  • Paid plans still limit the volume you can produce

QuillBot pricing

  • Premium:  $19.95 per month (1 user)
  • Team:  $7.50 per writer per month (minimum of 5 users)

QuillBot ratings and reviews

  • Capterra:  4.6/5 (100+ reviews)
  • Trustpilot:  2.3/5 (75 reviews)

Copy.ai Dashboard

Copy.ai is an AI writing assistant designed to help you produce high-quality content effortlessly. It leverages an advanced AI language model to provide creative and unique content suggestions, one reason it’s among our favorite  product description generators . 

Whether you need blog intros, social media content, or product descriptions, Copy.ai is an AI copywriting tool that handles everything. It’s simple to use, saving time and smoothing your content creation process.

The best part? This AI writing assistant software helps keep writer’s block at bay by offering fresh content ideas.

Copy.ai best features

  • Uses machine learning to provide creative content without grammatical errors
  • Generates a wide range of content types compared to other AI writing apps
  • Its straightforward interface ensures a smooth content creation process for AI writers
  • Offers fresh, AI-generated ideas when you’re experiencing writer’s block

Copy.ai limitations

  • Copy.ai sometimes drops its level of service from GPT-4 to GPT-3
  • Users aren’t in love with the company’s customer service

Copy.ai pricing

  • Free:  Up to 2,000 words per month
  • Pro:  $49 per month, with unlimited words (limited to 1 user)
  • Enterprise:  Contact Copy.ai for pricing

Copy.ai ratings and reviews

  • G2:  4.8/5 (160+ reviews)
  • Trustpilot:  3.9/5 (160+ reviews)

Write content like landing pages, product pages, blog posts, and more with Simplified, one of our favorite writing tools.

Check out these Copy.AI alternatives !

Simplified Dashboard

The AI technology incorporated into Simplified can also help you with graphic design, social media posts, and light video editing. This is truly an all-in-one content creation package. That makes it an excellent tool for marketers and content creators who want to streamline their content creation process. 

Additionally, it offers a user-friendly interface and a rich library of resources for academic and technical writing.

Simplified best features

  • Tons of templates to make your content generation engine run even smoother
  • Pre-loaded with different tones of voice, writing styles, and languages to boost your creative writing
  • It comes with a rewriter tool to save time spinning new blog content

Simplified limitations

  • Hard limits on storage
  • Simplified caps the number of users you can have on an account

Simplified pricing

  • Small team:  $30 per month for 5 users
  • Business:  $50 per month (5 users)
  • Growth:  $125 per month (5 users)
  • Enterprise or Agency:  Contact Simplified for pricing

Simplified ratings and reviews

  • G2:  4.7/5 (850+ reviews)
  • Capterra:  4.7/5 (88 reviews)

Jasper Dashboard

If you’re looking for a tool specializing in long-form content creation, Jasper is your go-to. It uses advanced AI technology to generate content like blog articles, scripts, and more. 

With Jasper, a professional writer can create an article outline in seconds and let the AI fill in the rest. 

What sets Jasper apart is its ability to write long-form content that is coherent and engaging. But Jasper’s not for everybody, so we’ve compiled a list of  Jasper alternatives  for you to check out!

Jasper best features 

  • Writing assistant comes with a handy browser add on
  • Specializes in creating engaging blog posts, scripts, and more
  • Can be used for academic and technical writing
  • Quickly generates an article outline to jump-start your writing process
  • Easy to navigate and use

Jasper limitations

  • Some content writers have reported the output may require editing to ensure the written word matches the desired tone
  • A very limited free trial makes it hard to decide whether the tool is worth it for some users

Jasper pricing

  • Creator:  $49/month for one user, billed annually
  • Teams:  $125/month for three users, billed annually
  • Business:  Contact for pricing

Jasper ratings and reviews

  • G2:  4.7/5 (1,200+ reviews)
  • Capterra:  4.8/5 (1,700+ reviews)

Frase is an AI writing assistant that takes SEO content optimization to a new level. 

The language correction AI tool has standout features like its ability to create compelling content briefs based on the top results for a specific keyword. 

For marketers focused on SEO, Frase provides invaluable insights that guide your entire content lifecycle. It’s not just about generating content; it’s about creating content that ranks.

