creative writing story app

Create Your Own Story Online

Create your own story online using our ultimate story creator. Our story creator comes with built-in story starters, artwork and more to inspire writers of all abilities!

Create a story

Useful Resources

Ultimate Story Generator

Generate thousands of unique stories using our ultimate story generator. Just enter some words about your story, and press the 'Generate Story' button. You can create a unique story within minutes to share with your friends. Writing stories has never been so easy! Try out our story generator and step-by-step story maker tool now!

Get Started

Daily Writing Challenges

Our daily writing challenges aim to inspire and encourage young writers to write daily. Each day the challenges will update to show a new inspirational prompt for you to write about. We have special seasonal writing challenges, as well as regular challenges, such as the word challenge, book title challenge, poetry challenge and more!

Use Story Starters to Inspire You

Story starters are a brilliant way to fix blank page syndrome (or writer's block). Did you know that 67% of authors say the most challenging part of writing is starting their story? We have thousands of story starters to get you writing in no time! And that's not all, if you're still stuck for inspiration we even have a ton of artwork to inspire you.

Generate Funny Story Ideas

With thousands of story combinations to keep you writing stories every day. Our simple-to-use story idea generator comes with tons of fun and wacky prompts to inspire you. Whether you're into pirates or princesses we got writing prompts to suit every child out there.

No Registration Required

Imagine Forest offers a seamless and user-friendly experience with the convenience of no registration required. We believe in breaking down barriers and making creative resources accessible to all. We provide a hassle-free environment for users to dive into the world of storytelling, writing challenges, and more.

Safe For Kids

Imagine Forest is proud to declare itself a safe space for kids. With no registration required to use tools, we ensure that no personal information is collected, providing a secure and privacy-conscious environment. Our resources are carefully curated to be age-appropriate, for younger to older children, fostering a positive and creative atmosphere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Imagine forest free?

Yes. Imagine Forest is 100% free. There are no additional costs or subscription fees. All features you see on the site are fully available for free.

How do you use Imagine forest?

To use Imagine Forest simply explore the site or click the 'Create a Story' button at the top of this page to access the story creator. Once inside the story creator, you can select the type of story you want to write and continue following the on-screen instructions. At the end, you can download a PDF of your book. You can also explore the rest of the site to find some interesting activities and writing resources to help you become a better story writer.

How do I register for Imagine Forest?

No registration is required. All resources from the story creator to the writing challenges and blog content are openly available to all site visitors. This also means that we don’t store any personal information, allowing users to explore Imagine Forest without the need for a formal registration process. The platform is designed to prioritize user privacy and accessibility, ensuring that creative individuals of all ages can freely engage with the diverse range of writing resources.

Is Imagine Forest safe for kids?

Yes of course. The absence of a registration requirement means that no personal information is collected, providing an added layer of privacy and security. Additionally, the content and activities on Imagine Forest are tailored to be child-friendly, fostering a positive and creative environment. The platform aims to inspire and nurture the imagination of young writers in a safe and age-appropriate manner. As with any online platform, it's advisable for parents to monitor their children's online activities and ensure that they are engaging with content suitable for their age group.

Can I view a list of Writing Prompts?

Yes. Imagine Forest has a huge list of writing prompts and story starters. You can view this collection of writing prompts on our blog, in the writing prompts category .

Is it possible to remove the ads?

Sorry, there is no option to remove ads yet. Ads help keep Imagine Forest running and providing free access to its creative resources for all users. While it may be inconvenient for some to see ads, they play a crucial role in sustaining the platform and ensuring that it remains freely accessible to a wide audience. Imagine Forest relies on revenue generated from advertisements to cover the costs of maintaining the website, developing new features, and expanding its offerings. By allowing ads, the platform can continue to provide a wealth of writing tools, challenges, and other resources without requiring users to pay for access. In the future, we may offer users a paid subscription option which allows them to remove ads from the site.

Is it possible to upload my own images?

At this moment in time, no it is not possible to upload your own images in the story creator tool. We may bring this feature in the future. The purpose of Imagine Forest is to guide you on how to write a good story. It is an educational tool for helping beginners write stories and poems. We do however provide a huge built-in library of photos, and illustrations to use. You can also request more specific images by contacting our team .

Novlr is now writer-owned! Join us and shape the future of creative writing.

The workspace for creative writers.

Built by writers, for writers, Novlr is the world’s only writer-owned creative writing platform. Join a community with writers and their goals at the heart of everything we do.

Write for free

Written in Novlr

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit­hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube­shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats ­ the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill ­ The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it ­ and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining­rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left­hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep­set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very well­to­do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained­well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit­hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube­shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats ­ the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill ­ The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it ­ and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining­rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left­hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep­set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very well­to­do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained­well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit­hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube­shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats ­ the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill ­ The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it ­ and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining­rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left­hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep­set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very well­to­do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained­well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit­hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube­shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats ­ the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill ­ The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it ­ and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining­rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left­hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep­set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very well­to­do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained­well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit­hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube­shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats ­ the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill ­ The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it ­ and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining­rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left­hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep­set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very well­to­do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained­well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit­hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube­shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats ­ the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill ­ The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it ­ and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining­rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left­hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep­set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very well­to­do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained­well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit­hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube­shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats ­ the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill ­ The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it ­ and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining­rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left­hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep­set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very well­to­do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained­well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit­hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube­shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats ­ the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill ­ The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it ­ and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining­rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left­hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep­set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very well­to­do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained­well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit­hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube­shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats ­ the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill ­ The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it ­ and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining­rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left­hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep­set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very well­to­do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained­well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit­hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube­shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats ­ the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill ­ The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it ­ and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining­rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left­hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep­set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. This hobbit was a very well­to­do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained­well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.

Powering the world’s creative writers.

0 writers have written 0 words in 0 projects.

Powering the world's creative writers.

More than a writing app

Set your goals, get insights and hone your craft.

Writing Streak

Write today and start your streak!

Words written

1,042 today

Daily Writing Goal

All Projects

Write 2500 words in any project every day to complete your daily goal.

Monthly Writing Goal

Write 15000 words in any project every month to complete your monthly goal.

Popular channels

Jump straight into some of our most popular channels!

Writing Sprints

Writing resources and advice

Ask for feedback

The Reading Room

Top 3 playlists.

Our top 3 playlists this week.

Writing love scenes

Writing the vastness of space

Writing future cities

All Playlists

Words deleted

"Really impressed with the super clean interface on @novlrtweets as I take it for a test run in preparation for #NaNoWriMo. So far, it's totally blowing all the years I've squabbled with Microsoft Word out of the water. Even having a nice note section is 🤯."

"I love @novlrtweets! They have a crisp ux, the price is great, and their new-feature roadmap is public so you can always see what they’re building next."

@blinkingcursor

Built by writers, run by writers, owned by writers

Novlr is the only creative writing platform to be owned by the writers who use it. Join our community of writer-owners, co-own the platform you use, and help shape the future of creative writing.

Tell me more

Experience integrated learning.

Learn while you write with fully integrated courses on Novlr Academy.

Explore Academy

The ship, the stalwart vessel known as 'The Serenity Mariner,' was plunged into chaos as the sky became a swirling maelstrom of opalescent tendrils. The flying jellyfish, their bioluminescent bodies illuminating the blackened sky, descended upon the ship with an otherworldly fury. Their membranous bodies pulsated as they sailed through the air, their long, poisonous tentacles trailing behind them like deadly streamers.

Captain Anabelle "Storm-Eye" Hawthorne stood at the helm, her grip firm on the worn, salt-crusted wheel. Her eyes, the color of the stormy sea itself, narrowed as she watched the spectral onslaught. Years of navigating treacherous waters had hardened her, but she'd never faced a tempest of living, breathing creatures before.

"Steady on, lads!" she roared above the howling wind, her voice carrying a command that could not be ignored. "Don't let the sea's nightmarish ballet scare you! These are just jellyfish, no more than that!"

Write to Play: Rediscover the Joy of Writing

Introduction

You writes , we refine.

Advanced proofreader powered by ProWritingAid.

Catch typos and spelling errors.

Get an expeditious thesaurus.

Improve readability.

Avoid grammar, mistakes.

Made by writers, for writers, Novlr is the writing platform that will have you achieving your writing goals.

Free for everyone

Get Started for Free

Get everything you need to write your next book

Get access to the Academy , Community , Writer Discounts , The Reading Room and more.

Billed yearly

Get Started with Plus

Everything in Starter, and...

Build and publish a no-code Author Website to showcase your work.

Get Started with Pro

Everything in Plus, and...

Launch an Author Website on a custom domain.

Improve your writing with a ProWritingAid powered proofreader, thesaurus, and grammar and style checker.

Lifetime Pro

$399/lifetime

Become a Lifetime Member

Become a co-owner of Novlr.

We’re constantly improving!

Check out what we’ve launched over the past few months.

Discover all Features

Get writing and publishing tips, be inspired, and learn from other writers.

"It’s addictive. I’ve been using it for six years and I can’t describe how straightforward it is for writing."

@AlmostWriting

"I spend every day on Novlr. It's where all my worlds and characters live."

@PatricProAuthor

Join our community

Find fellow Novlr writers on Discord. Join them to thrash out ideas, share your struggles, get advice, or just hang out with a likeminded community.

Get involved

11 Best Story Writing Apps for This Year

The best story writing apps and software help writers express their ideas while keeping out of their way. This article round-ups your choices.

Finding the best story writing apps to help with creative writing means looking at a writing tool on your computer that is more than just a plain text editor in a word processor like Microsoft Word.

The best writing apps and software should be easy to use and fit with your creative workflow. That way, you can concentrate on writing a story and not on learning how to use an app.

At A Glance: Our Top 4 Picks For Story Writing Apps

• Recommended: Scrivener
• Best Alternative: ProWritingAid
• Also Great: LivingWriter
• Good for screenwriters: Final Draft

They should help you arrange your story ideas too. These apps should also enable access to your document on multiple devices and support how you publish your work. Expect features for changing text layout and formatting, tracking changes and story templates.

Blog writers , fiction writers , and those with content writing experience need an app or software that is more extensive in what it offers. A creative writer wants something that makes their process of writing easier and offers distraction-free writing. Here are some of the best story writing apps you can try.

1. Scrivener

2. prowritingaid, 3. livingwriter, 4. final draft, 5. autocrit, 7. campfire, 10. ia writer, 11. the novel factory, our testing criteria, the best story writing apps: final thoughts, what is the best free app for writing a book, what is the best app for writing a novel , storytelling resources.

Desktop story writing app. Mac, Windows, iOS. Pricing: $45

Scrivener is by far one of the best story writing apps available. Many writers appreciate its versatility, as it can be used for writing novels, nonfiction, screenplays and other genres. 

While the app does not tell you how to write, it does offer everything you need to start writing. Scrivener includes a handy drag-and-drop feature to help you revise your structure and organize different parts of your story .

It offers a selection of templates to help with any type of story you are writing, and it saves you time if you are starting from scratch. The full-screen mode helps enhance concentration, and a snapshot feature allows you to easily revisit earlier drafts. 

Scrivener is exceptionally helpful for those who suffer from writer’s block because you can save all of your inspiration and resources from pictures to websites on a corkboard. You can keep photos for inspiration and use note-taking space to remember what changes to make or how to proceed with a storyline.

Compatible with both Mac and Windows, Scrivener can export in almost any format. It also offers Scapple, an app that helps with brainstorming and storyboard work. Although this is a well-rounded app, Scrivener has a few issues.

Currently, it’s not set up for collaboration when working with another person on a story or trying to get feedback. Also, it is not yet available on the Android app store. Those points aside, Scrivener is one of the best writing apps available. It does not provide tutorials, but many are available.

