Best laptop for writers (March 2023): the 10 best laptops for authors and journalists
We review the best laptop for writers around today
The best laptop for writers doesn't need to be particularly powerful. Unlike photographers, graphic designers, and video editors, authors, journalists, and copywriters do not require as much power in their notebooks to see them through an entire day's work. However, it still needs to tick a few items on the list.
After all, writers need just as much focus on their creative process as other creative professionals, and nothing should get in the way of that – except perhaps the occasional cat cuddles.
To do so, writers need the right tools, including a laptop that caters to their needs. But what exactly makes an outstanding laptop for writers?
To make our choices below, we've looked at laptops with an excellent display, with the amount of brightness and blue light filter – just the ticket for making staring at that laptop screen for hours more pleasant.
A comfortable and satisfying keyboard is even more critical, as is a responsive and accurate trackpad, because they are what a writer uses the most. Of course, it also doesn't hurt to have a thin and light design, an all-day battery life, and a superb camera , especially if they're working remotely or doing fieldwork.
Keeping all this in mind, we've gathered the best laptops for writers in 2023. Our top picks are from the best 2-in-1 laptops to the best MacBooks and Windows laptops .
Check out the included price comparison tool for the best laptop deals .
The best laptop for writers of 2023 in full
Why you can trust TechRadar Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .
1. Google Pixelbook Go
Specifications, reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.
Google Pixelbook Go may not be the most powerful Google Chromebook – that title belongs to Google Pixelbook – but it is currently the best Chromebook in our view. It’s also still plenty powerful without the premium price.
Additionally, it has a few things going for it beyond the specs. Its battery life, for instance, is a little over 11 hours, so you can write for ten hours and still have enough juice left for unwinding with a good Netflix show. It also boasts an incredible keyboard, perfect for long hours of typing, and that rare 1080p webcam so you come out sharp as a tack when video conferencing with clients.
Microsoft may have sacrificed some useful features for the price, but overall, this is an excellent laptop for writers.
Read the full review: Google Pixelbook Go
2. Surface Laptop 4
Our expert review:
As writers, we know what it takes for a laptop to be an excellent portable for wordsmiths, and we recommend this new entry to Microsoft’s Surface line. It comes with a comfortable keyboard, a stunning screen, and an Alcantara finish that helps make typing a more luxurious experience.
Writers who travel a lot or prefer to work at cafes will appreciate its lightness. At just 0.57 inches thick and weighing in at just 2.79 pounds (1.3 kg), it makes it a breeze to carry around in your bag while commuting. But even with the Surface Laptop 4 being so thin, it still feels incredibly robust.
Freelancers will also love that it’s affordable. Its insufficient ports cannot stop this from being a great laptop for writers.
Read the full review: Surface Laptop 4
3. MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
Apple first rolled out its much-talked-about M1 silicon chip on the MacBook Air (M1, 2020), and so far, it’s been a real game-changer, especially for creative professionals who swear by MacBooks for their daily workload.
While still the company’s thinnest and lightest laptop for writers, this M1-powered Air is more powerful than ever, touting a performance worthy of video and photo editing, let alone seeing writers through that book or those articles they’re working on.
That’s without mentioning its brilliant battery life, which is a boon for those always on the road. According to Apple, you'll enjoy up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing or up to 18 hours of video. That's a full day's work before needing to plug it in - especially handy if you're regularly on the move.
Read the full review: MacBook Air (M1, 2020) This laptop has been updated with an M2 model . We will update this guide shortly.
4. HP Spectre x360 14-inch
Everyone is on the 14-inch bandwagon, including HP’s flagship line, the Spectre x360. The older 13-inch model has always secured a place in the best laptop guides, so it’s no surprise that the 14-inch is following in its footsteps.
This new model comes with the same attractive gem-cut design and prowess, if just a bit more, thanks to the Tiger Lake chips that power it – only, it comes with a larger screen and, therefore, more screen real estate.
Just the ticket for authors, journalists, and bloggers who need to spread out, whether they’re writing their next piece, doing research, or fact-checking. Upgrade to the OLED touch display model, which boasts a 3K2K screen, and not only is there even more screen space, but any media consumption after work is even more immersive thanks to the stunning OLED-quality visuals.
Read our HP Spectre x360 review
5. Asus Chromebook Flip
Before Google rolled out the Pixelbook and showed us exactly what the best Chromebooks should be, the Asus Chromebook Flip was the Google laptop a lot of Google laptops aspired to be.
The Asus Chromebook Flip was certainly a game-changer with a full Intel Core processor and a full-HD display. These days, in the shadow of the Google Pixelbook, the Asus Chromebook Flip is the best Chromebook for you if you want the Pixelbook’s key features but cannot afford its steep price.
The Asus Chromebook Flip has been specifically designed for tablet use, with a clever magnetic clasp that pulls the screen lid tight to the notebook's underside. This neat detail helps the 2-in-1 Chromebook feel like one solid machine rather than a foldable electronic one.
If you're on a budget, this is one of the best Asus laptops .
Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip
6. Dell XPS 15 (2021)
The Dell XPS 15 is back and better than ever, this time around offering a great leap in specs with the RTX 3050, RT 3050Ti, and 3.5K OLED display options – not to mention up to 8TB of storage (though note in the UK and Australia you'll be limited to 2TB.)
Dell is gunning for that pro-level status here, perhaps to compete with Apple’s M1-powered offerings, and it’s almost there.
This model, even the OLED configuration, is snappy and can see you through the more modest creative workloads. Although the RTX 3050/3050Ti graphics are a bit underwhelming in performance, this is still a terrific companion to creative pros looking for a PC they can travel with. Go for the OLED version, and you’re also getting an incomparable, stunning visual experience.
Read our Dell XPS 15 OLED (2021) review
7. Acer Swift 3
Beyond the Acer Swift 3's modest exterior, you'll find an excellent laptop with plenty of power for work and study. The Swift 3 (not to be confused with the Switch 3, another laptop from Acer) is inexpensive; however, that plain chassis is all aluminum and packed with beefy components.
