There are never enough hours in a day to do everything on your writing to do list. So why not use some of those extra minutes on the main task? Writing! There is no way around it. If you want to improve your writing skills and get more done, you will need to invest in the best writing apps.
Have you ever wondered what are the best writing apps for windows? Or what are the top writing apps for android? There are thousands of apps that could help you to write professionally. That’s why it’s sometimes hard to choose. I have written my fair share of articles and tested a lot of apps in the past. This has led me to creating my own list of writing apps.
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
Diarly:
Bring your journals wherever you go with Diarly apps for iPhone, iPad and Mac and a secure cross-device sync via iCloud. Enjoy a streamlined and distraction-free writing experience with a simple user interface using in-built Markdown editor. Customize your journals and entries with themes, fonts and templates, and enrich them with links, photos, emojis and map locations.
Evernote:
Evernote is my personal favorite app and I have been using it for almost 4 years now for all types of writing.
This is a simple note-taking app but you can customize it to your need.
I generally use Evernote to write down the ideas for my blog post whenever something strikes me.
As Evernote is compatible with any devices from desktop to Android and iOS it is my go-to app for note-taking and writing to-dos.
For your clarification, I am currently using Evernote to write this blog post while flying to meet my friend.
The biggest feature I admire the most is that the free version offers you to create as many separate notebooks as you want. I use this feature to write some small ebooks too.
Evernote also has some other features worth exploring like dictation to transcribe voice notes into text, amazing integration with other supported apps, sync across devices, team collaboration if you are working with other fellow writers or authors, and much more.
It has both free and paid plans.
The paid plan starts at $3.99 per month and $2.99 per month if billed yearly.
iA Writer (iOS, Android):
iA Writer is one of the most well-known writing apps available, and for good reason. It looks great and works brilliantly across iOS and Android. While the Android version is a little behind in terms of features, it is still a good writing app for the platform.
The iOS app has extra features, such as syntax highlighting, which allows you to see adjectives, nouns, adverbs, verbs, or conjunctions in the document highlighted and much more. The iOS app also has full support for iOS 9 specific features like split screen. I’d say the Android version is more of a beta compared to the iOS version at this point, but regardless of your platform, iA Writer is a good choice.
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
Novely:
Novely is a modern literature app for writers, authors and anyone passionate about writing. Share your words with the world and become the writer you’ve always wanted to be. Stay in touch with other artists, explore together and inspire each other. Send inspiring thoughts to your fellow writers. Challenge your talent by joining our weekly challenges. We provoke you by asking you to write about divisive, sensitive and emotional topics.
JotterPad (Android):
JotterPad is well designed and has a boatload of features that make it one of the better writing apps out there. It sports a Material Design look and has export options to PDF and DOCX. It even supports Markdown. The app is free to download but many of these features are behind a one time in app purchase of Rs. 350 to unlock Creative Mode.
The great use of design and the smooth operation of JotterPad make even the free version a good option is you’re looking for a scratchpad that works great on Android. The full featured version is even better, and can measure up to most of the other apps on the list for some serious writing.
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
Edit Out Loud:
You can upload your novel to this simple mobile app and listen from your smartphone in the car, on the metro, while jogging, or anywhere. Just tap if you notice something you want to change. We’ll add a note to your source document so you can fix it later. Make it easy for beta readers to experience your novel. Don’t make beta readers trudge through an endless digital draft, give them an audio version that lets them listen and give you feedback from anywhere. Make sharing your work secure. Since beta readers cannot download or copy text out of your novel, you’re protected from unauthorized sharing.
MS Word:
Microsoft Word is the only software I had when I started writing my first ebook (Short Story).
Even I wrote a complete novel using MS Word only.
Though it is a paid software is worth every penny.
There are many features that you can use to write articles, novels, ebooks, notes, and anything you want.
There are many pre-built templates that you can use to work on.
Apart from that there are some features that are ignored sometimes like text-to-speech, keyboard shortcuts, Synonyms Lookup, Enhanced Proofreading, Researcher toolset, Word count, Linked Notes, and many more.
If you already have MS Word in your system as I had from my college days for preparing presentations and projects, you should use MS Word to write your articles or ebooks and novels.
You could also get the complete MS Office for yourself if you can spend a few bucks.
Conclusion:
You use your smartphone wherever you can: when commuting, waiting for an appointment or when on a break at work. And why not use it to make up for some of the things you can’t do at your desktop? Writing articles and checking emails while offline on the go with free writing apps is a good example of this!