Read our Scrivener review .

• Version tracking
• Easy to export stories for publication
• Full-screen mode
• Powerful editing tools
• Weak collaboration features
• No Android version
• Learning curve puts off many writers

Scrivener is our go-to app for long-form writing projects. It's popular with best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more. 

Story-editing app. Web and desktop. Pricing: $70 per year

Many people think ProWritingAid is simply another grammar tool; however, it includes some useful features and formatting options. 

Functional and helpful for proofreading, this writing app will catch most errors when reviewing work. It integrates easily with most devices and browsers.

ProWritingAid also integrates with other writing apps , such as Scrivener, and gives you feedback on content, style, set up and readability . You can check for issues such as too many adverbs, repeated phrases or passive voice.

Overall, it’s an excellent creative writing app to improve your writing skills, but there is a downside. ProWritingAid allows you to work on only one piece of writing at a time. This app does not make organizing your writing easy, and currently it is formatted for writing only in the English language.

On the plus side, ProWritingAid lets you know which words you’re overusing, which areas are inconsistent and how to connect your ideas more smoothly. Though you have to pay to access the full range of features, you can take advantage of a trial-free version.

Read our ProWritingAid review .

• Good accuracy scores
• Compatible with Scrivener
• Supports fiction writer’s requirements e.g. character names
• Single document work
• Only for use in English

ProWritingAid is a powerful, accurate grammar checker and style editor. It's suitable for non-fiction and fiction writers and doesn't require a monthly subscription. Save 20% per month or year.

Story planning and writing app, with templates. Web, Android and iOS Pricing: From $8 per month

LivingWriter is an intuitive, efficient app for authors and novelists. Its drag and drop feature allows you to reorder your chapters or rearrange the story without having to copy and paste them.

One original and fun feature is that you can use the outlines successful authors have employed in famous stories and movies right in LivingWriter. In addition to light mode, this writing software offers a dark mode, which is good for your eyes if you like to write at night.

The handy AutoSuggest feature recommends story elements based, for example, on the character name or location. Unlike some other apps, LivingWriter, like Ulysses and Write!, allows you to sync your work to the cloud.

LivingWriter also integrates smoothly with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a fiction book writing challenge that takes place every November.

Read our LivingWriter review

• Contains story writing templates
• Good for managing big writing projects
• Less complicated than Scrivener
• Free trial available
• No inline commenting or offline mode
• $8 monthly subscription may put off new storytellers

Living Writer contains time-saving templates for authors and novelists. iOS and Android apps available

Story writing app for screenwriters. Windows and Mac Pricing: From $79

Final Draft is specially designed for TV and film industry writers . This app comes with more than 300 templates to help you get started writing for a book, screenplay or script. 

One interesting feature is similar to a pinboard. You can brainstorm, pin and organize ideas. This is ideal for visual learners.

Overall, Final Draft makes building storyboards much easier than in other apps. The program also makes real-time collaboration simple, no matter where writers are located, thanks to a secure sharing option. It has good version retrieval and easy export.

Final Draft’s drawbacks are that it is not distraction-free, and customer support does not provide immediate help. This writing software is also at the pricier end of the scale for the best story writing apps at about $250.

Read our Final Draft review .

• Good for screenwriters
• Makes building storyboards easier
• Effective real-time collaboration
• Not distraction-free
• Poor customer support
• For screenwriters only

Story editing app. Web-based Pricing: $30 per month

If you are writing fiction, Autocrit is a good app. It focuses on word selection and helps you avoid repeating phrases, thus making your writing stronger. This app goes beyond determining readability and spell-checking. It assesses the content of your article or book.

Autocrit offers immediate feedback on writing quality, pace, and word choice. The app provides suggestions tailored to fiction and offers suggestions for replacing words and phrases. The in-depth editorial functions of Autocrit set it apart from comparable apps.

This app easily integrates with writing tools such as Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format (RTF), so feedback can be exported easily. This unique feature allows Autocrit to analyze writing to show pace and highlight potentially confusing phrases or passages.

The thing to watch for when using Autocrit is that it might change the formatting when exporting. Also, the grammar checker is not perfect and currently works with only English documents

Read our Autocrit review

• Comprehensive writing analysis
• Editing by chapter
• Reports about momentum
• Analyses readability
• Poor grammar check
• Only English documents

Distraction-free writing app. Web-based. Pricing: From $30

This app has a great interface and offers distraction-free writing, and it’s this lack of distraction that is one of the greatest benefits of the app. It works in Full-Screen Mode or Focus Mode, so everything on the screen is de-emphasized compared to whatever you are working on.

It also offers cloud saving, so edited documents can be accessed anywhere, no matter what device is being used. There are no limits on the amount of data that can be saved.

Write! also has features for collaboration. Documents can be published on the internet where there is access to a link that is shareable. Unlike many other apps, it also has multiple language options, and it will spell check up to 35 different languages.

Write! has its limitations in that there is no mobile app available, so work is limited to computers. The second negative is that exporting is limited compared to other apps, and there is no way to go back to older versions when needed.

• Dual modes for less distraction
• Great organization features
• Spell check for multiple languages
• No history for revisions
• No device access

Story planning and world-building app. Web-based. Pricing: From $12.50 per month

Campfire is a good, easy-to-use writing app for both novelists and screenwriters . It helps writers develop characters and design plots. Characters, events and scenes are fully customizable, using templates. Campfire can help you get organized with your writing.

You can try the free demo version before buying the pro version for $49.99, or pro plus worldbuilding pack for $74.98. The paid versions obviously come with a lot more features.

If you’re seeking guidance or would like to become part of a writing community, Campfire’s YouTube channel provides instructional video tutorials. Other help is available on their podcast and blog.

While it might not include all the bells and whistles other writing apps do, Campfire is worth a look. Given the worldbuilding feature, it might appeal to fantasy and sci-fi writers in particular, or anyone working on historical fiction.

• Ideal for science fiction, fantasy and genre writers
• Contains worldbuilding tools
• Enables building databases for religions, magic, philosophies etc.
• Modest learning curve

Powerful writing app. Mac and IOS. Pricing: $49.99 per year

The overall writing experience on the Ulysses app for iPad is satisfying. While it provides as many features as comparable apps, it’s sleek and clean with a well-designed interface. Ulysses is a safe and solid choice for writers . 

Ulysses supports markup, images, footnotes and links, and comments. In addition, you can export PDFs, web pages, e-books or Word documents . It has a nostalgic typewriter mode. This app features a nice distraction-free interface, a three-panel layout and a customizable color palette.

You can set daily writing goals to help you stay on track, which is a useful feature. Goals can help you reach a specific word count, ideal reading time and limit the length of your work.

At about $40 per year, with a monthly payment option, Ulysses is an excellent choice. You can try a free trial too. 

Blog writers might find this iOS app a good option, as you can easily post your writing to social media sites such as WordPress, Ghost and Medium.

Read our Ulysses review .

• Can manage larger writing projects
• Supports compiling for self-publishing
• Design-award winner
• Expensive over time, at $5.99 per month
• Markdown less relevant for storywriters

Minimalist story-writing app. Web-based and some older platforms. Pricing: Free

yWriter is a good novel writing app, as it is both simple and intuitive. This writing software helps you break your novel into distinct chapters and scenes, allowing you to easily keep track of your work while you focus on the process of creating. yWriter7 is free to download for use and includes Epub and Mobi export.

This app has everything you need to get a first draft together. You can drag and drop elements to reorganize your novel as you go. A nice storyboard view provides a visual layout of your writing.

yWriter can export selected chapters to RTF, proof them, check the grammar then import them back in. It also saves previous drafts so nothing is ever lost. It collects a fair bit of metadata as you go. Just try not to let that distract you.

One drawback is that yWriter does not come with preloaded templates. Otherwise, it’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for a free app.

• Easy to use
• Distraction-free
• Supports Markdown
• Cumbersome for larger writing projects

Minimalist writing app. Mac, Android, Windows and IOS. Pricing: $29.99

One of the most compelling features of the iA Writing app is the minimal interface. This app makes for a clean and distraction-free writing environment. The Focus Mode hides everything but the sentence or paragraph you are working on.

iA Writer is available on Apple Mac and iOS. It also supports typing in Markdown and allows you to preview your pages in PDF format as you go.

This app has no templates and offers fewer features and tools than comparable apps, but it is simple and relatively inexpensive, at $29.99. While it might not be the first choice for screenwriters , iA Writer is a good choice for bloggers and other short-form writers .

Read our IA Writer review .

• Less ideal for longer works

Story-planning app. Web-based. 30-day free trial available. Pricing: From free to $6.25 per month

The Novel Factory is a type of popular web-based software built for…writing novels. It contains plot templates, writing guides and character builders. You can also use this app for mapping out scenes, locations and timelines for your stories . The basic subscription costs $6.25 per month, although you can take out a free trial.

Katja L Kaine of the Novel Factory wrote an article for Become a Writer Today explaining how to analyze a book or story, using story writing software like this.

• 30-day free trial available.
• Time-saving story templates
• Ideal for world-building
• No mobile app
• Fiction only

We selected these writing apps based on their ability to help writers turn their ideas into both short and long-form stories . We focused on ease of use, price and useful features. Our choices are best suited to writers who work digitally.

In some cases, we reviewed the individual apps (e.g. ProWritingAid, Ulysses) extensively and we’ve provided links to these reviews. In one writer’s cased (Bryan’s), I’ve written and published several books using some of these apps. We selected apps geared towards writers with no, modest and higher budgets, across all platforms.

While all these apps are great for story writing, it is important to make sure that you keep in mind what type of writing is being done. Some apps are going to be better for certain types of story writing than others. A little bit of research will have any writer up and going quickly and on the road to great story writing content.

Want more? Read our guide How to Write a Book .

FAQs About The Best Story Writing Apps

The best free writing app out there for writing a book is yWriter. You can select the option to register your app for a small fee ($11.95), but they apply no pressure to do so. This app offers plenty of useful features and tools to help you develop your story and characters and stay organized and on track with your writing. yWriter also collects lots of metadata as you go, so it appeals to data nerds.

Scrivener is the best novel writing app. A well-designed and popular writing app for novelists, it is packed with all the features you need. Scrivener offers a wealth of tools to help you track plot threads, store notes on characters and locations and structure your work. Given the range of features, Scrivener is reasonably priced at about $45. Living Writer is a newer entry on the market and also worth checking out.

A Storytelling Guide: Step-By-Step, With Examples

First vs Third Person Point of View: What Makes Sense for Your Story?

How to Write a Story Outline that Works: 9 Steps

The Hero’s Journey: Explained In 12 Steps

The Inciting Incident: 7 Tips For Starting Your Story With A Bang

Synopsis Example: How To Write A Winning Summary Of Your Story

Allegory vs Parable: What Are the Differences?

7 Types of Conflict in Literature Worth Exploring

12 Character Archetypes To Drive Your Writing

• Microsoft's Promise of Easy AI
• Walmart's Killer Tech Deals This Week

The 10 Best Writing Apps of 2024

Useful tools for novelists, playwrights, editors, and other wordy types

• The University of Phoenix
• Payment Services

If you're serious about writing, consider getting serious about your writing tools. These writing apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS , and Android put your words into the right format, adding polish and professionalism to your creations.

Best Word Processor for All Genres: Microsoft Word

Hundreds of templates make creating any document simple and fast.

Easily add charts, graphs, and images.

Built-in translation tools.

Overwhelming interface.

Full app is expensive.

Only one person can edit shared documents at a time.

No writing tool list is complete without Microsoft Word. This word processor is the best option for all genres, complete with hundreds of templates to choose from, endless formatting tools, and a robust online support system. From a poem to an e-book to a novel, Word can help you do it all. You can even create your own Word templates .