In terms of performance, it gets surprisingly close to the far more expensive Microsoft Surface Laptop. Its display is a little lower-res, but the two are strikingly similar - other than the price.
This laptop is also incredible to use, with its roomy trackpad and backlit keyboard that offers a comfortable typing experience with decent travel. If you're going to be writing a lot – whether traveling or at the office, this is one of the best laptops for writing on offer.
Read the full review: Acer Swift 3
8. Surface Pro 8
The Surface Pro line has struggled for a few years due to its aging design and Microsoft’s refusal to give it a proper, much-needed overhaul. Luckily, the Surface Pro 8 has changed all that.
Microsoft finally took the aging design and completely modernized it with a gorgeous new look, a bigger display, and, finally, Thunderbolt 4. It also comes with the new Windows 11 operating system pre-installed and one of the best webcams we’ve used on a laptop.
Sadly, it’s not without its share of flaws – the battery life, for example, is a paltry 6-hour affair, which is a disappointment. However, those who’ve been waiting a few years to upgrade their Surface Pro won’t find that a deal-breaker. The price increase might leave some to reconsider, however.
Read our Surface Pro 8 review
How to choose the best laptop for writers for you
When choosing the best laptop for writers, there are several key factors you'll want to consider when weighing up your options. First and foremost, have a budget in mind. Given the wide range in costs, this could immediately whittle down the options, allowing you to focus only on those you're able and willing to afford.
Next, consider any platform preferences you have. Used to working with Windows? Will you only consider Apple? Happy to go for Google? This factor will ensure you're only looking in the right place.
After that, consider what you'll be using it for. Generally, writers may not necessarily need the fastest processing speeds or heftiest storage options. Still, journalists who are also expected to store and edit imagery may need more powerful machines.
If so, consider features like CPU , graphics, RAM, and storage capacity. Finally, think about other features you might find useful. Those regularly on the move may want something robust but light, while others may find use in the versatility provided by laptops that can convert to tablet form, too.
The best laptop for writers: How we test
With a wealth of options for the best laptop for writers, we've aimed to provide a thorough rundown of the top options on the market. We've done this by pitting each laptop's key features against each other, analyzing speed, power, storage, graphics, and screen size.
Given the particular requirements of writers and journalists, however, we've also made a point to note other factors that could prove key in your decision-making. As many writers spend a lot of time in front of their screens, we've looked at what each laptop's display offers, including whether additional considerations like blue light filers are included.
For the same reason, we've also considered ease of use and comfort, trackpad performance, port and storage options, and - for those regularly on the move - we've also tested each laptop's battery life and portability.
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Muskaan is TechRadar’s UK-based Computing writer. She has always been a passionate writer and has had her creative work published in several literary journals and magazines. Her debut into the writing world was a poem published in The Times of Zambia, on the subject of sunflowers and the insignificance of human existence in comparison. Growing up in Zambia, Muskaan was fascinated with technology, especially computers, and she's joined TechRadar to write about the latest GPUs, laptops and recently anything AI related. If you've got questions, moral concerns or just an interest in anything ChatGPT or general AI, you're in the right place. Muskaan also somehow managed to install a game on her work MacBook's Touch Bar, without the IT department finding out (yet).
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The 10 Best Writing Apps of 2023
Useful tools for novelists, playwrights, editors, and other wordy types.
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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 .
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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 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 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 $45.00 or $38.25 for students.
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 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 $249.99. The program works with both macOS and Windows and also offers a mobile app for iOS devices.
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 $12.99 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.
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.
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Best Writing Tools: Top 15 Every Writer Needs
Hannah Yang
Speculative Fiction Author
Writing is rarely easy, whether you’re working on a book, an essay, a blog post, or any other type of writing.
A great writing tool can’t do the actual writing for you, but it can definitely make the process a lot easier.
There are three main categories of tools that writers find useful:
- Word processing and editing tools
- Productivity and organization tools
- Office and workspace tools
If you’re looking for the best writing tools in any of these categories, you’ve come to the right place!
We’ve looked at reviews of products in each category to figure out which ones are worth investing in. Some of these writing tools are free, while others require a subscription or an upfront fee.
Without further ado, here’s a collection of some of the best tools that every writer needs.
Best Writing Tools for Writers
Best productivity tools for writers, best office tools for writers, what to look for in the best writing tools, conclusion on the best writing tools.
There are countless apps, websites, and other types of writing software that can help you with the actual process of writing and editing your work.
These tools can help you polish your prose, organize your thoughts, and so much more.
1. ProWritingAid
Cost: Free, or around $70/year for the Premium version
Why we love it: It transforms your writing from good to great
ProWritingAid isn’t just your average grammar checker—it’s the best writing software on the market today.
In addition to catching grammar mistakes, it keeps an eye on clichés and makes sure your sentence structure flows well. It also plucks out passive writing and scores your writing for readability, showing you where you can improve your style.
The free version lets you edit up to 500 words at a time, but the premium version lets you analyze as many words as you want, with over 20 different reports—more than any other editing software.
2. Scrivener
Cost: $49 for a lifetime license
Why we love it: It gives you a bird’s-eye view of your project
Scrivener is a book writing software that’s designed specifically for larger projects. If you’re tackling a big project, the organization features of Scrivener will ensure everything goes to plan.
In addition to being a word processor, it also lets you set goals, rearrange scenes, and more.
You can keep track of your writing style with a neat integration between ProWritingAid and Scrivener, which work very well together. ProWritingAid imports your Scrivener folder into its platform and gives you a detailed analysis of how you’re writing.
3. Evernote
Cost: Free, or $8.99/month for the Pro version
Why we love it: It lets you organize all your writing ideas in one place
Evernote is a writing app that helps you organize your ideas and research.
You can collect all your sources of inspiration, keep track of your to-do lists, and jot down story ideas all in one place.
The Pro version even lets you sync your notes between all your devices. That way, you can work on your writing projects while you’re on the go without needing to import them to your laptop when you get home.
