Are you tired of running after the pen and paper to jot down your thoughts and ideas? If yes, then this article will definitely make you feel relaxed. It is because we are going to discuss top 10 best free writing apps for ipad with apple pencil. Thanks to Tim Cook and his team for introducing such a great iOS tool like Apple Pencil. It has redefined how people used to do various tasks such as drawing, sketching, coloring etc. Apple Pencil works like a stylus but there is a major difference that it comes with pressure sensitivity and allows you to write or draw on your iPad screen without applying extra force on it.
So, here are the best IOS writing tools.
Werdsmith (free/subscription)
Writing should be addictive. At least, that’s what Werdsmith believes, and it has the tools to hopefully inspire you to make writing a part of your daily routine. It uses writing tracking and daily goals to push you into keeping up a streak and jotting words down every day. Heck, it even has an Apple Watch word-counting app. If you struggle to keep writing, this may be the iPad writing app for you. Other than that, it has a decent number of features, including novel or screenplay writing tools and cloud syncing to keep your work current. There is a subscription, but it’s purely to allow you to work on more than a set number of documents at once, for $5 a month.
LivingWriter
Pricing: From free trial for 14 days to $96 billed once a year / $9.99 per month
LivingWriter is a newer writing app for writing stories or a book via your iPad and online. Rather than using a word processor, It helps writers arrange plots and stories using boards and templates. This tool includes a series of outline templates for popular story structures like the Hero’s Journey.
Google Docs
This may sound obvious, but we’re not sure it is. Many people search for the best, simple document app when it’s starting them right in the face. Google Docs offers much more than the document service that is included in your Gmail account. It’s not the most feature-rich service in the market, however, that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that Google Docs is available, easy-to-use, reliable, and bundled with tons of essential functions. Best of all, almost everyone uses Google Docs. That makes it an especially great choice for any shared documents you’re working on.
Day One Journal
Day One Journal isn’t the most versatile writing app out there. And yes, it’s not trying to be. It’s trying to be the digital journal you didn’t know you needed in your life.
Day One Journal makes it easy to keep track of your life/adventures. Yes, that means writing down your thoughts/activities/whatever, however, Day One Journal offers more than that. It even lets you mark locations, organize daily photos, and save audio moments.
For those who would like to get back to writing on a daily basis, this is a smart way to start. It just happens to offer many more functions than that.
Rev
Anyone who has ever tried to transcribe an interview may already know it’s not a cup of tea. Even having a fantastic audio recorder results in a surprising amount of work for those who want an accurate transcription in a short time.
Rev is a high-quality audio recorder, but it offers extra features worth checking out. The app gives you the ability to upload your recordings to the service. From there, you can request for audio to be transcribed at a fee of $1 per minute. Rev even offers a less-than-12-hours delivery time.
Scrivener
There are very limited definitive “best overall apps” in particular fields. We even put a lot of effort not to make such statements. However, Scrivener is considered by many to be the definitive writing app for iPad and iPhone.
There are multiple things that makes Scrivener stand out from the pack, but the major draw is its versatility. Scrivener is designed to help you write everything from screenplays to book reports. No matter what you write, you’ll have access to its impressive features that let you edit, analyze dictate, and pretty much anything you may ever need from notepad app.
Scrivener allows you to write in any order, in segments as large or small as you like, which you can rearrange effortlessly. It allows you to store your research files and project notes along with your writing. At the end of the process, Scrivener can gather together all the pieces of text that make up your project, putting them into a single Word document or PDF.
I highly recommend this app to any writer who own an iOS device.
Compo (free)
Compo is a brutally simple writing experience that aims to deliver a quick, easy way of writing down whatever’s on your mind. While some other apps may want you to set up a project and a template before you start, Compo just opens a blank page and lets you at it. Although it’s something more of a note-taking app, it’s certainly good enough for more heavy-duty writing tasks. You can share your writings on a number of different services and social media sites, and it syncs up with iCloud as well.
iA Writer
Write without distraction. That’s the whole idea behind iA Writer, which first appeared on the Mac and has since made its way to both the iPad (and very recently, the iPhone). If you’re looking for a writing app that has very little in the way of customization, then this is the app for you. It’s pleasant on the eyes and keeps you focused on the task at hand – writing. And it syncs across platforms using eitehr Dropbox or iCloud, so you can write on whatever platforms you have ia Writer installed on. That’s pretty darn seamless.