Word is available for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android devices. You can start with a free trial of Microsoft 365, which includes other Microsoft applications as well. If you choose to purchase, packages range from $69.99 a year to a one-time payment of $149.99. If those prices are too high for you, you can also use Word for free .

Download For:

Best Tool for Long-Form Content: Scrivener

Keyboard shortcuts make writing a breeze.

Templates are ready-made to jumpstart your creativity.

Easy to manage and rearrange pages and chapters.

Has a learning curve.

Spelling and grammar check are not enabled by default.

Intended for users who have an intermediate understanding of word processing.

Do you write long-form works like novels or non-fiction books? If so, you need a tool that performs some of the low-level tasks for you. Scrivener offers ready-made templates that eliminate the need to spend time on tedious formatting tasks.

This application also includes features for storing details about your characters and other critical background information, writing sections and placing them in your manuscript later, and viewing a detailed outline built from synopses that you write for each chapter. If you don't like the flow, you can move chapters around. When you're ready to publish, Scrivener makes it simple to compile and export a completed manuscript.

Scrivener is available for macOS, Windows, and iOS. You can try it free for 30 days. After the trial, a standard license costs $59.99 or $50.99 for students.

Best Screenwriting Application: Final Draft

It has everything professional screenwriters need to meet industry standards.

Powerful story mapping tools.

Integrates with Storyboard Pro.

May not be great for beginners due to the hefty price and steep learning curve.

You must sign in to the platform each time you use it.

No support for real-time collaboration.

Final Draft is used by 95 percent of film and television productions. Why? There are hundreds of templates to choose from and Final Draft automatically paginates and formats your script to the industry standard, allowing you to focus on writing.

With advanced tools, the program allows you to easily brainstorm and collaborate as well as plan set pieces or store character research with customized visualizations.

Final Draft offers a free 30-day trial. After that, the cost is $199.99. The program works with both macOS and Windows and also offers a mobile app for iOS devices.

Best Organizational Companion: Evernote

Add photos, audio snippets, and more.

Robust collaboration tools.

Search for text in PDFs, images, scanned documents, and handwritten notes.

Only 60 MB of monthly upload space is available for free.

May include more features than you need for simple note taking.

Free version limits you to two devices.

To electronically capture ideas on the fly, use a text-based note app on your device. For an enhanced organizational experience, we recommend Evernote. It enables you to collect many types of input, including whiteboard photos, website screenshots, different document formats, audio recordings, and your handwriting. You can separate items into different notebooks for multiple projects.

Evernote is free to download for both Android and iOS devices, or you can use it online. Users can upgrade to Evernote Premium for $7.99 per month or Evernote Business for $14.99 per user per month.

Best Application for Distracted Writers: FocusWriter

The tool is easy start using as soon as it downloads.

Free with no catches.

Simple, intuitive interface.

There are no editing functions outside of cut and paste.

Need another word processor for editing purposes.

No mobile version.

Given all the distractions in the world and especially online, it's easy to get off track during your writing time. FocusWriter allows you to focus and get your work done. The interface is basic, with all the tools hidden beyond a screen until you need them, so it's just you and the document in front of you. Hidden timers and alarms alert you when it's time to stop.

Best Writing Software for Bloggers: Google Docs

Changes to your documents save automatically, so no more lost work.

View the history of edits and track changes.

Collaborate in real time.

The Google Docs app for mobile devices is slower than the desktop version.

Limited options for adding charts and other visuals.

Fewer formatting features than premium word processors.

One of the best things about Google Docs is how easy the program makes it to collaborate with others. No more "version shuffle" as you send drafts and revisions back and forth in email.

When you share a document with your blog editor, they can insert suggestions, comments, and changes right there. Then, when it's time to implement the changes, accept the revisions and close comments about issues you resolved. You can even use Google to work on Microsoft Word documents.

Google Docs is a free online tool that's also available as an app for Android and iOS devices.

Best Writing App for Novelists: Werdsmith

Keeps track of your writing goals and tells you how close you are to reaching them.

Lots of helpful templates and formatting options.

Publish your writing to the web from the app.

Must purchase a membership to use the novel and screenplay features.

Text formatting tools could be more intuitive.

Not worth the price if you don't regularly use all the features.

Werdsmith is a portable writing studio, complete with instant formatting for novels and screenplays. You can even use it to publish your online writing portfolio. Werdsmith features a clean design, it's easy to use, and it's the perfect place for keeping your notes and finished work. The goals and stats function helps keep you motivated.

Werdsmith is free to download and use for iOS devices. In-app purchases are offered through a membership for $4.99 per month. Members receive four new themes, novel and screenplay writing tools, hundreds of writing prompts, and more.

Best App for Journalists: Dictation

It's designed for one thing: dictation. This simplicity makes it an easy tool to use on the go.

Accurate transcriptions.

Helps prevents strain on your joints and back.

Without the pro version, you'll see an ad after each dictation you create.

Doesn't integrate with word processing apps, so it can be tedious to use.

No word counter.

For journalists who interview individuals for news stories and features, a good dictation tool is a must-have. Dictation is a speech-to-text app that translates voice to text for mobile devices. It can also be used to dictate any voice while on the go. It's perfect for capturing your brilliant ideas as well.

Dictation is free to download for iOS devices. Dictation Pro, which costs $44.99 per year, removes ads and allows you unlimited app usage.

Best Application for Editors: TextEdit

When the full-scale capabilities of a word processing program are unnecessary, TextEdit fills in the gap.

HTML and JavaScript support.

Save files in various formats (.DOCX, ODF, and others).

Only available for macOS devices.

No third-party plugins.

Formatting issues when you copy-and-paste.

This simple tool is perfect for editing documents, including Word files, on the fly and converting them into other formats seamlessly. Need to change a Rich Text Format (RTF) document to another format quickly? TextEdit is the perfect app for that. You can also easily create and edit HTML documents for the web.

TextEdit comes standard with macOS.

Best App for Song Writers: Lyric Notepad

Record yourself performing and attach the file to your song.

Counts syllables and tracks rhyme schemes to help you maintain your flow.

Inexpensive pro version.

The interface is a bit clunky.

No way to back up your lyrics to the cloud.

No search tool.

For poets, rappers, songwriters, and lyricists, inspiration can strike at any moment. That's why it's important to have a tool available at your fingertips. Lyric Notepad goes beyond typical word processing tasks to track rhyme and syllable schemes, help you find new words, and record your lyrics, all in one app. The built-in notepad allows you to add notes about your songs as you write and the metronome helps you easily keep time.

Lyric Notepad is free to download for both iOS and Android devices.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

• The 10 Best Word Processing Apps for iPad in 2024
• The 8 Best iPad Pro Apps of 2024
• The 8 Best Free AI Tools
• 17 Best Graphic Design Software Options to Use in 2024
• The 10 Best Apps for Your High-Schooler
• The 10 Best Productivity Apps of 2024
• The Best Free Productivity Apps for the iPad
• The 10 Best Note Taking Apps of 2024
• The 11 Best Apps for Microsoft Surface in 2024
• The 8 Best Slideshow Apps of 2024
• The 8 Best Android Productivity Apps of 2024
• The 13 Best Free PDF Editors (June 2024)
• The 11 Best Note-Taking Apps for iPad and iPad Pro in 2024
• 8 Best Free HTML Editors for Windows for 2024
• The 10 Best Workout Log Apps of 2024
• 5 Best Free Online Word Processors for 2024

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

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

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.

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.

Best free writing software for creating content outlines

Best free writing software for brainstorming together

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

Add Miro cards from new rows on Google Sheets

Best free writing software for brainstorming topics

Keyword Research Tool pricing: Free

Best free writing software for brainstorming ideas with AI

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

Best free writing software for brainstorming out loud

Your computer's dictation software (MacOS, Windows)

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.

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.

Save new tasks in Google Tasks in Notion databases

Add new Microsoft Outlook calendar events to Notion databases

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

Best free writing software for finding free copies of paywalled research

Unpaywall pricing: Free

Best free writing software for transcribing interview and video content

oTranscribe pricing: Free

Best free writing software for collecting research from other people

Create Trello cards from new Google Forms responses

Share Google Forms responses in a Slack channel

Google Forms pricing: Free

Free writing tools for solo and collaborative writing

Best free writing software for collaborative writing.

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

Create new Google Docs when Trint transcripts are ready

Google Docs pricing: Free

Best free writing software for messages and blurbs

WordCounter pricing: Free

Free writing tools for editing

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

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.

Best free writing software for rewording what you write

Best free writing software for clear and concise writing

Best free writing software for creating compelling headlines

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 pricing: Free

Best free writing software for finding jargon in your text

De-Jargonizer pricing: Free

Best free writing software for varying your wording and sentence length

Expresso pricing: Free

Best free writing software for comparing your writing to AI content

Free writing tools for proofreading

Best free writing software for catching spelling and grammar mistakes.

Best free writing tool for proofreading short-form content

Best free writing tool for making MLA citations

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

Related reading:

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.

Get productivity tips delivered straight to your inbox

We’ll email you 1-3 times per week—and never share your information.

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.

• Content marketing
• Google Docs
• Google Forms

Related articles

The 6 best texting apps in 2024

The best free invoicing software in 2024

The 4 best online whiteboards for collaboration in 2024

The 4 best online whiteboards for...

The 9 best AI recruiting tools in 2024

Improve your productivity automatically. Use Zapier to get your apps working together.

Top 7 Writing Apps: Game-Changers for Writers [Inc. AI]

Table of contents

Chelsea Forsyth

There are days when even the best writers need a little assistance getting into their creative flow. So, when one of those days strikes, you want to ensure you have a toolkit of the best apps for writers to rely on.

Writing apps can provide inspiration, improve your writing style, and help you organize your thoughts. They can also help with research, tracking your progress, and sharing drafts with editors, making them a great resource for both aspiring and established writers. Plus, many apps are even available for free!

If you’re looking for some tools to help streamline your creative writing processes, check out our list of eight handy tools. 

1. Wordtune: Using AI while keeping your content human

What kind of list of best apps for writers would this be if we didn’t start with Wordtune? 

Wordtune is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps you improve your writing by providing real-time feedback on grammar, punctuation, and style. It can be used for everything from academic writing to business emails and blog posts, making it a brilliant tool for a variety of writers. 

Wordtune can also help you to find the right words for your writing. It can provide synonyms, antonyms, and other words related to the topic being written about. It also offers definitions and other contextual information to help writers better understand what they’re writing about. For instance, Wordtune highlights words used in the wrong context, or suggests more suitable words or phrases in its place.

Plus, you can use Spices — these are tools developed to enhance your writing even further. You can ask Wordtune to “explain” the topic you’re writing about to help give your reader further clarification, or “emphasize” to help reiterate your point. These are especially useful if you’re struggling to add further detail to your writing, or if you need some help understanding a topic

Try Wordtune for free > Try Wordtune for free >

2. Scrivener: Best for writers who write long-form

Scrivener is a must-have tool for long-form writers. Both an “outliner” planning tool and a word processor, Scrivener allows you to meticulously plan your novel or screenplay by breaking down your writing into sections and ‘outlining’ what each bit will include. You can also organize notes, concepts, research, and whole documents into its “Binder” for easy access and reference. 

Scrivener differs from other apps on this list in that it won't assist you with your writing style — but it will provide everything you need to keep writing. For instance, if you’re writing a novel or a screenplay, you can write when inspiration strikes without worrying if it's in chronological order, as the drag-and-drop interface allows you to easily move sections to another place at a later date. You can also add synopses and overviews to each chapter, which helps when you want to ‘zoom out’ and look at your novel or screenplay as a whole. Plus, Scrivener allows you to keep all your notes and research in one place, supporting photos and audio files, too.