Cost: Free, or $5.99/month or $39.99/year for the Pro version
Why we love it: It’s a great alternative to Evernote
Like Evernote, Ulysses is a note taking app that lets you organize your thoughts.
Ulysses also includes a binder-like sidebar that lets you move documents around easily, so you can keep all your thoughts organized.
Ulysses is better for Mac users than Evernote, but it’s currently less popular.
5. Reedsy Book Editor
Cost: Free!
Why we love it: It lets you see what your published book will look like while you’re still writing it
The Reedsy Book Editor is a free book writing software that also handles formatting and conversion while you write. It’s especially useful for authors who want to self-publish their books.
It’s a free alternative to expensive book formatting softwares like Atticus and Vellum, which charge a large fee to format your manuscript.
6. Hemingway
Why we love it: It’s one of the most useful free editing tools
The Hemingway app is a free writing software that checks your work for readability.
When you run your work through the Hemingway editor, it will highlight sentences that are dense or overly complex, so you can find ways to shorten them. It also highlights passive voice, overused adverbs, and any other weaknesses that might make your work harder to read.
Some of the Hemingway editor’s suggestions can be a bit hit-or-miss, but it’s still a fun style editor to try.
7. Grammarly
Cost: Free, or $30/month, $60/quarter, or $144/year for the Premium version
Why we love it: It catches your typos and grammar errors
Like ProWritingAid, Grammarly is a grammar checker that can catch your spelling and grammar mistakes.
Some of Grammarly’s top features include its plagiarism detector, its spell check, and its grammar check. It offers style suggestions related to wordy sentences, repetitive words, incorrect comma usage, and more.
It also includes a plagiarism checker, which will let you know if your work resembles any currently published written works.
8. Novel Factory
Cost: $75/year for the basic version, $198/year for the standard version, or $600/year for the Premium version
Why we love it: It helps creative writers develop characters, plot, story world, and more
Novel Factory is a word processor that can help you write your novel. It offers several features to help novelists develop elements of their stories.
For example, the Plot Manager includes plot templates for popular genres, while the character developer can help you flesh out your character’s archetype, motivation, and more.
9. Google Docs
Why we love it: It allows real-time collaboration with editors, beta readers, and fellow writers
If you’re working on a collaboration, Google Docs is one of the best options alongside ProWritingAid and Dropbox. Multiple writers can work on the same document at the same time.
Let’s say you want to get feedback on your writing from a critique partner or a beta reader. If you invite them to your Google Docs file, you can watch as they leave comments, in-line edit suggestions, and even emoji reactions on specific passages of your work.
10. Microsoft Word
Cost: around $100/year for the entire Microsoft Office suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
Why we love it: Most writers know how to use it already
Microsoft Word is one of the most widely used word processors. This simple but effective writing app is useful for all kinds of writing projects.
Its user interface is easy to use and navigate. The Track Changes feature makes it easy to edit other people’s stories, while also giving them the choice to accept or reject those changes.
A grammar guru, style editor, and writing mentor in one package.
Carving out time to write can be just as difficult as actually writing. These productivity and organization tools can help you stay focused and take control of your own schedule.
11. Freedom
Cost: $29/year for the Pro version
Why we love it: We’re easily distracted
Have you ever set aside time to work on a writing project, and then found yourself scrolling through social media instead?
If you’re easily distracted, like us, the Freedom app is a must-have. This tool lets you block social media, email, or whatever apps and websites you choose.
Freedom is the perfect tool for distraction free writing. You can even schedule recurring focus mode sessions in advance.
12. Marinara Timer
Why we love it: It lets you time your writing sprints
The Pomodoro Technique is a well-known technique for improving your productivity. It suggests working for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break.
Many writers use timed writing sessions, also known as “writing sprints,” to hit their word count goals more quickly and effectively. Some use the 25/5-minute Pomodoro Technique, while others prefer longer or shorter sprints.
The Marinara Timer is a great website for timing your writing sprints. You can use the automatic Pomodoro Timer, or you can set your own custom writing sprint lengths.
13. To Doist
Cost: Free, or $48/year for the Pro version
Why we love it: There’s nothing more satisfying than crossing something off a to-do list
To Doist is a task manager app that lets you organize your tasks in a simple and intuitive way.
You can break large tasks into subtasks, organize your tasks into projects, and even share your projects with other people.
To Doist also offers project templates that can help you get started if you don’t know what tasks you need to accomplish.
14. Acuity Scheduling
Cost: $14/month for the Emerging option, $23/month for the Growing option, or $45/month for the Powerhouse option
Why we love it: It lets you take control of your own schedule
Acuity Scheduling is an easy way to streamline your calendar and create appointments for customers.
If you’re a freelance writer who works with clients, editors, or coworkers, Acuity’s customized scheduling page can be a lifesaver. It lets you keep your schedule organized by automating processes.
It also lets you create your own client intake forms, so you can collect all the information you need upfront.
Cost: Free, or $10/month for the Pro version
Why we love it: It can make your home office sound like a gentle rainforest
Noisli lets you write to a soundtrack of your choice. You can choose anything from the sound of a crackling fire to the sound of ocean tides.
These background sounds can mask annoying noises in your workspace and help you stay focused on what you’re writing.
If you choose a sound that you associate with your work in progress—for example, if you listen to birdsong while writing a poem about birds—Noisli can even help improve your creativity.
So far in this article, we’ve focused on digital tools and other types of writing software. However, it’s just as critical to create a good work environment in your physical workspace.
Here are some physical tools you can use to optimize your workspace.
16. Ergonomic Writing Desk
Cost: $200–$800
Why we love it: It’s an easy replacement for a workout
An ergonomic desk ensures you sit at a healthy angle, with enough room for your legs and knees. It prevents your back from hunching unnaturally, and can help you avoid joint pain, heart disease, and other long-term health problems.
You can choose a desk that has a standing option and a sitting option, so you can stretch your legs from time to time. That way, you can even burn extra calories.