Simplenote
Simplenote is a fantastic app that will allow you to do the same in terms of syncing that iA Writer does. But Simplenote is generally viewed as an app used for notetaking more than writing. Still, with its ubiquitous nature and cross-platform capabilities, Simplenote is among the best at letting you get the words out of your head and onto the screen. Any screen.
Writing Kit
Writing Kit may not look as pretty as iA Writer, but it has a ton of bells and whistles built right in. The app has a browser integrated right within the app, allowing for research and quick linking where needed. It also allows for export into a variety of apps, including Things and OmniFocus – a great boon for the writers out there who happen to be right into productivity as well (ahem). The fact that Writing Kit allows writers to use Markdown syntax (as does ia Writer – and Simplenote when you bring something like nvALT into the mix), syncs to Dropbox and features a plethora of options for users puts it as a bit of a dark horse on this list. But a very worthy addition all the same.
PlainText
If you’re looking for something clean and simple, PlainText has got you covered. It’s not as feature-rich or as pretty to look at as some of the others on this list, but it does what it is supposed to do: help you get writing done. The team behind it also developed the very populat WriteRoom (Hog Bay Software), so they’ve got experience in this realm. It does allow for syncing via Dropbox and is perhaps the most frictionless app on this list because of its stripped-down nature.
Byword
The new kid on the iOS block, Byword has been around on the Mac for some time. Now available for both the iPhone and iPad, it brings much of what the Mac app had to the mobile platform. Featuring Markdown support, syncing in the cloud, and an interface that balances feature set, focus and function, Byword already makes this list based on my limited time with it. Those using Byword on the Mac should jump into using it on the iPad to create a continuum in their writing workflow, and the consistency across all platforms is what makes this one a winner in my books during my brief look at it for the iPad.
There are others to consider (Notesy immediately comes to mind), but hopefully with this guide you’ll be able to find the writing app for your iPad that best suits you. Because there’s nothing worse than playing around with writing tools rather than actually writing with them
The app’s ($8.99) price tag is certainly going to raise some eyebrows. However, it’s worth every penny for serious writers who find themselves easily distracted.
Ulysses
Another popular app with writers is Ulysses. It’s a fantastic , simple markdown editor which can sync to Dropbox and can export to several formats, however, it’s expensive for what it does. There are other, cheaper alternatives which offer much of the same functionality. Having said that, Ulysses works in ways that may prove very helpful to some users. Specifically, it’s a fantastic tool for exporting and writing in various formats. It’s also a wonderful Markdown editor for those who are in need of one.
If you’re looking for an overall writing app, Ulysses may not be your absolute best option. Again, we recommend Scrivener for that.
Jotterpad (free/subscription)
Jotterpad’s aim is to provide a writing app without the distractions of a traditional word processor, and it does this extremely well. The interface is simple and extremely streamlined, but even with that, it’s not lacking in features. You’ll find all the usual additions, including Markdown, Fountain, a spell checker, and more. There’s even a rhyming dictionary. You can start up your document as a novel, screenplay, blog, or editorial piece, and you can jump between Jotterpad on different devices, thanks to its syncing. However, you’ll need a subscription to access most of the features on offer, including cloud syncing. A year’s subscription will cost you $30 a year.
Microsoft OneNote
Odds are, you’ve used (or at least have access to) Microsoft OneNote at work or school. But did you know that the OneNote iPad app allows you to take handwritten notes?
OneNote lets you write notes either on a blank page or a layout that emulates a sheet of lined paper. The general setup of the app mimics a physical binder, allowing you to organize your notes by topic.
OneNote for iPad also offers a variety of multimedia features. You can type text, insert graphics, and even include voice recordings. You can also search notes for specific words and view your notes across devices. And everything you create in OneNote is automatically backed up to OneDrive.
If you’re already a serious Microsoft app user, then OneNote will integrate seamlessly into your workflow.
Price: Free (with a Microsoft Account)
Looking for digital note-taking apps for your computer and phone? Check out this list of the best note-taking apps.
Drafts
Where Texts Start.
Getting words down has never been easier.
Drafts for me has been one of my jot-down note-taking apps during those epiphany moments, which would otherwise see me scrounging around for a pen and paper or ultimately trusting that I will remember but ending up forgetting.
It’s been my go-to app to quickly capture text (when I’m on the go). As Drafts have suggested on their website, its “post-its” for the digital age.