Scrivener also syncs across devices — whether it’s your Mac, Windows, or iOS device — and you can easily compile everything into a single document when you’re ready to export, with popular formats such as Word document, PDF, Final Draft, and plain text supported.

To get started, download Scrivener from the website for a free 30-day trial. Once this is up, you can either purchase it on Mac or Windows for a one-time payment of $49, or on iOS for a one-time payment of $19.99.

3. ChatGPT: Everyone's using it, but writers use it differently

The AI language model ChatGPT is a great tool for sparking inspiration and outlining ideas — just ask it a question, or command it to write something, and see what text it generates. 

ChatGPT can assist in producing high-quality content that’s grammatically correct and coherent. It also processes and analyzes information quickly, generating text much faster than a human. This can be especially useful if you need to write a large amount of content in a short amount of time — you can ask it to generate an explanation of a complex topic, for example, instead of needing to write this out yourself.   

However, as listed in the image above, ChatGPT’s responses can sometimes be factually incorrect or can include biases. Its creator, OpenAI, has also warned users that ChatGPT’s arguments can be logically flawed. And while the tool is known for its supposed versatility, we don’t recommend using it to generate creative writing. There’s only so much an algorithm can do, and thankfully humans win when it comes to being uniquely creative. 

Overall, ChatGPT is a great tool for quick, surface-level overviews; idea generation, summarizing information, and creating outlines are all made simpler by the tool. However, if you want an all-round writing assistant that helps you to construct your narrative, take a read of our article on choosing the right AI writing tool .

4. Evernote: Saving your wonderful thoughts for reference

Most writers carry a notebook to jot down ideas when inspiration strikes. But in the smartphone era, there’s a much simpler and more efficient alternative to capture fleeting thoughts — enter Evernote . Syncing across all your devices, Evernote automatically saves notes online, allowing you to keep everything that’s on your mind organised and in one place. You can add images, illustrations, and to-do lists, handwrite notes, and tag items with keywords, allowing you to always find anything you need. 

Available for free on iOS and Android devices — and accessible from within your browser — Evernote also provides offline access, so you can access your notes even without wifi.  

Take notes, plan projects, and find whatever you need at the touch of a button. Evernote is the perfect companion to a writer’s messy brain.

5. Daily Prompt: Your inspiration injection

Need a nudge to write consistently? It’s time to try Daily Prompt: Creative Writing .

Available as both an iOS app and as a web-based writing tool , Daily Prompt encourages you to get creative every day with a new prompt every 24 hours. You can let Daily Prompt provide you with a prompt, or you can browse existing prompts. Choose from genres such as horror, adventure, romance, or crime, and opt for different types of prompts like “story starters” (a creative prompt encouraging you to contine the story) or “writing obstacles” (an instruction designed to challenge you to write more creatively). 

You can use a limited version of the app on both your phone or web browser, or alternatively, you can pay a yearly subscription of $19.99. This gives you premium access, with free range over the back catalogue of prompts, early access to new features, and a seven-day money back guarantee if you change your mind. Plus, you get to join Daily Prompt’s community of aspiring authors improving their writing skills on a daily basis, and even read their stories.

6. Power Thesaurus: To find the word on the tip of your tongue

Every writer needs a thesaurus to lean on now and again. While a lot of AI writing tools provide synonyms as part of the package, there’s no harm in having a dedicated thesaurus app to rely on if you need alternatives to an overused word. 

One of the best is Power Thesaurus — available as both an iOS and Android app, and as a website. It’s quick, it’s powerful, and it provides a list of synonyms longer than any other thesaurus I’ve used. Plus, you can find the definition of the word you’re searching for, as well as see it used in a sentence, or choose from a list of antonyms. 

7. Hemingway App: Because readability matters more than you think

Hemingway App is a powerful tool for streamlining your writing style. The free online editor enhances the readability and clarity of your writing by highlighting and correcting grammar, fluency, and sentence structure. 

The platform is ideal for editing shorter pieces. If you tend to write longer sentences, Hemingway will encourage you to be clearer and more succinct in your writing by highlighting sentences that are hard to read, or phrases that have simpler alternatives. 

As well as being online, you can also download a desktop version of the app. This requires a one-time payment of $19.99 on both Mac and Windows. 

Time to write

Using a writing app or two is a great way to enhance your creativity, edit your writing, or just make your writing process more enjoyable (and productive) in general. 

Tools like Google Docs and Scrivener are brilliant for keeping you organized and efficient, whereas an AI writing assistant like Wordtune can help you to level up your language and explore ideas you hadn’t previously thought of.

Share This Article:

The Dos and Don’ts of Using AI to Study

How to Use Modal Verbs for Clear Communication

A Friendly Guide to Apostrophes vs Quotation Marks

Looking for fresh content, thank you your submission has been received.

Join our mailing list and receive your free eBook. You'll also receive great tips on story editing, our best blogs, and learn how to use Fictionary software to make your story unforgettable.

• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Blogs / Writing Tips / 5 Best Writing Apps in 2024

5 Best Writing Apps in 2024

From the humble pen and paper, to the mighty typewriter, and now the omnipresent computer, the art of writing has always danced beautifully with the rhythm of technology. And now, it’s all about the best apps for writers.

Today, a writer without their digital toolbox is like a sailor braving the seas without a compass. Yeah, you could do it old school, but why wrestle with the winds when you can harness them to sail smoothly?

So, whether you’re penning the next brilliant novel, wrestling with syntax for a killer blog post, or crafting interesting copy, there are a plethora of apps for writers available to lend a hand. Think of them as your digital muses, providing inspiration when the going gets tough and smoothing out the rough edges of your writing journey.

5 Book Writing Apps

In this article, we’ll explore our top five picks for the best apps for writers in 2023, each chosen for their exceptional prowess in a particular area of writing:

• Fictionary: Our top pick for fiction writers. It’s like having a best-selling author looking over your shoulder, pointing out all the things you’re doing right (and a few things to reconsider).
• ProWritingAid: The ultimate companion for grammar, spelling, and style. It’s not just an app, it’s your personal editor-in-chief keeping your prose sharp and your metaphors even sharper.
• Atticus: The dream app for self-publishing authors. It turns the confusing, maze-like process of formatting into a walk in the park. And who doesn’t love a nice, stress-free stroll through the park?
• World Anvil: The one-stop-shop for world-building. It’s like a 3D printer for your imagination, helping you craft intricate worlds with the same ease as writing a grocery list.
• Final Draft: A screenwriter’s best friend. It takes the daunting job of script formatting and transforms it into a breezy afternoon task.

Buckle up, fellow writers, we’re about to embark on an exciting journey through the landscape of these top-tier apps for writers. So, grab your coffee (or tea, no judgement here), sit back, and let’s dive right in!

Fictionary: Best Book Writing App

The benefits of using fictionary.

Try Fictionary for free now

The thrill of writing ‘The End’ on a first draft is a feeling akin to scaling a mountain, gazing upon the vast landscape of words you’ve created.

But seasoned writers know that this is just the base camp of the Everest-like journey known as developmental (or story) editing. This phase of refining the plot, pacing, and character development can often feel like trying to assemble a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle without the box lid.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task, and even easier to lose sight of the narrative arc amidst the forest of individual scenes and chapters.

That’s where Fictionary, as one of the best apps for writers, swoops in like a superhero, ready to save your novel and your sanity.

Fictionary is a powerful app designed specifically to tackle the challenges of story editing, turning the process from an imposing mountain climb into a manageable molehill.

Let’s look at a summary of the ways Fictionary works its magic, before we delve into its specific features:

Story Arc Visualisation

It’s easy to lose track of the big picture when you’re in the mucky trenches of editing.

Fictionary provides a clear, visual representation of your story arc, allowing you to spot pacing issues, narrative gaps, or misplaced plot points at a glance. It’s like having a GPS for your storyline, helping you navigate the peaks and valleys of your plot with ease.

Character Consistency

Maintaining consistent character attributes and motivations throughout your novel is a crucial aspect of creating believable characters. Fictionary makes it easy to track character development, ensuring that your characters remain true to themselves and their journey throughout your narrative.

In-depth Scene Analysis

Each scene is a building block of your novel, and it’s essential to ensure that each one contributes to the overall narrative. Fictionary helps you scrutinise each scene for its purpose and effectiveness, ensuring that every piece of the puzzle fits perfectly into the overall picture.

Automated Feedback

Fictionary provides automated feedback based on established writing standards, saving you countless hours of self-editing and second-guessing. It’s like having an objective, impartial editor by your side, pointing out potential improvements with no risk of bruising your writer’s ego.

Learning Opportunities

Fictionary is not just a one of the best apps for writers. It’s a mentor. The app provides resources and tips to improve your craft, turning each editing session into a learning experience.

Using Fictionary is like strapping on a jetpack for your journey through story editing.

It doesn’t just make the process faster and easier. Oh no, my writerly friend! It also makes it more enjoyable. It allows you to focus on the joy of crafting your narrative rather than getting bogged down in the minutiae of story editing.

Fictionary is an invaluable ally for any fiction writer. It understands the challenges you face, and it’s here to help you overcome them.

With Fictionary at your side, story editing becomes less of a hair-pulling slog, and more of an enjoyable journey, leaving you more time to do what you do best–writing stories readers love. So, why not give Fictionary a whirl and experience the benefits yourself?

You might just find that it’s the writing partner you’ve been looking for!

Key Features of Fictionary as One of the Best Writing Apps

The automated story arc.

If you’ve ever attempted plotting out your story arc using sticky notes or a spreadsheet, you know it’s about as fun as trying to marshal cats while blindfolded. Not to mention, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when you’re drowning in a sea of plot points and character arcs.

That’s where Fictionary’s Automated Story Arc feature comes in.

This clever feature takes the guesswork (and the manual labour) out of story arc creation. It’s like having an editorial assistant who works tirelessly to map out your narrative structure while you sit back and enjoy your favourite writing snack of choice!

Here’s how it works.

The Automated Story Arc feature analyses your manuscript and auto generates a visual representation of your story arc. It highlights these key plot points:

● The Inciting Incident ● Plot Point 1 ● The Middle Event ● Plot Point 2 ● The Climax

This exceptional feature allows you to see at a glance whether your story follows an interesting and cohesive structure.

But it doesn’t stop there.

It also checks whether your story aligns with tried-and-true storytelling structures, like the three-act structure or the hero’s journey. If your story veers off course, Fictionary gently nudges you back on track with suggestions for improvement.

Basically, the software ensures you don’t get lost in the wilderness of your own creativity.

The beauty of the Automated Story Arc feature is that it saves you time and mental energy. It provides an objective, bird’s-eye view of your story, freeing you up to focus on the fun part. The writing. Plus, it’s a great learning tool, helping you understand narrative structure in a hands-on, practical way.

In a nutshell, Fictionary’s Automated Story Arc is a lifesaver for anyone who’s ever grappled with the challenge of plotting an interesting story.

The Story Map

Every writer knows that sinking feeling when you realise there’s a hole in your plot big enough to drive a truck through. Or worse, when you discover that your timeline is more twisted than a pretzel.

These are the kinds of problems that can derail your story faster than you can say, “Wait, what happened to that subplot about the mysterious locket?”

Enter the Fictionary Story Map, one of the best apps for writers features on the market!

This feature is like having a detective on your writing team sniffing out problems in your story before they turn into a full-blown crisis. It’s a sense check for your manuscript, highlighting areas that need your attention.

The Story Map captures every Story Element in one place, giving you a panoramic view of your story.

This is a bird’s-eye view of your narrative landscape.

You can see at a glance where the story flows smoothly and where it gets bogged down. You can spot those slow segues where nothing much seems to happen, or where the POV goals aren’t clear.

But the genuine beauty of the Story Map is how it helps you find and fix those pesky timeline issues.

You know the ones: that flashback that somehow ended up in the future, or that character who seems to be in two places at once. With the Story Map, you can untangle your timeline and ensure that your story unfolds in a logical and engrossing sequence.