Okay, so it’s not actually a replacement for a workout. You should still take time to exercise.
But if you’re worried about spending too much time sitting down, an ergonomic writing desk will certainly help.
17. Ergonomic Keyboard
Cost: $50–$200
Why we love it: It can prevent wrist injury
An ergonomic keyboard is a keyboard designed to minimize muscle strain, fatigue, and other potential health problems.
There are many options for a great writing keyboard. You should consider whether you want a wireless or corded keyboard, whether you need automatic backlighting, and which keyboard is most comfortable for you.
Some popular keyboard options for writers include the Microsoft Sculpt and the Logitech K780. If you’re typing all day, it’s worth investing in a keyboard that works well for you.
18. Blue Light Computer Glasses
Cost: $20–$100
Why we love it: You might get a headache without them
If you spend a long time staring at a computer screen, it’s a great idea to invest in computer glasses.
Blue-light blocking glasses can reduce eye strain and prevent migraines. They also make it easier to fall asleep at night.
19. Rocketbook Notebook
Cost: $20–$40
Why we love it: You can use the same notebook for the rest of your life
The Rocketbook notebook is a digital notebook that lets you convert your handwritten notes into a digital format. You can upload each page directly into an app, so if you like to write stories or essays by hand, they will be easy to read afterwards.
Best of all, Rocketbook notebooks are reusable, so you can use the same one for life.
20. Livescribe Pen
Cost: about $100
Why we love it: It uploads your handwritten notes in a digital format
The Livescribe Symphony Smartpen is a digital pen that captures everything you write and draw in a digital format.
It even records audio and plays the recording back for you, which can make note taking a lot easier.
If you like writing by hand but also do a lot of your work on a laptop, the Livescribe pen can help you access all your work in one place.
Here are five things to consider when deciding whether a writing tool is right for you.
1. Top Features
The best writing tools are the ones that have all the features you want and need. It’s better to spend some money on a piece of writing software that truly helps you than one that doesn’t live up to the hype.
Ask yourself: What makes this particular tool stand out from the crowd? How can it help me transform my writing?
2. Cost-Effectiveness
Nobody has an endless budget, so it’s important to prioritize the tools that will give you the most bang for your buck.
Expensive tools often have special features that others lack. Sometimes it's worth investing in the pricier option, while other times you can get the results you need with a cheaper alternative.
3. User-Friendliness
There’s no point buying a tool that you can’t figure out how to use.
Some tools have a steep learning curve, while others are very user-friendly. If you don’t like working out how to use new tools, look for ones that are easy to learn and let you hit the ground running.
4. Customization Options
No two writers are exactly alike. You might be writing a lighthearted, comedic memoir, or a dark mystery novel—or maybe even both.
Ideally, you want to invest in tools you can customize to suit your preferences. Look for versatile tools that suit your unique situation.
5. Integration Options
You want to choose software that integrates smoothly into your writing routine. For example, ProWritingAid can integrate into your favorite software, like Microsoft Word, Scrivener, Final Draft, or any website on your favorite web browser.
If it doesn’t work well with the other apps you use, you’ll be signing up for a major headache every time you switch from one to the other.
There you have it—the 15 best writing tools and 5 best office tools that every writer should know about.
Choosing the right tools can help you curate an end-to-end writing process that works for you. You might write your project in Scrivener and edit it with ProWritingAid while listening to a soundtrack from Noisli, all on your favorite ergonomic keyboard.
What are your favorite writing tools? Let us know in the comments.
Happy writing!
Hannah is a speculative fiction writer who loves all things strange and surreal. She holds a BA from Yale University and lives in Colorado. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her painting watercolors, playing her ukulele, or hiking in the Rockies. Follow her work on hannahyang.com or on Twitter at @hannahxyang.
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Last updated on Feb 07, 2023
The 22 Best Writing Tools of 2023: A Guide for Writers
Before the computer there was the typewriter, and before the typewriter there was pen and paper, and before pen and paper there were plenty of other lost tools of writing — like clay, papyrus, wood, slate, parchment, and, of course, pens made out of reeds. (Fun fact: the name “Reedsy” is inspired by the “reed pen,” which was used as early as 800 B.C. for documentation).
As you can tell by now, the act of writing has been a part of human culture from the days of chiseling stories onto the walls of caves — and as we have evolved, so have our writing tools . In fact, today’s writers and storytellers are spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding which tools to use.
The following list details our favorite writing tools and resources for taking any idea through to its written conclusion. If you want to cut straight to the chase and find out which is the right writing app for you, we recommend taking this quick 30-second quiz.
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Writing tools
We all know Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so we’re not going to waste your time giving those two a run-down in our list. Below are four other word processors you might not know about, and that are worth checking out.
1. Reedsy Book Editor
Cost: Free Does “fake it ‘til you make it” ring true to you? Well, the Reedsy Book Editor is a free, online word processor that formats your book as you write. See your drafts automatically turn into a professional-looking, ready-to-publish manuscript — and allow this glimpse of your work as the final product spur your motivation to write.
It comes with an automatic spell-checker — and a built-in goal reminder system to get you back into shape if you find that you're falling behind on your writing schedule! Another one of the Reedsy Book Editor’s best functions is that it lets you instantly typeset your manuscript to EPUB and print-ready PDF files.
Check it out if: if you want a writing tool that takes care of formatting and conversion for you.
Cost: Free Do you like a helpful tap on the shoulder, reminding you about something you need to do? Well, you’ll likely enjoy Draft then, because the book writing software not only keeps track of how many words you write per day, it can also email you daily reminders about your daily word count goals. (Of course, if this sounds a little too “hands-on” for you, you can always turn the reminder function off).
Other than that, Draft functions a lot like Google Docs: allowing you to track changes, collaborate via suggested edits, and make comments on the doc.
Check it out if: you like Google Docs, but want an even simpler interface.
3. LibreOffice
Cost: Free Yes, we did say that we wouldn’t mention Microsoft Word, because by now everyone knows that it’s a useful writing tool. But we didn’t say we wouldn’t mention its free counterpart: LibreOffice .
