Choosing the best app to write a story is important. As a writer, you’ll want to be able to get all your ideas out as quickly and easily as possible. You’ll also want to make sure your story will look great and be easy for readers to enjoy.
That’s why we’ve compiled this list of the best apps for writing stories. We’ve chosen them based on their features and design, so that you can find the perfect app for your needs.
We hope it helps you find an effective way to write!
Best Apps For Writing Stories
There is no shortage of writing apps that promise to remove distractions and make your writing better than ever.
The abundance of choices can be both a blessing and a curse. With so many choices and so many features within each choice, choosing the best writing apps for you can be tough. You can end up spending more time playing with features than actually writing.
In this guide, we’re going to walk you through 14 of the best writing apps available today, from simple free apps to hefty, highly-customizable ones.
Whether you’re a fiction author or a budding blogger, you’ll find something that will make you feel free from distraction and help you focus on what’s really important — your writing.
1. MS Word / Google Docs / Pages
Although it may seem obvious, these standard word-processing apps should at least be mentioned in a list of the best writing apps. All of them can handle all your basic needs and they’re pretty much always available no matter where you are. You can use Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Apple’s Pages on nearly any device today.
Additionally, both Google docs and Microsoft Word have a large number of plugins available that can add additional functionality. Plus, Google Docs is a great free writing app, and you automatically get Apple Pages for free if you’re a Mac user.
However, each of these writing apps are meant for use by the masses, and not designed specifically for writers. There are a number of more specialized apps that cater to the needs of a writer, detailed below.
2. Ulysses
Ulysses is a powerful, distraction-free writing tool that comes with a wide variety of features that definitely set it apart. With apps available for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, along with fast, easy syncing between devices, this one is great for Apple users. Syncing occurs through iCloud, so be sure you have extra space before you buy your Ulysses subscription.
In Ulysses, you can publish straight to platforms like WordPress and Medium, save drafts to an organisable library, or export documents as PDFs or eBooks. You can even set word count goals for yourself so you can stay on top of your busy editorial schedule.
Ulysses is best for prolific writers who are juggling multiple web-based projects at a time. Bloggers and copywriters will find Ulysses’ built-in publishing mechanics helpful and easy. However, at $49.99 per year, Ulysses is one of the more expensive writing apps, especially considering it can only be used on Apple devices).
- Best For: Busy bloggers
- Price: $49.99/year or $5.99/month (free trial available)
- Available On: Mac and iOS
3. Reedsy
Reedsy is a free, web-based tool that is specifically designed for authoring books. The free book editor includes a sleek, distraction-free interface that makes typesetting your book easy and fun. With collaborative live editing and the ability to export as an eBook straight to distributors, this tool is excellent for authors who want to write books.
Reedsy also includes a marketplace to make finding collaborators easier than ever, including ghostwriters, editors, designers, and more. Editing is also really simple with track changes, versioning, and commenting. If you’re just starting out, try Reedsy Prompts, which offers five writing prompts each week. You can even submit your responses to the weekly contests where you can win cash!
If you have a varied workload, Reedsy is not the best option, as it’s really meant for book and fiction writers. But for a writer who wants to see their book typeset and pretty, this could be the perfect writing app — and it’s free.
- Best For: Book writers
- Price: Free
- Available On: Web app
4. Scrivener
Scrivener is a robust writing software thoughtfully designed with long form authors and novelists in mind. In addition to writing, the app has a strong focus on helping you organize your writing resources, whether that’s notes about specific characters in a novel or research on a specific subject.
While it isn’t the prettiest writing tool you’ve ever seen, you’re getting everything you need for a one-time fee of $45. If you write long, complicated pieces, Scrivener makes it easy to section and organize your document with a highly customizable navigation bar.
One distinct benefit to Scrivener is it’s old-school licensing approach. Once you pay, you own that version of Scrivener forever. One drawback? If you switch operating systems or change your mind, you can’t get that cash back.
- Best For: Authors, novelists, and screenwriters
- Price: $45
- Available On: Mac, Windows, iOS
5. iA Writer
iA Writer is all about helping you get down to the business of writing. This simple interface with limited formatting options is perfect for writers who just want to focus on writing and not be distracted by dozens of additional features.
With distraction-free features like full screen mode, and a dark mode that’s great for late-night creators, this tool is really meant to do one thing: help you write. It’s also an inexpensive option with a generous free trial and several options for download.