The Story Map is not just a diagnostic tool, but also a guide to improving your story. It shows you where to ramp up the tension and conflict, and where you might need to use more sensory details. The Story Map pushes you to tighten your plot, deepen your characters, and sharpen your settings.

In short, the Fictionary Story Map is your secret weapon against plot holes, confusing timelines, and lacklustre scenes. It’s the spotlight that illuminates the dark corners of your manuscript, helping you create a story that’s as flawless as a perfectly cut diamond.

In App Learning

Imagine you’re writing a novel, and you’re speeding along like a train…

Suddenly, you hit a roadblock.

You’re not sure what POV means, or how to differentiate between backstory and flashbacks. You feel you’ve walked into a cocktail party where everyone’s speaking a foreign language. All that jargon and writing technique terminology can intimidate, and before you know it, you’ve got a full-blown case of writer’s block.

But don’t fear!

Fictionary’s In-App Learning is here to save the day, which makes it stand out from other apps for writers. What if you had a seasoned author or a writing coach sitting right beside you, explaining every concept, answering every question, and helping you navigate the labyrinthine world of writing?

That’s what Fictionary’s In-App Learning is like.

As you bravely quest through your story edit, you’ll find a treasure trove of information and resources built into the app. Each element comes with a handy guide, explaining what it is, why it’s important, and how to use it effectively in your story. It’s like having your personal encyclopaedia of writing techniques, right at your fingertips.

Not sure what a POV Goal is? Click the little blue question mark next to the POV Goal Element and… BAM! Advice on POV Goals pops up, breaking it down for you. Confused about the difference between backstory and flashbacks? Voila! There’s a detailed explanation, complete with examples.

But the real magic of Fictionary’s In-App Learning is how it makes you a better writer.

It’s not just about understanding the techniques. If only. It’s about learning how to apply them to your own work. As you edit, you learn, and as you learn, you improve. It’s like a two-for-one deal.

You get a polished manuscript and a masterclass in writing.

Like all the best apps for writers, Fictionary takes the mystery out of the writing process, breaking it down into manageable, bite-sized chunks.

It’s like having a writing tutor on speed dial, ready to demystify the craft and guide you to becoming a more skilled and confident writer. So, next time you hit a roadblock, don’t panic.

Fictionary’s In-App Learning has got you covered.

Progress Tracking

We’ve all been there.

You’re knee-deep in the editing process, and you look up and think, “Wait a minute, how much further do I have to go? Am I almost done? Or am I just sprinting in place like a hamster on a wheel?”

Let’s face it, keeping track of your story editing progress can feel like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube in the dark.

Fictionary’s Progress Tracking feature, however, is like a lighthouse guiding you through the foggy sea of story editing. It keeps a precise record of your journey through the labyrinth of character, plot, and setting elements for every scene. You’ll never have to guess how far you’ve come or how much further you need to go.

This feature shows you exactly where you are, how far you’ve travelled, and when you’ve reached your destination.

Once you’ve filled out all the elements for every scene, you can confidently say, “I’m done!” Your story is now ready to meet the world, whether you’re querying prospective agents or enlisting the eagle eyes of a professional editor before self-publishing.

But wait, there’s more!

Fictionary doesn’t just track your progress, it also shows it to you.

The Visualise tab in the Fictionary app gives you a visual representation of your journey. It’s like your personal progress report card, updating in real time as you work through your manuscript.

Editing can often feel like going ten rounds with a pro kickboxer, but with Fictionary’s Progress Tracking, you’ll always know where you are, which makes it one of the best apps for writers. It’s your personal trail guide, ensuring that you never lose your way in the wilds of manuscript editing.

Remember, every journey begins with a single step, and with Fictionary’s Progress Tracking, you’ll never lose count of those steps.

ProWritingAid: Best Writer App for Copy Editing

Pop the champagne and toss the confetti, because you’ve finished your story edits with Fictionary!

Now, your story is more polished than the crown jewels.

Before you send your manuscript off into the wild blue yonder, there’s another step—copy editing. This is where we roll up our ink-stained sleeves, put on our spectacles, and dive into the nitty-gritty of your manuscript.

Copy editing is like combing through your writing with a fine-tooth comb, inspecting every sentence for grammatical correctness, punctuation precision, spelling accuracy, and style consistency. It’s like the difference between simply washing your car and giving it a full valet—inside and out.

That’s where ProWritingAid, one of the best apps for writers looking to improve their copy editing skills, steps in to help you out.

Think of ProWritingAid as your personal copy editing coach, providing detailed feedback in real-time to help you make your writing as clear, concise, and powerful as it can be.

It’s like having a grammar guru, a style savant, and an editorial expert all rolled into one.

With its robust grammar and spelling checker, ProWritingAid scans your manuscript for everything from subject-verb disagreement to misplaced commas. It’s like a bloodhound for writing errors, sniffing them out and presenting them to you along with suggested corrections.

What about passive voice, that sneaky little gremlin that can suck the life out of your prose? ProWritingAid has you covered there too, with a passive voice detection feature that alerts you to potential issues and suggests how to rephrase sentences in the active voice for maximum reader engagement.

And don’t get me started on glue words, those little blighters that, while essential, can make your sentences more tangled than a bowl of spaghetti. ProWritingAid’s glue word analysis helps you identify sentences that might be too “sticky” and offers alternatives to improve clarity and flow.

Sentence length analysis, repetition checks, even a plagiarism checker… ProWritingAid has it all.

It’s the Swiss Army knife of copy editing tools, providing everything you need to refine and polish your writing at the sentence level.

So, whether you’re a seasoned author or a newbie just starting out, ProWritingAid is the app to help you cross the copy editing finish line. Using ProWritingAid, you can ensure your prose is not only grammatically correct but also clear, concise, and engaging.

Atticus: Best Writer Apps for Book Formatting

Alright, folks!

We’ve story-edited our manuscript with Fictionary, and copy-edited it to perfection with ProWritingAid.

The next hurdle in our literary triathlon?

Book formatting.

This is where we make our prose look pretty on the page, and no, it’s not just about choosing a snazzy font. It’s about ensuring our book meets industry standards and looks professional on every platform. Sounds like a headache, doesn’t it? But don’t fret, dear writers. Atticus, one of the best apps for writers who want to produce professional looking books, is here to save our writerly souls.

Atticus is the Hermione Granger of book formatting tools.

It’s smart, reliable, and makes life so much easier. With it, you can format your book to look professional with no degree in graphic design or an expensive course in book layout.

Let’s dive into the key features, shall we?

First off, custom chapter headings. With Atticus, you can play the role of a typography artist, choosing from a plethora of fonts, sizes, and styles to give your book a unique and professional vibe. Think of it as putting on a bowtie or a sparkly necklace on your prose.

Next up, ornamental breaks. These handy little doodads are perfect for adding that extra bit of flair between your chapters or sections. Choose from several pre-designed breaks or channel your inner Picasso and create your own.

Because who said formatting can’t be fun?

Hang on, I hear you cry!

What about the dreaded task of formatting front and back matter?

This is where Atticus really holds it’s own as one of the best apps for writers.

Automated front and back matter feature, anyone? Where front and back matter are concerned, Atticus steps into the role of a personal assistant who takes care of the tedious stuff like a title page, table of contents, copyright page, dedication, and author biography. You can even duplicate this information across multiple books.

Talk about a time-saver!

Atticus also ensures your book meets the industry standards for formatting and placement of front and back matter. So, you can rest easy knowing your book will look as professional as a New York Times bestseller.

And the cherry on top?

A range of export options. Whether you want to export your book as a PDF or EPUB, print directly from Atticus, or upload to publishing platforms like Amazon KDP or IngramSpark, Atticus has your back.

Atticus is the knight in shining armour battling the fire-breathing dragon that is book formatting.

It turns a typically stressful process into a simple, even enjoyable task. And this frees you up to focus on what you do best…

Writing more fantastic stories!

World Anvil: Best Novel Writing App for World-building

Oh, the joys and challenges of world-building!

You get to play god, creating your own universe with its unique history, geography, cultures, and characters.

But world-building can feel impossible, akin to pushing water uphill with a fork. Thankfully, there’s a tool that can help us tame this unruly beast. World Anvil, one of the best apps for writers who want to supercharge their world-building skills.

It’s like having your own magical workstation where you can craft, manage, and showcase your fictional worlds.

Think about the difficulties we face when building a world.

Keeping track of a thousand different details, from the political structure of our Elven kingdom to the daily life of a peasant in our dystopian future. Visualising the world and mapping out its geography, its cities, and its landmarks. We need to create characters and track their relationships. We also need to maintain consistency, because nothing throws a reader out of a story faster than glaring inconsistencies.

World Anvil understands these challenges and gives us the tools to tackle them.

It’s a world-building toolbox for writers.

You can create intricate maps, timelines, and family trees. You can build detailed histories, cultures, religions, and more, all organised and accessible in one place.

Creating characters and organisations is a breeze with World Anvil. From detailed character profiles with backstories and relationship dynamics, to in-depth descriptions of organisations, governments, and institutions, everything can be structured and interconnected.

One of the coolest features is collaboration.

You can invite co-authors, editors, and artists to contribute to your world. And if you want feedback or contributions from your readers or community, you can share your world with them. And let’s not forget about privacy and security. Whether you want your world to be your secret garden or a public exhibition, World Anvil has settings for that.

World Anvil is the Gandalf to your Frodo, guiding us through the sometimes intimidating, but always thrilling, journey of world-building. So, fellow word nerds, let’s use one of the best apps for writers to craft some unforgettable worlds!

Final Draft: Best Writer App for Screenwriting

What if novels aren’t your bag, or you love to write in different mediums?

Let’s talk about screenwriting, and one of the best apps for writers in that arena!

You’re not just writing a story here, you’re building a visual, auditory, and emotional experience.

It’s a whole different ball game to novel writing. One with rules and expectations that can feel like a tightrope walk over a tank full of ravenous sharks. Now, what if I told you there’s an app that can make your balancing act easier? Meet Final Draft, the scriptwriting tool of choice for pros in Hollywood and beyond.

First off, the interface of Final Draft is as intuitive as it gets.

You don’t want to waste precious writing time wrestling with complex software. With separate areas for scriptwriting, outlining, and note-taking, Final Draft lets you focus on your craft, not on technical glitches or formatting fuss.

Speaking of formatting, screenplays come with specific requirements. Get it wrong, and your script might end up in the reject pile.

But don’t fret!

Final Draft employs industry-standard formatting for elements like scene headings, dialogue, and transitions. It takes care of the “in-the-weeds” stuff while you let your creative juices flow.

Now, let’s say you’re co-writing.

Juggling drafts and changes can become a nightmare, right? Final Draft’s collaboration tools allow you to work together seamlessly, tracking revisions and changes like a hawk, whether you’re sitting side by side or oceans apart.

And what about those light-bulb moments or niggling doubts that hit you while writing?

Enter ScriptNotes.

Attach your thoughts to specific parts of the script, creating a treasure map of insights and ideas as you go.

The Story Map feature is a godsend for visual thinkers. Imagine your scenes as cards on a board. Rearrange them, spot gaps or issues, visualise your narrative arc—this is storytelling made tactile and interactive.

Keeping track of characters and locations can get messy, especially in complex scripts.

Final Draft’s built-in databases let you store and retrieve detailed information about your characters and settings, ensuring you stay consistent throughout your writing process.

Finally, when your masterpiece is ready to go, Final Draft offers easy export and sharing options. You can even submit your script to online databases and competitions straight from the software.

So, in the grand drama of screenwriting, let Final Draft be the Watson to your Holmes, smoothing out the bumps and letting your creativity shine.

Curtain up, folks, and happy screenwriting!