LibreOffice is the open source answer for people who want to try Microsoft without paying the price tag. (Open source means that the software is built on code that anyone can inspect and enhance). Plus it’s compatible with all of the regular file types people are used to, such as .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, and .pptx files.
Check it out if: you like a classic word processor — and moreover, a free one.
Cost: $50 (or try a 30-day free trial) The people behind Mellel don’t just know word processing — they also know catchy, memorable marketing. Their description of why writers should choose Mellel starts like this: “Mellel is a writer's dream come true. To start, it is exceedingly boring: it just works, day in and day out, reliably. An enormous number of people used Mellel to write and they all report that their journey with Mellel was boring and uneventful. As well it should. In other words, it does all the mundane bits, and leaves the creative stuff to you.”
Mellel is not free (and note that it’s only for Mac). In return for the price tag, you’ll get more book-specific tools than other, perhaps more traditional word processors — such as outlining and bibliography-making functions. And, judging by the witty, funny copy on Mellel’s website, Mellel makes the process of writing much more fun than they let on.
Check it out if: you’re a Mac user who wants more than the Pages app offers.
Organization tools
Plotters tend to finish their writing projects quicker than pantsers — simply because when they hit a wall, they have their notes or outlines to reference, allowing them to jump straight over that hurdle and hit the ground running. P.S. You can grab a free template for your book outline here in this comprehensive guide to outlining .
The following resources will help you keep your thoughts organized so that any bouts of writer’s block don’t slow you down.
5. Milanote
Cost: Free for basic plan or $12.50/month for premium. Milanote is an easy-to-use creative writing app to organize your research, ideas, characters and outline in one place.
The vast majority of novelist-oriented writing software is organized around the idea of a linear document. But for most people, writing isn’t linear — because thinking isn’t linear. Writing is about gradually getting a jumble of ideas into shape, and Milanote's writing app matches the way writers think.
Check it out if: you're a plotter who likes a flexible workspace to organize ideas and see a birds-eye view of how your story outline is coming together.
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6. Evernote
Cost: free for basic plan or $9.99/month for premium. Its cute, little green elephant logo aside, Evernote is a great and easy-to-use option for writers who could do with a little more organization in their lives.
The app lets you quickly jot down thoughts, record audio notes, save online articles you’re hoping to reference, and it will sync all of this information across all of your Evernote-installed devices. What’s also handy about the app is the collaborative aspect of it: you can create shared accounts, so that multiple people can access saved documents at once.
Check it out if: you’re prone to getting great ideas while on the go, and need somewhere to make sure you don’t forget them by the time you’re home.
Cost: $5/month or $40/year (or try a 14-day free trial) While it’s ultimately a writing tool, one of the best assets of comprehensive programs like Ulysses or Scrivener are their organizational features. At the end of the day, whether you’re writing a blog post or a full-length novel, the seed of an idea doesn’t get too far without the ability to organize that idea into a cohesive piece of writing.
And that’s exactly what Ulysses allows you to do: organize your thoughts into a well-written work. This is accomplished through features like customizable writing goals and deadlines, plain text enhancements, a distraction-free typewriter mode, bookmarks, outlining functions, and more.
Check it out if: you’re working on a lengthy piece of non-fiction, like a blog post or essay. (For a comparison of Scrivener vs. Ulysses, keep reading!)
8. Scrivener
Cost: $45 (or a 30-use free trial) Literature and Latte ’s word processor is a popular writing tool — also, in large part, thanks to its organizational capabilities that seamlessly allow writers to turn fragmented ideas into a fully realized book/script/research paper/or whatever else you’re writing.
Scrivener vs Ulysses Apart from the price (Scrivener charges a one-time licensing fee while Ulysses charges yearly), the two platforms offer many of the same features. So we’ll focus on what makes the two programs different.
- Scrivener’s corkboard function is an absolute favorite for writers who rely on visual aid to help with outlining. The function looks like an actual corkboard, and lets writers pin notes to the board in chronological order.
- Scrivener offers templates for works such as fiction, essays, recipe collections, screenplays, comic books — which gives Scrivener another point for versatility.
- Ulysses boasts an interface that is slightly more clean and simple — so if ease-of-use is high on your priority list, it might be the better option for you.
- Ulysses offers a very helpful WordPress and Medium integration, which bloggers who publish on either of these platforms will love.
Check it out if: you’re working on a longer piece of content (like a book or screenplay) and want one comprehensive place to manage all your work. (And don’t forget to check out our equally as comprehensive review of Scrivener’s newest update : Scrivener 3!)
Productivity tools
Alright, let’s kick things into high gear now. You know what you want to use to write, and your thoughts and ideas are concisely organized. If you’re finding it difficult to buckle down and get the job done (or struggle to write quickly or consistently), these resources will help you realize that Nike manta: just do it.
9. Ommwriter
Cost: free web version or $7 for the full program Do you find the clacking sound of old typewriters satisfying? Do you find soft, neutral colours calming? Does nothing really get you focused quite like a purposeful, long, deep breath? If so, Ommwriter might be the tool to help you reach your goal. As the site’s tagline reads, Ommwriter is “a perfect place to think and write.”
With soothing background noises, customizable keyboard noises, and peaceful backgrounds to choose from, Ommwriter could just be the “break” from everything else going on around you that you need to write.
Check it out if: your very best writing ideas come to you while in “savasana.”
10. To Doist
Cost: free or $4/month for premium plan Have you ever woken up in a cold sweat, panicking about something important you forgot to do? Or, god forbid, gripped in dread about how far behind you are on your word-count goals?
Well, To Doist might be able to help. It’s the ultimate app for creating to-do lists — but these aren’t your grandma’s pen-and-paper lists with little check marks beside them (though we mean no offense to your grandma). It lets you get a daily or weekly overview of your tasks, prioritize the tasks that are most important, and even lets you assign tasks to other people if you’re working on a specific goal with other collaborators.