Frase best features

  • Creates detailed content briefs for a specific keyword
  • Provides insights to optimize your content for search engines
  • Generates direct answers to user questions, enhancing user experience
  • Assesses and enhances your existing content so you can create articles to fill content gaps

Frase limitations

  • The SEO analysis and keyword suggestions aren’t always super accurate, according to some users
  • The output sometimes lacks in-depth analysis
  • No free version

Frase pricing

  • Solo:  $14.99/month per user
  • Basic:  $44.99/month per user
  • Team:  $114.99 (three users, and $25 per month for additional team members)

Frase ratings and reviews

  • G2:  4.9/5 (280+ reviews)
  • Capterra:  N/A

Textmetrics Dashboard

When it comes to optimizing your content for SEO, Textmetrics has a lot to offer in the writer assistants market. 

This AI writing software is about more than just generating content. It catches grammatical errors, ensures your text aligns with your target audience and helps improve your online visibility. 

Textmetrics provides real-time suggestions as you type, enabling you to create content that hits the mark. With Textmetrics, you get one of the best AI-powered tools to make your content SEO-friendly and audience-focused.

Textmetrics best features

  • Real-time SEO suggestions provide instant feedback as you type
  • Audience matching aligns your text with your target demographic
  • Enhances readability and keyword use
  • Supports multiple languages, allowing a broader reach

Textmetrics limitations

  • It doesn’t have a built-in plagiarism checker
  • The interface might take some time to get used to for new users

Textmetrics pricing

Contact Textmetrics for pricing

Textmetrics ratings and reviews

  • G2: 4.7/5 (60+ reviews)
  • Capterra: 4.5/5 (30+ reviews)

Readable Dashboard

Readable is an AI writing assistant focusing on making your content as understandable as possible. Its powerful readability scoring system makes your content accessible to your target audience. 

With Readable, you get clear insights into what might be holding your content back, enabling you to make necessary adjustments. 

Beyond readability, this writing assistant checks for clichés, sentiment, and tone of voice, ensuring your content delivers the right message.

Readable best features

  • Offers detailed readability ratings for your content
  • Analyzes the sentiment and tone of your text
  • It helps you avoid overused phrases to improve your writing skills
  • Checks the readability of your email content
  • Grammar checking capabilities

Readable limitations

  • The tool may not always accurately interpret the tone of the content

Readable pricing

  • ContentPro:  $8/month
  • CommercePro: $48/month
  • AgencyPro: $138/month

Readable ratings and reviews

  • G2 : 4.0/5 (5+ reviews)
  • Capterra : 4.7/5 (9+ reviews)

Wordai Dashboard

WordAI stands out for its ability to rewrite content while maintaining readability and original meaning compared to other writing assistants. Its AI writing software understands the context of words and phrases, ensuring the output reads naturally. 

This makes WordAI a powerful AI writing tool for writers and marketers needing to rewrite content quickly while avoiding plagiarism. With WordAI, you can create unique content without losing its original essence.

WordAI best features

  • Rewrites content while understanding the context
  • Supports rewriting in several languages
  • Allows you to rewrite multiple articles at once
  • Enables seamless integration with other tools

WordAI limitations

  • It doesn’t have a built-in feature for SEO optimization
  • The quality of the rewrite might vary depending on the complexity of the text
  • Not the right writing assistant for new content generation
  • Limited number of user reviews

WordAI pricing

  • Monthly:  $57 per month 
  • Yearly:  $27 per month (billed annually)
  • Enterprise:  Contact WordAI for pricing

WordAI ratings and reviews

  • G2:  3.9/5 (17 reviews)
  • Trustpilot:  2.6/5 (6 reviews)

Supercharge Content Creation With the Best Writing Assistant Software

Navigating the landscape of AI writing assistants can be challenging, with each offering its unique set of features, advantages, and drawbacks. We’ve examined 10 impressive AI writing assistants, each capable of streamlining your content creation process and enhancing your writing productivity.

At the heart of it all, the key is identifying your specific needs. Whether you require a writing assistant for long-form content, SEO optimization, or improving readability, there’s a writing software perfectly designed for your needs. Each AI writer we’ve discussed today harnesses the power of AI to deliver unique solutions to the evolving challenges of content creation.

To learn more about how AI writing can revolutionize your content creation process, check out ClickUp’s AI feature. The tool brings a new level of efficiency to your writing tasks, assisting in organizing, generating, and refining your content.

Also, consider exploring ClickUp Docs, an excellent feature for creating and collaborating on documents within your team. ClickUp Docs is a centralized workspace, making the collaborative writing process more efficient and organized.

Remember, the ultimate aim of using AI writing assistants is to enhance your content, make your work more accessible, and provide you with more time to focus on strategic tasks. We hope this exploration of the ten best writing assistant software has been insightful. Happy writing!

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