Top Features to Look for in the Best Story Writing Apps

When you’re hunting for the best writing apps, there are a few key features you should keep an eye out for. And, folks, Fictionary ticks all the boxes like a seasoned pro.

The Best Apps for Writers Help You Plot Your Story Arc

A top-tier writing app should help you plot your story arc. Because we’ve all been there—getting tangled up in our own plot lines like a bad knitting project. Fictionary’s Automated Story Arc, and Story Map features help you visualise and fine-tune your narrative structure, making it as sleek and captivating as a page-turner should be.

The Best Apps for Writers Help You Learn the Writing Craft

The best apps for writers act as your personal writing coach. They don’t just correct; they teach. Fictionary’s in-app learning resources are like a masterclass in fiction writing, illuminating the mysteries of POV, backstory, flashbacks, and much more.

The Best Apps for Writers Help You Keep Track of Your Writing Projects

Top writing apps should help you keep track of your writing projects. With Fictionary’s Progress Tracking, you can see just how far you’ve come and how close you are to typing “The End.” Because nothing beats the satisfaction of seeing your hard work pay off, right?

Best Creative Writing Apps FAQs

Why should you use apps for writers.

Well, let me tell you, using author apps like Fictionary is like having a personal trainer for your writing. They keep you focused, guide you through the tough parts, and help you elevate your writing game. And who doesn’t want to up their game?

How Can Apps for Writers Help?

Writer apps provide a toolbox of resources to streamline your writing process. They assist with everything from plot development to character tracking. But the best part? They act like a safety net, catching those tricky little plot holes and inconsistencies that can trip up your narrative.

What is the Best Way to Use Apps for Writers?

The best way to use fiction writing apps, like Fictionary, is to make them an integral part of your writing process. Use them while drafting, revising, and editing your work. These apps are your silent writing partner, offering a helping hand whenever you need it.

Conclusion: Best App for Writers

As we come to the end of our expedition into the best apps for writers, it’s clear that the realm of digital support for authors has never been more robust.

We’ve discussed the unparalleled support Fictionary offers for story development, ProWritingAid’s invaluable help with copy editing, Atticus’s prowess in book formatting, World Anvil’s extraordinary world-building capabilities, and Final Draft’s trusted tools for screenwriters.

Truly, there’s an app for nearly every facet of the writing process, which is super exciting!

But let’s return to where we started.

Fictionary.

It’s one of the best apps for writers around, addressing the most complex aspects of crafting an enthralling narrative. The multifaceted support it provides is more than just a convenience. It’s a must-have secret weapon in your authorial arsenal.

However, never forget that these tools are here to support your creative genius, not replace it. The story spark, the emotional core, and the unique voice–all these things come from you.

Use these apps for writers as your allies. Let them guide you, but always remember: it’s your story, your voice, your world.

With Fictionary leading the way, you’re more than equipped to create something extraordinary!

The app for creative writing

Organize your research, ideas, characters and outline in one place.

Organize the creative, messy part of writing alongside your favourite writing software.

The vast majority of 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. Milanote's writing app matches the way writers think.

See everything in one place

Brainstorm and experiment

Linear word documents are great for your final output, but on day one you need a flexible space to explore your ideas.

• See the connections between your ideas and characters
• Combine text, images and video
• Create mind maps to explore new directions

Bring your characters to life

Use the Milanote Character template to define the specific traits of your characters then map the connections between them. You'll revisit these boards again and again as your story takes shape.

A faster way to research

The Milanote web clipper lets you instantly save text, images, videos or links from any website. It also saves the source of everything you collect.

Outline in a flexible way

Milanote lets you see your story structure at a glance—just like your wall of index cards, but portable. Easily drag and drop to rearrange the key parts as your story comes to life. It's the perfect companion to your manuscript.

Secure and private

Our infrastructure is designed for security, constantly monitored & always available. All of your data is hosted in an environment with world class security and privacy.

• Real-time backups.
• Notes encrypted both at rest and in transit.
• Strict policies and controls to prevent Milanote staff from accessing your content.

Organize your ideas & planning in one place.

Bring your characters to life.

Plan your story outline, plot & scenes

Collect & organize your research.

Turn an initial idea into something amazing.

Plan your next story

Sign up for free (no time limit)

A collaborative creative writing app where stories are built line by line.

Contribute to multiplayer stories, seeing only what the previous author wrote. modeled on the game exquisite corpse, each creation is gloriously unique still curious learn more..

Already have an account? Sign in!

Recently finished stories

Stories in need of a line, what is byline.

A multiplayer creative writing experience where a group of authors creates a story, one line at a time.

How does it work?

Loosely based on exquisite corpse, each author writes a line having only seen the line directly before theirs. Once complete, the creator titles the story and shares it with the group.

Is this a game?

Yes! Get started by creating a story and sharing it with friends. Don't know any writers? No problem. Post your story to Byline and you'll meet some!

Who does the writing?

Public stories, private stories.

If you invite individual people (by username, email, or phone number) and make sure Plus others on Byline is deselected then your story becomes private and only those invited can contribute.

What's a breadcrumb?

Breadcrumbs give authors an opportunity to select a key word/phrase from their line that they think is important. Breadcrumbs are visible for the life a the story and can act as clues that offer additional context.

They are optional, but fun to add!

What's a sequel?

Sequels are stories spawned from the last line of other stories. To create a sequel go to the bottom of a finished story and select Write More → Create sequel based on this story .

What if I see something offensive?

If you see something that doesn't live up to our standards report it by clicking the next to any line.

Looking for help?

The Best 50 Free Writing Software And Free 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.

Article Contents

Your free tools and software choices

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

You can find lots of 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 all the apps and software listed on this page are free to use.

However, some are a free version of a premium application, and in this case, the free version may be limited in features.

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. Hemingway Editor – Free

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.

2. QuillBot – Free

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 is an excellent tool for checking and correcting your writing.

There is also a free Chrome extension you can try.

3. ChatGPT – Free and Premium

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. You can use it as a writing prompt generator to inspire and generate ideas for new stories or articles.

You need only 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. Grammarly – Free and Premium

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 write, Grammarly will always help you write better and more accurately.

The browser version of Grammarly works very well for most users. However, a premium version is available for more advanced features to help you in your writing process.

You can read more in my Grammarly review .

5. Prowritingaid – Free and Premium

Prowritingaid is one of my favorite writing checkers for long-form writing.

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.

The premium version includes over twenty different writing analysis tools and reports. These will give you a wide range of suggestions for improving 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.

6. Grammar Lookup – Free

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.

12 Free word processors

The first name writers associate with word processing is almost always Microsoft Word.

Many writers, bloggers, and authors use it as their default writing tool, 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, 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 any free alternatives 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

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 adapting to Docs, 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 write every day and collaborate with other writers, content editors, proofreaders, or editors, Google Docs allows you to collaborate easily.

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

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.

Pages also shines in one other area. It has much more control over images than 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 writing 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

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 used online. This can be especially true if you use WordPress or publish 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. Then, you can 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

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 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

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 be practical at times.

Another time-saving yet straightforward feature of WPS is tabbed documents.

While Excel has had this for years, Word has never had it, so working on two documents simultaneously 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 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.

However, unless you opt for the premium version, you cannot save in docx format.

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

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

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

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 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

Scribus is an open-source program for desktop publishing.

It gets a mention here 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.

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 for 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

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

Although Scrivener is not free, I have to include It 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.

However, the trial period is counted by the days that you use the software. So, if you use it every second day, your trial period will last 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 iPhone and iPad.

To access your trial, click the Download Trial link.

3. 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

If you are a self-publishing author on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Kindle Create is a must-have 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 both ebooks and paperback books. However, 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.

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

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’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

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, not a genuine headline analyzer. However, 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

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 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 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

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 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 create images for social media promotion, blog posts, Facebook headers, and even 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.

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 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 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 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

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

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 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 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 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

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

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.

8 Quick mentions

The following software and writing apps are recent additions to this 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

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 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

It is also a writing program and editor.

4. NaturalReader – Free

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

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

You’re right; this is not writing software. But I have to include Pixabay because I use it every day to find great free images for my blog.

There are many free stock image sites, but this one is my favorite because the choice of images is enormous.

7. Pixlr – Free

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 the free version can perform most basic photo editing tasks.

8. DramaQueen – Free

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.

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

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

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

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 can be a fun challenge and maybe a clever way to overcome writer’s block.

Summary of free writing software

For all writers, there are plenty of 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 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, as well as 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

Derek Haines

More articles.

Common Abbreviations We Use But Don’t Know The Meaning

Are Ing Words Weak In Fiction And Nonfiction Writing?

Learn How You Can Maintain Good Tense Control In Your Writing

28 thoughts on “the best 50 free writing software and free writing apps”.

No Ywriter? Easy to set up and use. Takes around two minutes to learn from installation. More important it’s free.

I have noted yWriter in our article about free book writing software.

Thank you for this article. It’s very useful.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

So far, I am enjoying 3 out of your 10 recommendations. Your reviews seem honest and unscripted-thank you for that.

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!

It was informational and I liked it very much.

I found this article to be informative. In search of one thing, I happily stumbled upon much more. Thanks!

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!

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.

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.

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.

Great post, informative and gives me some options to consider that I didn’t know about before. Thanks.

Great article, I love Canva, Couldn’t run my website without it! Thanks for this. I learned some things.

Thanks for this informative post. :) — Suzanne

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!!!

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

To prevent spam, all comments are moderated and will be published upon approval. Submit your comment only once, please.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Privacy Overview

TRY OUR FREE APP

Write your book in Reedsy Studio. Try the beloved writing app for free today.

Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy Studio

Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.

Best Writing Apps for Online

Showing 54 writing apps that match your search.

Notebook.ai

Most writers have at least one old notebook lying around somewhere, full of old story ideas, interesting characters, enchanting locations, or a myriad of other margin-scribbled thoughts. Notebook.ai is a worldbuilding tool that organizes, saves, and helps in fully fleshing out your fictional world, your way.

Platforms: Online, Chrome

Best for: Worldbuilding, Book, Story, and Free

Website: https://www.notebook.ai/

Base price:

Premium price:

★★★ Performance

★★★★ Features

★★ Accessibility

LivingWriter

Start your book, plot your book, write your book, organize your book, and export it for publishing all in one place. Leave your word processor in the dust.

Platforms: Online, Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, PC

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, Publishing, Book, and Story

Website: https://livingwriter.com/

★★★ Features

★★★★ Accessibility

Also rated 3.5 ★ on the App Store

Ginger is more than a grammar checker, spell checker, and punctuation checker. Ginger is an all-in-one writing tool that includes Rephrase to empower you to write your best in ways that traditional online grammar checkers can’t.

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPad, Online, PC

Best for: Editing, Proofreading, Book, Essay, Story, Blog, and Free

Website: https://www.gingersoftware.com/

★★★★ Performance

★★★★★ Accessibility

Also rated 4.6 ★ on the App Store

Learn more about Reedsy Studio .

Made by writers, for writers, Novlr is the writing platform that will have you achieving your writing goals.

Platforms: Online

Best for: Drafting, Book, Story, and Free

Website: https://www.novlr.org/

Also rated 3.0 ★ on Reedsy

Written? Kitten!

The Internet's best write-reward system! Write one hundred words, get an image of a kitten!

Best for: Drafting, Book, Story, Essay, Journal, Poetry, Blog, and Free

Website: https://writtenkitten.co/

★★★★★ Performance

★★★★★ Features

★★★★★ Value

Publisher Rocket

Publisher Rocket will help you get your book in front of more Amazon shoppers so you can spend less time marketing and more time writing.

Best for: Publishing, Book, and Story

Website: https://publisherrocket.com/

★★★ Accessibility

NovelPad's online and offline novel writing software helps you organize, write, and edit your novel anywhere, on any device, from start to finish.