Check it out if: you have never been able to find an agenda that’s souped up enough to keep you on track.
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11. Marinara Timer
Cost: Free The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method meant to promote productivity. In a nutshell, it stipulates that you should work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break, then work for 25 minutes, take another 5-minute break, etc., etc.
The free-to-use Marinara Timer makes this easy for you by alerting you each time your work sessions and breaks are up. It also offers customizable timers in case the 25/5 isn’t quite right for keeping you on track. Fun fact: taking a break to stand up or walk (or do anything but sit!) every hour is also a good way to protect your back if you sit hunched at a computer working for long stretches at a time.
Check it out if: consistent breaks from work help actually keep you focused on the task at hand.
12. Cold Turkey
Cost: Free for basic plan or $20 for premium plan “Meet your match, Zuckerberg,” says Cold Turkey ’s tagline. In case that, paired with the writing tool’s name, doesn’t make it clear enough, Cold Turkey is a program that allows you to completely rid yourself of distraction. And when we say “completely,” we mean completely.
With Cold Turkey, you can block yourself from accessing certain websites — or even your entire computer — for periods at a time, only allowing you to use the current document you’re working on.
Check it out if: “willpower” is not a characteristic you’d ascribe yourself, and the only way for you to get something done is in a totally distraction-free state.
13. Freedom
Cost: $7/month or $29/year (or a 7-use free trial) Apart from pleasantly getting the “freedom” refrain from Aretha Franklin’s “Think” stuck in your head, the Freedom app is another resource that can turn your devices into tools of productivity once more.
It functions like Cold Turkey; however, a unique function of Freedom is the ability to sync your distraction-free periods across all your devices. So if you know that on Tuesdays, you want your computer, phone, and tablet to all block access to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook — you can!
Check it out if: letting other people know not to bother you during your non-negotiable writing time isn’t enough, you need to let yourself know not to interrupt, well, yourself.
Cost: Free If total silence encourages your mind to wander, whereas light sensory action keeps your thoughts on the task at hand, Noisli will be a friend to you. The tool lets you choose from a range of soundtracks, such as rain, coffee shop, wind, lake, and more. You can mix several sounds at once, and choose the volume for each one. So let’s say you want to create the atmosphere of writing by a babbling brook, with a fire crackling next to you, and the moon shining brightly overhead. Noisli will make this happen for you!
Check it out if: you get the most work done with white noise.
Editing tools
If you’re planning to publish a book — or any kind of writing you’re hoping to make a profit from, it’s crucial that your work is thoroughly edited. To that end, working with a professional editor is an investment you should give serious thought to.
In the meantime, here are a few editing tools that can help you out along the way. Hopefully, they’ll either ensure a typo-free draft, so by the time you do work with an editor, they can spend less time fixing small typos and more time on big-picture work, or, if you decide to forego a professional edit, you’ll have the tools to do the best editing job you can.
15. Hemingway
Cost: Free The Hemingway app claims to make your writing “bold and clear.” It has a number of handy features like a word-counter and an automatic readability score. But its real use lies in the features that make suggestions to your prose. For instance, it might highlight a complex sentence that’s hard to read. It also highlights instances of passive voice , qualifiers, and adverbs. Let’s take a look at how this passage from Ernest Hemingway’s very own To Have and Have Not fares:
“Just” is highlighted because it’s a qualifier, and Hemingway suggests, instead: “Be bold. Don’t hedge.” The sentence in red is highlighted as being hard to read. And “probably” is pointed out as an adverb — the app suggests using a forceful verb instead.
Check it out if: you want to bring out your inner Ernie. (Curious what else Hemingway offers? Check out our full review of the app right here .)
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16. Marlowe Pro
Cost: $29.95/mth or $199/year; $45 for single reports
This manuscript assessment tool will provide in-depth feedback on your novel within minutes. Using artificial intelligence, Marlowe can analyze your plot, pacing, story beats, and readability — then provide actionable insights (as well as comp titles ) based on its database of bestsellers across a number of genres.
To try out this AI editor, claim a free report by entering REEDSYFREE at checkout. And for a 15% discount on a Marlowe Pro subscription , enter REEDSY15OFF when prompted at checkout.
Check it out: to take a scientific and methodical approach to your developmental edits.
17. Cliché Finder
Cost: Free Cliché Finder is exactly what it says on the tin: it combs through your writing in search of clichés, and then highlights them for you. It’s not always necessarily a bad thing to use clichés in your writing, but when you do, you want to be purposeful about it (and not to mention aware of it!).
Check it out if: you want to avoid clichés like the plague, and for your book to sell like hotcakes — and the rest is history.
18. Grammarly
Cost: Free Have you ever sent an email, only to realize just as you hit “Send” that you’d made a glaring typo? Well, no more!
Grammarly essentially functions like the spell checker tool from Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but here’s the great part: it’s a plug-in that will work wherever you happen to writing. That means Twitter, Gmail, Google Docs, Facebook — anywhere. Plus it offers vocabulary or alternate word suggestions — for instance, it might suggest you replace “walking aimlessly,” with the word “wandering.” For a more in-dept analysis, check our full Grammarly review .
Check it out if: you’re typo-prone! (Read below for a comparison of Grammarly vs. ProWritingAid.)
19. ProWritingAid
Cost: Free browser extension or $79/year for the full software ProWritingAid is a tool you can install that will proofread and spell check your material for you , no matter where you’re writing. It will also offer suggestions to improve your overall language — outside of just grammatical technicalities. (You can even get 20% off via this special offer !)
ProWritingAid vs Grammarly The two programs offer a lot of the same services, so you might be wondering which one to pick. We have a review of ProWritingAid that dives deep into this comparison, but the main differences are:
- Grammarly is free to use, and while ProWritingAid offers a free Google Chrome plug-in, this free option only offers spell checking services, it won’t make editorial suggestions.
- ProWritingAid is slightly more tailored towards authors, while Grammarly is a slightly better fit for articles and essays. Ultimately, both tools lend a very helpful editing hand, so deciding between the two mostly boils down to the one you enjoy using more.