Drafts is a great writing tool for those that want to get the text down and polish it when time permits. And when you’re ready to knuckle-down, you can set up a text editing experience that’s perfect for you, with tons of interface adjustments like custom fonts and control over spacing, line height, and margins.
It features a customisable extended row above the keyboard to convert, manipulate, and transform your writing quickly. Make lists, use Markdown to get things just right.
It also integrates with a bewildering array of apps and services that might work with your workflow.
You can check out more here or get it straight for Mac here and or for your device here.
ProWritingAid
Best for long-form writers trying to perfect their writing style.
ProWritingAid comes very close, next to Grammarly when it comes to grammar/editing tools. Unlike Grammarly, it generates a whopping 25 reports to analyze your content on. The suggestions it highlights, are more in-line with improving the overall flow of your written prose than it is to highlight individual errors and mistakes.
This is precisely why we recommend this tool to long-form content writers who want to improve the style of their content and make it more compelling to readers.
It analyses your content on the basis of clarity, redundancies, readability and so much more. However, the features it provides can be a bit overwhelming for novice users. Its user interface is also pretty jarring and confusing to use.
Features:
- Grammar checker
- Spell checker
- Plagiarism checker
- Dictionary/Thesaurus
- Text editor
- Style check
Verdict: We recommend ProWritingAid as a grammar checking tool for long-form content writers. It is comparatively way more affordable than Grammarly and provides more features than its counterpart. However, the absence of its mobile app does stick out like a sore thumb.
Price: 14-day free trial, the paid version is categorized as follows: $20 per month, $79 per year, $299 lifetime.=> Visit ProWritingAid Website20% Discount for ALL STH Readers: Want To Purchase A ProWritingAid Tool?=> Here is the discount link with 20% off on all plans
Grammarly
Grammarly – Best for performing grammar and spelling checks for bloggers and writers of short-form content.
Boasting of over 10 million active users as of today, Grammarly is perhaps one of the most widely used writing apps in circulation today. One look at its features and it is not difficult to find out why that is the case. No other app provides the accuracy with which Grammarly performs grammar and spell checks.
Not just that, Grammarly also provides detailed reasoning behind the corrections it suggests.
It also offers writers a chance to set the tone of their writing with respect to their audience and the nature of their content. Adding to that, it also offers a great tool to analyze your writing on the basis of clarity, readability, and overused sentences. Grammarly is best for short-form content than it is for long-form content.
The only glaring issue we have with the app is its absence on Google Docs, which we hope won’t be an issue in the coming years.
Features:
- Grammar check
- Spell check
- Plagiarism checker
- Customize setting to set tone and intent of writing
- Pop-Up box to explain suggested changes
- Analyze writing for clarity, readability, and redundant phrases or words.
Verdict: Grammarly is the most popular writing app on this list that is compatible with almost all systems. Its grammar checking abilities are probably its most appealing quality. We highly recommend it as a powerful grammar checking and editing tool for short-form content writers.
Price: Free basic version, billed at $11.66 a month, ($139.95 to be precise when charged annually).=> Visit Grammarly Website
Reedsy
Best for authors who are seeking a tool to edit their books before publishing.
Reedsy is perhaps best known as a publishing house that makes the process of self-publishing fairly convenient for novice authors. In this process, Reedsy also provides authors with a powerful book editing tool that allows writers to save time on editing their books, and save money on hiring a professional human editor.
Further reading =>> Best Book Writing Software
Armed with a stylish interface, and robust features that allow you to customize the look of your book, Reedsy offers a tool that is in many ways notches high on quality than its paid counterparts. It comes with an advanced typesetting feature that saves you a lot of precious time on the formatting of books.
The book files that you create on this tool are clean and professional, thus uploading can be done instantaneously to any online eBook platform.
Features:
- Drag and Drop chapters
- Formatting and Typesetting
- Sleek User Interface
- Track Changes to check past versions of your book
- Export clean, professional files to any eBook retailer
Verdict: Reedsy’s book editor is a boon to creative writers and is hands down the best creative writing tool for authors when it comes to free writing tools available on the web. If you are an author with a book that needs editing than Reedsy can be the solution you need.
Price: Free Writing App
Website: Reedsy
Conclusion
There are many writing apps for ipad available in App Store for free, but choosing the best one of them is not easy. If you are a student or professional who likes to write or sketch on your ipad, this article will be of great help. I’ve gathered top 13 writing apps for ipad which are of high quality and can meet your needs of note-taking, brainstorming, publishing, sharing work with colleagues, etc. You can try them out.