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, Editing, Proofreading, Book, and Story

Website: https://novelpad.co/

Slick Write

Slick Write is a powerful, free application that makes it easy to check your writing for grammar errors, potential stylistic mistakes, and other features of interest. Whether you're a blogger, novelist, SEO professional, or student writing an essay for school, Slick Write can help take your writing to the next level.

Best for: Editing, Proofreading, Essay, Blog, and Free

Website: https://www.slickwrite.com/

Also rated 4.4 ★ on Capterra

Get organized. Stay creative. Milanote is an easy-to-use tool to organize your ideas and projects into visual boards.

Platforms: iPhone, iPad, PC, Windows, Mac, Android, Chrome, Online

Best for: Note-taking, Outlining, Book, Story, Journal, and Free

Website: https://milanote.com/

Also rated 3.0 ★ on PC Magazine

Marinara Timer

Reduce distractions, limit interruptions and complete tasks more efficiently – with Marinara online productivity timer.

Best for: Productivity, Book, Story, and Free

Website: https://www.marinaratimer.com/

Also rated 4.8 ★ on Google Play

Storyline Creator

Storyline Creator is an elegant writing tool that helps you streamline your writing process. It's incredibly fun to draft ideas, to visualize, enhance and organize your stories - so you can focus on your plot and the creativity instead of the paper war.

Best for: Outlining, Book, Story, and Free

Website: https://www.storylinecreator.com/

★★ Performance

QuillBot offers you top-notch tools for perfecting your writing, from our Paraphraser and Summarizer to our Plagiarism Checker. At QuillBot, we’re committed to making writing painless by building the most robust writing and research platform in the world.

Best for: Editing, Proofreading, Essay, and Free

Website: https://quillbot.com/

Also rated 4.6 ★ on Capterra

What makes a good writing app?

Put simply, what makes a writing app good for you will depend on the kind of writer that you are. 

• If you’re an author , you might be interested in a writing app with outlining, planning, and formatting functionalities.
• If you’re a student , you’re probably in the market for a writing app that blocks out distractions while you’re writing.
• If you’re a screenwriter , you’ll want a writing app that’s specifically dedicated to writing screenplays.

Or, if you’re none of the above, worry not: that’s why we built this directory of writing apps. Whatever you need, we’ve gathered the outstanding writing apps of 2024 across multiple categories (drafting, editing, note-taking, etc) and platforms (Android, iOS, online browsers, etc) in one place. Feel free to use the filters to make your quest for the perfect writing app even easier!

So what are the best writing apps of 2024?

We can now put an end to the age-old debate of which writing app is best: Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs ? 

The answer, of course, is neither! Hopefully, this directory will point you towards a much better match that actually fulfills your writing needs. We objectively evaluated each writing app based on four metrics.

• Performance: How seamlessly does the writing app do what it’s purported to do? How good is the user experience, from top to bottom?
• Features: How many bells and whistles are built into the app to augment its use?
• Accessibility: Is it widely available on many different operating platforms (e.g. iOS, Windows, mobile, desktop, etc)?
• Value: Is it worth the cost that it would take to download it?

Here are some general recommendations to give you a headstart.

The best writing app for authors

If you’ve been searching for an all-in-one outlining, writing, formatting, and typesetting tool, look no further than Reedsy Studio . Used by over 50,000 authors every month, it’s publishing’s most trusted companion to take them from a first draft to a professionally exported manuscript.

💰 Price:  Free

🚉 Runs on: Web

The best writing app for note-takers

Evernote is the king of written organization. In addition to its free organizational templates, Evernote also gives you impressive tagging capabilities, an omnipresent Web Clipper, and the ability to share notes with collaborators, so that you’ll never forget anything again.

💰 Price:   Free basic plan, $4.99/month for premium

🚉 Runs on: Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android

The best writing app for screenwriters

Along with standard scriptwriting features, Final Draft enables you to measure character traits using its inclusivity analysis feature, and tweak your “beat board” until you find your perfect arrangement. And when you’re ready to bring in editors, you can all work simultaneously in real time.

💰 Price: Free trial for 30 days, $249.99 license fee

🚉 Runs on: Mac, iOS, and Windows

I’ve found the perfect writing app. What next?

Congratulations! Now the fun part begins: actually writing the project that you’ve got in mind.

For authors, this means that you have a long and exciting road ahead. In addition to a writing app, we recommend that you arm yourself with some writing knowledge before you embark on it: whether it’s an understanding of story structure or careful thought put into your character creation, all of it can help you realize your goal of a novel.

If you don’t know where to start, check out the list of free resources below. Good luck, and happy writing!

Free online materials

• How to Plan a Novel
• How to Write a Book
• Story Structure: 7 Types All Writers Should Know
• How to Create a Character Profile
• 500+ Creative Writing Classes
• Plot Generator
• Character Name Generator
• Book TItle Generator
• The Best Literary Agents Seeking Submissions

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

Save your shortlist

Enter your email address to save your shortlist so that you don't lose it!

By continuing, you will also receive Reedsy's weekly publishing tips and access to our free webinars.

We sent over your shortlist. Thank you for using Reedsy's Writing Apps Directory, happy publishing! 🙌

We made a writing app for you

Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

• Home (current)
• App Categories
• App Reviews
• English Learning Apps for Kids
• Alphabet Apps
• Spelling Apps
• Math Resources
• Multiplication Apps
• Science Apps
• Chemistry Apps
• Physics Apps
• AI Tools Directory
• AI Tools for Education
• Apps for Parents
• Apps for Students
• Augmented Reality Apps
• Computer Science Apps
• Coloring Apps
• Special Education Apps
• Language Learning Apps
• Best of Lists
• Apps for Education
• Best Maths Apps
• Best Apps for Kids
• Free Apps for Kids
• Toddler Apps
• Preschool Apps
• Kindergarten Apps
• EdTech Articles
• Game Reviews
• Brain Training Apps
• Brain Games for Kids
• Word Game Apps
• iPad Games for Kids
• Free Games for Kids
• Website Reviews

Best Websites for Kids

• Preschool Websites
• Math Websites for Kids
• Submit your App
• How we certify apps
• AI Assessment
• Try for free

Best Creative Writing Apps

Some students are natural born storytellers with creativity and imagination spilling from their fingers. There are plenty of reasons to encourage students to love creative writing. The skills gained from creative writing ultimately contribute to language mastery. Let us help you to find some other great apps to support your children's creative writing, in a digital capacity.  Whether you’re journaling or brainstorming ideas for a new story, book, or blog post, a writing prompts app could change everything.

Here at the Educational App Store we are relentless in our pursuit of apps which are suitable for test preparation and which can help support teachers, parents and ultimately students sitting for their tests and, in their general studies and wiser learning too.

If you want your children to master the basics of creative writing, try these apps to encourage your children to want to write.

1. Vocabulary Builder: Daily Word

Vocabulary Builder is an app to help people who are already proficient in English to expand their vocabulary. It provides a word of the day, browsing, and quiz-type features to let learners develop the variety of words at their disposal. You will save time if you use the words learned to also think about what sort of vocabulary might be useful for this piece of creative writing.

These word lists feature loads of good vocabulary to use in creative writing. They provide a fantastic way to boost vocabulary in your class.

Available on:  Android

Cost:  Free with in-app purchases

2. Night Zookeeper

(Android, iPhone, iPadWebsite)

Night Zookeeper is a fun-to-use creative writing application that encourages encourages children’s creative writing and wider creativity skills whilst being great fun to play both during class and at home. From drawing and writing about magical animals, to playing word games and competing in writing competitions, Night Zookeeper offers children the chance to explore their potential and get better at creative writing.

This is a beautiful app that asks children and adults to enter a magical world of animals in a night time zoo where children are sent on drawing missions. The app is of high-quality and it captures imaginations and pushes children to get in the habit of drawing and writing little stories about their drawings. Night Zookeeper is a popular writing website for kids which inspires children to express themselves and to be creative writers.

Available on:  Website

Cost:  Free with subscription

3. Writing Challenge for Kids

(Android, iPhone, iPad)

Writing Challenge for Kids is a fun and simple-to-use app that can help spark the imagination of children, and support them with planning and writing stories. Children are presented with a range of prompts that they can choose from. Each prompt gives children ideas for how to start and develop their story, including references to settings and character, which keeps their imagination flowing throughout the process. Writing Challenge is one of the best apps to help kids develop creative writing and digital publishing tools.

Available on:  Android, iPhone and iPad

Get unlimited access to the 4 or 5-star teacher certified apps. Start your free trial now!

Hand-picked educational apps by teachers that will improve your child's learning.

4. Book Creator

Bookcreator is a very simple, self-explanatory tool, where both teachers and students can create their own books using a diversity of templates, fonts, styles, as well as media, such as videos, images and sounds. Book Creator has a wide variety of applications in the classroom ranging from creative story writing to presentation style projects.

Bookcreator app works so well in encouraging student engagement with easy-to-use interface, fun templates, colorful designs and tons of tools to spark creativity. It is a perfect tool for creative writing, digital scrapbooking, journaling, digital diaries and so much more!

Available on:  iPhone and iPad

Cost:  Paid

5. Shake-a-Phrase: Fun With Words and Sentences

Shake-a-Phrase is a fun language app for creative writing prompts, vocabulary, and parts of speech practice. The app assists in enabling student to create stories by giving students prompts for characters, scenarios or simple sentences. The ability to change the theme and then shake the device to change the phrase is great fun.   

6. Writing Prompts

(iPhone, iPad)

This is a cool writing-prompt app that does basically everything you need it to: offer writing prompts to encourage/inspire you to write more. With Daily Prompt Premium you can access our Novel Writing Package. This includes 31 specially selected prompts to help outline your novel in a structured way. Daily Prompt is the easy way to make writing progress on a daily basis.

7. Word Creativity Kit - The creative writing tool for kids

A fun app to spark creative imaginations to create poems and stories. The goal of the Word Creativity Kit is to encourage children to play around with words and language as they learn to become the writers of tomorrow!  We like how students can get a jumpstart on the creativity process by using a selection of randomly generated words.

8. Storybird

Storybird lets kids create personalized stories, is committed to inspiring user creativity by providing a variety of colorful and vibrant Illustrations. This impressive creative writing-centered site offers an easy-to-use tool to help kids make picture books, longer books, or poems. You can learn about writing, storytelling, reading skills. They'll practice being creative and flex their imagination, and sharing stories may help them gain self-confidence to write more.

Available on:  iPhone, iPad and Android

Cost:  Free

See Our Rating and Review Process | Meet Our Review Board

Similar Best App Lists

Best Sight Word Apps for Kids

Best English Language Arts (ELA) Games

Best Reading Comprehension Apps

Best Apps for Practising Punctuation

Best Pronunciation Apps

To access all the app lists

Recent Posts

• Financial Literacy for Kids
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Kids
• Benefits of Personalized Learning

Most Popular

• Apps for Schools
• Apps for Kids

Related Content

AI for Education Learning Hub

How can Teachers use AI to Save Time

Best Apps to Improve Math Skills for Adults

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

FREE 2024-25 Printable Teacher Calendar! 🗓️

The Best Writing Apps for at Home and in the Classroom

Writer’s block, you’ve met your match!

Some kids love to pour out their thoughts, feelings, and souls on paper. For others, it’s a challenge from the first time they pick up a pencil. Fortunately, these writing apps for kids can help—from the first shaky crayon-written “A” to polished college entrance essays and creative writing.

Some writing apps help kids form their letters or work to perfect their handwriting. Then there are writing apps for kids and teens who need help organizing their thoughts. Other apps give a little push to get creative juices flowing. No matter what your kids are working on, these are the writing apps students will want in their digital toolbox.

• Best Apps for Practicing Writing Skills
• Best Apps for Writing Inspiration

Writing Skills Apps

These are the writing apps for kids that help them practice handwriting, grammar, punctuation, and composition.