Check it out if: you want to make sure your writing is as polished as possible.
Workspace tools
At the end of the day, all you really need to write is a pen and paper. All the fancy tools and apps in the world won’t get the words out for you. That being said, creating an environment that’s appealing — and conducive! — to write in can make the whole process more enjoyable, and encourage you to get the job done.
Here are few physical tools to look over if you’re thinking of sprucing up your workspace.
20. Livescribe Pen
Cost: starts at $100 If you prefer writing on paper, but dread the process of transferring your words to a computer, Livescribe will likely be right up your alley. Through Bluetooth technology, the pen can actually transcribe your pen and paper words to your device. What’s more, it can also transcribe voice notes into digital documents for you.
Check it out if: you’ve ever felt envy at Rita Skeeter’s Quick-Quotes Quill in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire .
21. Ergonomic desk setups
Cost: Varies As more and more of the workforce moves to sedentary jobs where the majority of 9am to 5pm is spent sitting — usually hunching — at a computer, a growing number of sitting-related health injuries have been occurring. That’s why looking into more ergonomically friendly desk setups is a good idea for writers who spend long hours at the computer — or even writing in a notebook. This could be a standing desk, or even just a number of textbooks piled under your desktop so that your screen is eye level, resulting in less stress on your shoulders.
Check it out if: you don’t want writing gains to come at the cost of growing back pains.
22. Computer Glasses
Cost: Varies Writers are all familiar with computer-caused eyestrains. Because you blink far less when looking at a screen than you do otherwise, computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a condition people have been developing due to long stretches of staring at a computer.
One way to help alleviate this — other than just making sure to take time looking away from your computer — is to invest in some computer glasses. They typically come in blue or amber shades, and are coated with a protective coating.
There are several brands you can check out, such as Pixel Eyewear or Felix Gray .
Check it out if: you notice itchy or tired eyes after long writing sessions.
Have you tried any of the above writing tools — and if so, which were your favorites? Or maybe you feel there are some great resources missing from this list? Let us know in the comments below!
Mystic says:
24/10/2019 – 03:38
I tried Cliche Finder several times and it found a couple of items in my text, but it didn't highlight where it was at. The rest of the tools here, that I can use since I'm on a strict income, are amazing!
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The Freewrite—and even more so, the Hemingway Edition—is a polarizing device, and perhaps it was always destined to be received thus. In a world of pocket-computers with millions of apps on hand to do everything from control your home's thermostat to calculate the orbit of comets, Hemingwrite is a ludicrously expensive piece of retro technology intended to do only one thing, but do it well: write.
If you feel the need to justify such an indulgence you may sense an uphill battle ahead of you. I, for one, am unapologetic in my perspective. Why spend $800 on a Mont Blanc when a Bic will do? Because I work hard, I can afford it, and I like nice things. Most of all, because I sense the personal value I can find in the object. Hemingwrite is a beautiful tool, in the same sense that a set of finely crafted chisels and planers might be to the artisan woodworker.
I am just old enough that when typing-up reports in primary school, it sometimes happened on an electric typewriter. I am also no stranger to mechanical typewriters; I still have my father's old Adler (though good luck finding ribbons for it). Nevertheless, that same father was also forward-thinking enough to buy me a Macintosh for Christmas back when they were still all-in-one, little beige boxes. I have subsequently been doing my writing in full-featured software programs for virtually all of my adult life. To go back to a device with minimal editing functionality has been a bit of a culture shock. Or a paradigm shift. Or just plain disconcerting. Call it what you will. The bottom line is this: it takes some getting used to, but for certain styles of writing, I am beginning to feel it really is the best method.
I have learned that the modern school of composition favors the separation of drafting and editing into two distinct activities—something I was never previously taught. However, as I use the Hemingwrite more, the new lesson is starting to make a lot of sense.
Much lip service is paid to Freewrite being a "distraction-free" writing environment. Freedom from your web browser, from Facebook notifications and Twitter and attention-demanding email messages are often cited. If I'm being honest, I have never been terribly active on social media, and could not care less about any of that. For me, the Internet has rarely been much of a distraction from writing on a computer. What has been a major distraction, ironically enough, is my own previous writing. When I open a project in Ulysses, for example, with the intention of writing a new section, I often find myself drawn into older portions of the text. I am tempted to read and reread my previous work, making minor adjustments as I go. Last week's Me is my own worst enemy when it comes to unleashing creativity. Hemingwrite frees me from that trap and makes me focus on drafting new material when such is my immediate goal. My computer, with its more featureful editors, is still here, but it is a different tool for a different job.
I had owned Hemingwrite less than two weeks when Astrohaus sent me a charming email notification, informing me I had already crossed the 10,000 word mark. It had seemed effortless. If I were to maintain that rate, it would be the equivalent, in word count, of finishing (if not in itself completing) a full-length novel in about four months. That alone may stand as testament to the productivity this device represents for the crafter of prose.
Hemingwrite makes you want to sit down and Just Write. I cannot think of higher praise.
I wondered how something so small could do so much and I am still in awe as I get used to being able to "just write." No distractions. I love it. Yes, it was expensive but worth every penny of the stress-free, no distraction working time. I am happy to have the Traveler.
I didn’t realize how often I got distracted when writing. I thought I had willpower. It isn’t just the fact this device can’t go online and access distractions though, there’s something immersive about enjoying the typing process. This keyboard reminds me of the keyboards I used many years ago. It’s satisfying typing on the traveler. I find myself enjoying the entire process of writing. It has also helped me progress, I thought not being able to search up and down in my manuscript would bother me — it’s the other way around. Now I’m not wasting time trying to find perfect words, or reworking a single scene. I’m writing forwards. If I want to look back, page up is all I need. If I need a refresher, I email it to myself and I can open the document in Word. I was sceptical, and now I’m glad I made the purchase.
I've boon looking at the Traveler since the kickstarter, but couldn't justify the expense. I finally treated myself and I'm so happy. It's easy to use. My word count has doubled. I'm in love!