- Best For: Focused writing sessions
- Price: $29.99 for Mac / $19.99 for Windows
- Format: Mac, Windows, iOS
6. WriteRoom
WriteRoom is a stripped-down, bare-bones writing app that is about writing and nothing else. In fact, they go so far as to tell you that they’re NOT like Microsoft Word or any other writing tools.
You can utilize the distraction-free, customizable interface to focus on getting your words onto the page, but not much else. You can export your WriteRoom documents, but there is no preview and you can’t sync with other devices. Without collaboration options or mobile apps, this writing app is best for writers who simply need a place to jot things down.
- Best For: Brainstorming or first drafts
- Price: $9.99
- Available On: Mac
7. Storyist
Much like Scrivener, this writing app is fantastic for helping you organize large, creative writing projects. Even with tons of features, like a script template that prompts you to enter data as you write, the app is intuitive and easy to use.
You can click on your character names to see where they show up in a story, or select a location to peruse all your scenes that happen at that spot. This app really fits well into the creative process itself, since the organization features help you see consistency (or lack of) in your writing.
With a one-time fee of $59.99, this writing app isn’t cheap. But if you’re a novelist or screenwriter, it’s certainly worth considering.
- Best For: Novelists and screenwriters
- Price: $59.99
- Available On: Mac, iOS
8. Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway was famous for his sparse, pared-down prose, and the Hemingway Editor app is designed to help you cut the fat from your writing. The app is focused primarily on helping you craft better prose and doesn’t have any storage or organizational features. So if you’re working on a complex document, you’ll probably need to use it in conjunction with another writing app.
You either can write your document directly in the Hemingway Editor app or paste something you’ve already written into it. If you write directly in the app, you need to start in writing mode and then switch to edit mode (unless you want real-time feedback).
The app will then evaluate your writing and make suggestions to improve clarity, ease-of-reading, etc. For example, if a sentence is too complex or uses the passive voice, it will highlight it. If you’re looking for a full-fledged writing app, this probably isn’t the best choice. However, if you need help with editing for clarity, the Hemingway Editor is a great tool.
- Best For: Writers who need help editing
- Price: $19.99 or free online
- Available On: Web, Mac, Windows
9. Freedom
Freedom isn’t exactly a writing app per se, but it should definitely be in your writing toolbox. After all, one of the biggest hindrances to making progress on writing projects is digital distractions. And there are a lot of writers out there who can testify to how Freedom has helped them:
Freedom lets you block the websites and apps that distract you the most across all your devices, so you won’t be pulled away by flitting phone notifications while you’re typing on your desktop. You can even have your Freedom app play some calming coffee shop sounds so you can get in the zone.
If you write at a set time every day, you can set up writing sessions ahead of time so that your distractions will be inaccessible when you’re ready to write.
When it comes to blocking distractions, you basically have two options. You can do what novelist Jonathan Franzen did and buy an old, clunky laptop and literally glue the ethernet port shut and remove the wifi card. Or you could use Freedom, which is a tad easier.
- Best For: Distractible writers
- Price: $30/year or $6.99/month
- Available On: Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
10. Evernote
Evernote is best for writers with a lot going on. If you need to save a lot of links, collect images or lists, or simply organize your documents, Evernote is the way to go. The interface can be a bit confusing at first, but once you’ve gotten a feel for it, it really is a powerful tool.
If you just want to focus on writing, Evernote Premium probably has more than you need or want. However, even the free plan has plenty of useful features and includes templates for all types of writing. And their Web Clipper tool, which enables users to collect “clips” from anything on the internet, is a huge draw for digitally-minded creatives.
- Best For: Writers with multiple projects
- Price: Free or $7.99/month for premium
- Available On: Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android
best free writing apps
Writing isn’t easy. Thankfully, there are all kinds of apps out there to make the process easier by helping you stay organized and focused. Whether you are writing for a living or just writing a grocery list, these free apps for writers will help you complete your project with ease.
Contents:
- ProWritingAid
- Hubspot’s Blog Ideas Generator
- Canva
- Milanote
- LibreOffice
- Scribus
- FocusWriter
- Evernote
- Diaro
- Todoist
- The ProWritingAid Blog
Try ProWritingAid’s editor for yourself below: - Writing Forward
- 5 Minute English
- Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips
- Daily Grammar
- Lousy Writer
- The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
- FluentU
- English Grammar 101
- Grammar Ninja
You CAN Master English Grammar - ProWritingAid
Come on. You were expecting this. But our writers really do believe that ProWritingAid should be at the top of this list. ProWritingAid is an online editor, writing coach, and style guide, all rolled into one. It highlights a range of potential pitfalls in your writing that your average grammar checker misses, like overused words, transitions, vague and abstract words, and more.