Why We Love It: iTrace gives young learners the practice they need writing letters and numbers. Customization options include letter style and the ability to specify right or left-handed, while fun animations and prizes keep kids motivated.

Cost: $3.99

Available On: Apple App Store: iTrace

LetterSchool

Why We Love It: LetterSchool teaches printing and cursive with beautiful graphics and animations. Kids will be so captivated, they might forget they’re learning.

Cost: School licenses are $4.99 per student per year. For individual use, prices vary and start at $4.99 per month.

Available On: Apple App Store: Letter School , Google Play Store: Letter School

[contextly_auto_sidebar]

iWrite Words

Why We Love It: This writing app helps kids practice counting as they learn. Little ones drag a crab across the screen, following the numbered path to write letters. Once the word is complete, they’re rewarded with a cute drawing.

Cost: $2.99

Available On: Apple App Store: iWrite Words

Grammaropolis

Why We Love It: Grammaropolis teaches the parts of speech in a fun and engaging way. Animated shorts and music videos capture kids’ attention, and quizzes help track their progress. Some call this Schoolhouse Rock for the 21st century.

Cost: $5.99

Available On: Apple App Store: Grammaropolis

Grammar Pop

Cost: $1.99. Volume pricing is available for schools.

Available On: Apple App Store: Grammar Pop

Grammar Smash

Why We Love It:  This no-frills app is excellent for older learners, especially ESL students. Review grammar guides and lessons, then play games to practice your skills

Cost: FREE. Unlock more features and remove ads for $2.99.

Available On: Google Play Store: Grammar Smash

Why We Love It: Everything you love about Mad Libs, in an app! Prompts ask you to fill in parts of speech to create a funny new story each time. If you’re stuck, you can ask for a definition or examples. This is a classic way to work on parts of speech and vocabulary.

Cost: The FREE edition comes with 21 stories. Additional story packs are available for $1.99 each.

Available On: Apple App Store: Mad Libs , Google Play Store: Mad Libs

Dictionary.com

Why We Love It: This app is everything you love about Dictionary.com, but it’s also available offline. That’s great for keeping students focused while they’re working; they can look words up without the temptation of checking social media or other distractions. You can switch between dictionary and thesaurus mode, too, making this app a real must-have.

Cost: FREE (with ads), upgrade to no ads for $1.99

Available On: Apple App Store: Dictionary.com , Google Play Store: Dictionary.com

The Grammarly Keyboard

Why We Love It: Grammarly is a beloved program that helps people of any age produce stronger, cleaner writing. The mobile apps work for anything you type on your phone, including social media and messaging. Premium features include analysis of tone and word choice, and a plagiarism detector.

Cost: Basic grammar and spelling checks are free. Premium features start at $29/month.

Available On: Apple App Store: Grammarly , Google Play Store: Grammarly

Essay Launcher

Why We Love It: No flashy colors or animations, just a simple and efficient way to help writers organize their thoughts. The app asks questions like “What is your first reason that supports that statement?”, helping you build an essay from the ground up. This app is ideal for older kids who need organizational help to stay on track when they write.

Available On: Apple App Store: Essay Launcher

Why We Love It: Mind mapping is an excellent method for brainstorming and organizing your thoughts before you begin writing. This app helps you through the process, creating maps that ultimately make your writing clearer and stronger.

Cost: SimpleMind Lite is FREE. SimpleMind Pro offers expanded features for $7.99.

Available On: Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Get links for all versions here.

Writing Inspiration Apps

These writing apps for kids solve the problem of “But I don’t know what to write about!” They provide story starters, writing prompts, and more to break writer’s block wide open.

Story Wheel

Why We Love It: This app sparks creativity in pre-writers and helps build their storytelling skills. Spin the wheel and record your voice telling a story about the picture. Spin the wheel again for more prompts. Several kids can play at once, building a story to playback together.

Cost:  $2.99

Available On: Apple App Store: Story Wheel

Why We Love It: Every roll of the virtual dice yields pictures that tell a whole new story. Choose one or all of the images to use in your writing. Story Dice 3-D (Apple App Store only) adds the ability to move the dice around, and re-roll some or all of them.

Cost: $1.99

Available On: Multiple devices. Get the links you need for Story Dice here.

Writing Challenge for Kids

Why We Love It: This app generates a series of characters, scenarios, and situations to create unique creative writing prompts over and over again. You can choose from several choices to customize each prompt as you go along.

Cost: Varies by device, $1.49-$3.99

Available On: Multiple Devices. Click here for the links you need.

The Brainstormer

Why We Love It: This app is terrific for teens and older writers who need to generate new creative ideas. A selection of tools helps you find inspiration for characters, plots, settings, and more. You can even add in your own words to create custom sets.

Cost: $1.99, with additional features for $.99 each.

Available On: Apple App Store: The Brainstormer

Writing Prompts

Why We Love It: Get new writing prompts from hundreds of scenarios and ideas. Teachers, this is a nice way to come up with a daily bell-ringer or journal prompt. (This same company also offers Character Prompts , a similar app but for character inspiration.)

Cost: $1.99, with additional prompt packs available for $.99

Available On: Apple App Store: Writing Prompts , Google Play Store: Writing Prompts , Amazon App Store

Lists for Writers

Why We Love It: Add variety to your writing and break through writer’s blocks with these lists of, well, pretty much anything! Creating a new character and feeling stuck? Browse lists of names, character traits, physical characteristics, and more. Get the same for settings, plots, and all the other details that even the best writers sometimes draw a blank on.

Available On: Multiple devices. Get all the links you need here.

Toontastic 3D

Why We Love It: Kids build their story-telling skills while creating one-minute movies with this surprisingly robust free app. Encourage students to plan and script out their story in advance to work on writing skills, then enjoy the fun movies they create! (Teacher Tip: Try this app for incredibly creative book reports .)

Available On: Apple App Store: Toontastic , Google Play Store: Toontastic

Why We Love It: Storybird’s tools give kids the opportunity to write comics, short stories, chapter books, and more. Choose from existing illustrations and add your own text to create unique masterpieces. The professional artwork is wide-ranging, and writing challenges help kids expand their skills and push their creativity to new heights.

Cost:  $8.99/month or $59.99/year. Schools can receive bulk discounts up to 50% off.

Available On: Apple App Store: Storybird , Google Play Store: Storybird

How do you use writing apps for kids and teens in your classroom? Come share your ideas and find inspiration in the WeAreTeachers Chat group on Facebook .

Looking for more writing prompts? Get 100 Creative Writing Prompts for Grades 4-8 , and 10 Fresh Writing Prompts for High School .

You Might Also Like

The Big List of School Holidays and Special Days To Celebrate in 2024-2025

From Labor Day to summer break and everything in between! Continue Reading

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Storiette: Write Short Story 17+

Creative writing challenge, hipster studios llc, designed for iphone, iphone screenshots, description.

Storiette is a story competition platform, allowing you to dive into a range of exciting short stories created by skilled writers. You can also test your own storytelling skills by crafting better stories and see if you've truly mastered the art of short storytelling. How Storiette Works? Read stories of talented authors Challenge an author & write a better story Let Storiette pick the winner The Art of Storytelling Experience the convenience of posting your story online effortlessly with Storiette. Our platform allows you to write and publish stories that are between 150-300 characters in length. This bite-sized micro story text is enticing to read and offers a fun challenge. 
Start your journey as a short story master with Storiette's built-in guide, guaranteeing you can showcase your skills in just a few minutes. Begin by captivating your audience with an intriguing headline, then keep them on the edge of their seats with suspenseful storytelling. Finally, leave them stunned with a surprising twist ending, transforming you into an incredible storyteller. Unleash your creativity and conquer the art of short story writing with Storiette. Story Writing Community Our unique platform caters to individuals who value brevity, enabling you to delve into the enchanting world of impactful short stories. Become part of a group of short story creators and display your talent for micro storytelling while exploring a variety of short stories tagged with captivating hashtags. More than just a regular social media platform focused on short stories, it transforms into a vibrant community driven by a diverse collection of micro tales. Engage with popular subjects and add to the diverse range of stories that shape our platform. Your Ultimate Writing Practice For those who wish to take on some writing exercises, Storiette is a great place to start. Our online writing competition gives you a chance to polish your skills and become a great storyteller. Storiette can be your tool to invent new story ideas, and improve your creative writing. It’s an online platform where you not only read and post stories but can also evaluate them. Our platform can be an excellent way to compare your stories with others and discover various angles to improve your story writing. For a story maker, Storiette is the most incredible virtual gathering arena. Build a Story Plot & Storiette Waste no time and start Storiette. Create story plots, and have fun! Storiette is all about entertaining short story writers and giving them a place to unwind. It’s where they can review other authors’ writing and get unique writing ideas. Whether you are practicing or having fun, Storiette is all you need. Simply read, write, and post to determine who wins the duel. Looking for writing apps to publish and discover short story writing? Install Storiette right now!
 Terms & Conditions: https://www.thestorietteapp.com/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.thestorietteapp.com/privacy-policy Website: www.thestorietteapp.com

Version 1.0.1

Analytics Improvements

App Privacy

The developer, Hipster Studios LLC , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• App Support
• Privacy Policy

You Might Also Like

Dolphin Reader

AI Story Generator Novel Write

Writer's Companion

Book Club by BookMovement

Favfic Episode - Romance Story

Storyroom - Webnovel & Story

Get the Reddit app

A community for writers of any caliber to come and share their work. We encourage feedback and the sharing of resources.

So, I used to make poems and other things back in high school and I was looking through everything I made and found this short story I made. After reading through it I was shocked this was something I could write and even checked for plagiarism to make sure it was mine because I was in disbelief. Here it is then... (I'm aware of the terrible grammar.)

He gets up from the stuffy, warm, bed. He feels a heat on his face with a ray of sunshine after opening the blanket up. The curtains barely covering the sun, failing at its supposed job. He slowly get up to hear the chirping of birds. "la la la they say" as he looks out the window. "these birds just keep on coming don't they". "Oh, how I wish they could just shut up and *die*". Before taking another step he smells a putrid oder that sends every hair on his body straight up. "God, this smell too" with a hint of annoyance. "This building never gets cleaned up, I should complain to the landlord". The building was at its last breath, it was about 100 years old, or maybe less? It was made of bricks when the landlord and the landlords family owned it. "Guess I'll head downstairs, see if i can talk to someone about that damn smell". There was a certain level of silence taking place. Where were his neighbors, the staff? "Oh yeah, they went off to that party I wasn't invited to", for a moment he felt a sudden rage at the thought of it. "Ha, the landlord went off without me too, what was the party for again?". As he scrambled his head for the right words as if it was a distant memory, a quick, momentary smile shot through his mouth like a hyena. "La la la" he sang, a humming of delight as he approached the heat ridden door that leads outside. "This smell, this smell!". The door, the smell, the chirping all singing in harmony the closer he gets! His pain, his agony slowly transforming into one great spotlight of delight as he approaches. The door finally opens, the chirping turns to hisses as scavengers in this desolate land feed on the landlords family, friends, and at last herself. The smell orchestrated a dizzying delight in his mind as blood painted the walls and guts being eating, oh what irony! There was a letter of invitation in one of the guests hand reading "Welcome to the joyous marriage of Christian and **Landlord**!". He picks up the invitation "Ah, I did have an invitation, guess i can join the party then". He walks to landlord and sits still with a face of disgust. Then walks to the body not yet digested. "You had to choose that *person* didn't you, but I don't blame you" he said with a look of satisfaction. "No, its not your fault at all, it's mine". "But now your a higher being I can truly admire, something I can carry over in my heart in conjunction with it beating". He finally stops to look one last time behind him at the red bricked building before he walks away from the party, the chirping, and sings. "La, la, la".

Want to browse anonymously?