The free ProWritingAid online editing tool allows you to upload your documents and access more than 20 in-depth writing reports, which will help you improve the strength and clarity of your texts quickly and easily.
You’ll get an overview of your writing, with tips on how to make the most improvement in the shortest amount of time. You’ll also keep learning while you write with informational videos and blog articles that pop up as part of ProWritingAid’s suggestions.
prowritingaid suggestion
Check out this review and tutorial by bestselling author, Joanna Penn:
ProWritingAid also has more software integrations than any other editing software, including MS Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, Open Office, and Chrome so that you can edit wherever you write.
Ready to try it for yourself? Click the button below to get started.
Start editing like a pro with your free ProWritingAid account now
- Hubspot’s Blog Ideas Generator
Even the best writers run into blocks sometimes. Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator can help you when it feels impossible to come up with new content.
hubspot blog ideas generator
Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator Simply input three nouns into the generator and get a week’s worth of topics in seconds! Now, THAT was easy!
- Canva
As writers, we don’t just have to worry about the words we put on the page (or screen). Many of us have to create images for our work, whether that’s a cover photo for a blog post or a graphic to promote your book on social media. Canva is an amazing, powerful free tool to help create beautiful images.
canva interface
Canva’s drag and drop templates can help you create everything from a Pinterest graphic to a book cover. If you’re hesitant to learn Photoshop, Canva is an amazing alternative to help you create rich, high-quality graphics.
- Milanote
Milanote is an easy-to-use tool to organize your ideas and projects into visual boards. As a writer, visualizations can help you keep track of everything from character relationships to the order of scenes.
milanote interface
Milanote’s flexible interface allows you to do things like:
Write notes and to-do lists (handy for keeping yourself on track with your book writing plan)
Upload images and files (useful for keeping visual inspiration for everything from scenery to character outfits)
Save images, texts, and links from the web
and even more!
- LibreOffice
LibreOffice is an amazing word processor option for people who are looking for a free alternative to Word.
libre office interface
LibreOffice has a number of great features, including a clean and sophisticated word processing layout and support for a vast number of file formats. You can create everything from a simple memo to a complete book using the online editor, which makes it a great choice for people looking for a word processor for all types of projects.
A grammar guru, style editor, and writing mentor in one package.
Try it for free!
ProWritingAid
- Scribus
Do you need to create beautiful layouts for your words? If so, Scribus may be for you!
scribus interface
Scribus is a free, open source platform that allows you to create rich, professional layouts for everything from one-pagers to magazines. While it takes a bit of learning to get started, Scribus is both easier to use and cheaper (since it’s free!) than tools like Adobe InDesign.
- FocusWriter
Distraction is Enemy #1 to many writers. Facebook never looks as enticing as when you’re on a tight deadline or trying to meet a goal. If this sounds like you, FocusWriter is here to help.
FocusWriter interface
FocusWriter minimizes your work into a clean, distraction-free word processor interface, so you can simply write without worrying about the clutter on your computer screen. FocusWriter isn’t the best tool for going through your second or third draft, but it’s great for getting through that first run so you can do the in-depth editing elsewhere later.
- Evernote
Evernote is an amazing “second brain” which allows you to flexibly take notes and capture ideas in a variety of areas.
Evernote interface
You can do just about everything in Evernote, from creating to-do lists and checklists to drawing out specific notes to capturing receipts for tracking business expenses. Evernote offers up to 60 MB of space on its free plan, which is plenty if you’re just using plain text notes. If you’d like to add more graphic or larger files, you can upgrade your storage for small fees.
- Diaro
Your life is precious, and if you’re the documenting type, you want to remember every moment, good or bad. Diaro is an advanced diary application, but it can be used for keeping a journal or simply writing notes.
Diaro interface
Use Diaro to help you keep your thoughts and memories organized and well documented. Attach photos or locations to your entries and share with others via email and social networking sites. With Diaro, you never have to worry about others stumbling across your deepest darkest secrets, because your diary will be password protected.
- Todoist
The best writers are able to organize and prioritize their work. Todoist is a task management application that helps you create to-do lists and custom schedules so you can work more effectively.
Todoist interface
With Todoist, you can create recurring tasks (e.g. “Write every day at 7 p.m.!”) to help yourself set and achieve goals. Never worry about forgetting an important task again!
Conclusion
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