So, I took the financial plunge and bought the Traveler. And it was worth every single penny. I am wonderfully pleased with the speed I am writing. I got two thousand words in one sitting (my goal for daily writing). I hadn't done that in a LONG time. The scissor-switch keyboard is fabulous to type on as well. I assumed my one issue with the device was going to be the E-Ink delay. The truth is, it actually heightens my speed. It's hard to explain how, but it just does. I use folder "A" for novel writing, "B" for short stories, and "C" for journaling. I absolutely love this device, and I plan to pick up the Smart Typewriter sometime soon!
You don't realize how many distractions you have while you're trying to write. This takes care of that. Works simply.
I am absolutely obsessed, will be using this for years to come!
When Freewrite kept popping up on my social media feed, I thought, "What IS this? What kind of idiot would spend that kind of money on this?" As it turns out, *this* kind of idiot.
Freewrite breaks the outcome dependency writers have developed with the advent of computers. We all believe we should -- and need to -- get it right on the first draft, because the technology is there to make that possible. And we're foolish to think, "Nah, just write." Freewrite is all about, "Nah, just write."
It's the ideal writing tool for touch typists. Ever since buying my first Freewrite, I write effortlessly because I've changed my approach to writing. I don't pay attention to what lands on the page, the focus is all on the words inside my head and my fingers simply transcribe. Freewrite is a necessary tool that reminds me the first draft isn't about perfection, it's about forward momentum, keeping the conduit to creativity open and flowing.
What you've created is the equivalent of a luxury sports car for writing. It fosters speed and maximum output. On a Freewrite, I don't look down as I type. Instead I look up, centering myself in the present moment rather than on the screen, which is what computers do -- they force you to define your world by the screen.
Touch typing on the Traveler is like pressing pats of butter -- it's a delicious sensation. I crave writing on it and I miss it when I'm on my computer working.
In a world of disposable junk, you are building writing tools for the ages. I'm glad I stopped doubting and gave Freewrite a try.
It is just so easy to write and to keep writing with this device. Yes, editing really isn’t something you do with this, which is definitely a limitation. But if you are a person who drafts high volume stuff frequently, this is the perfect tool.
I am someone who writes a lot, but not for fiction. Having an "eTypewriter" nearby (in my case, The Traveler) helps me when inspiration / ideas strike! It's especially great to have multiple folders with numerous individual documents that I can access and move between easily. And, I really love that "send" button , which lets me deposit drafts directly in my inbox as a PDF and .txt. file. Such a great investment!
It is a wordless kind of pleasure I feel as I type, really, a joy! I have the Freewrite Original (3rd generation) and couldn’t be happier. The keys have just the right feel. The front light saves me from having to turn on my light when i wake at 2 am. And it is so beautiful, I am ever drawn to it. Simple, elegant and serves its function oh so well. Thank you!
I love my Traveler. I admit that I have been used to writing AND editing simultaneously, so using the Traveler has required me to change up my process a bit. But it has been worth it! The Traveler really can go anywhere you need it to, and I much prefer pulling it out to jot down story ideas than having scraps of paper floating around. I've found synchronizing with Evernote to be really straightforward. Definitely happy with my purchase.
It has quickly become my prized possession. I take it with me everywhere and it amped up my creativity and productivity x1000! It took me a long time to take the plunge and make the purchase, but I have zero regrets. It is probably the best purchase I’ve ever made for myself.
I love writing on it. It comfortable on the hands and eyes. Getting my messy thoughts and ideas down and cleaning it up afterwards has helped write more and more.
I love, love, love my traveler! It's fairly simple to use after a brief glance at the instructions, it has incredible battery life, and I can switch between projects with simple click of a button. The only thing I wish it had was a backlight but otherwise, fantastic!
Cloud Backups
Never worry about saving or syncing again. Freewrite devices automatically sync to Dropbox, Google Drive & Evernote.
E Ink Display
Spend less time staring at harsh backlit screens. Freewrite's unique E Ink display reflects light just like real paper.
Full-Size Mechanical Keyboard
You'll love our supple mechanical keys that make typing with Freewrite unforgettable.
Shop Freewrite Devices
Freewrite is a dedicated drafting device for anyone who writes, without the distraction – or temptation – of browsers, apps, or notifications.
Get in writing flow and develop more prolific writing sessions by separating the drafting and editing processes. When it is time to edit, your drafts wirelessly sync to the cloud for export into your software of choice.
Push your productivity forward and tap into writing joy!
Just Publishing Advice For Writers and Authors
Free self-publishing advice, how to guides and tips
50 Free Writing Software Tools And The Best 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.
Your free writing 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 free writing software online, but you want writing apps that work best for you and your writing process and style.
With online writing software, I always start with a free version to make sure a new app does what I want it to do.
Very often, a free app will do everything I need.
But yes, sometimes I opt for a premium version to get all the features if it is really a fantastic tool.
It doesn’t matter if you are an author, a blogger, or an article writer.
Choosing the best tools for your writing needs will save you time, effort, and lots of money.
Free apps and writing software for students are a huge bonus.
They will help you at school, college or university.
For every type of writer, here are some of the very best free to use and freemium apps for you to make your choice.
Scan through my list of the best free writing software and apps below.
See if you can find a few new favorites to download for your laptop or to use online.
Please note that this page contains some affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you purchase a product from this page.
6 Free writing apps for accuracy
The most essential writing app you always need must be a reliable grammar corrector and a spellchecker.
There are a lot of online apps to check, correct, and improve your writing.
For every writer, the options will be different depending on your writing style and needs. There is no one best or better choice.
Some writers might only need a simple online checker for blog posts, articles, or essays.
But for a content writer or author, it is different. You are probably looking for more developed programs and options.
In my case, I always use two programs to check my writing.
I use one for grammar and spelling and another for writing style and readability. It always pays to check and double-check your writing and sentence structure before you publish it online.
Here are six of the most popular free grammar apps to get you on your way. Each one will help you improve the quality and accuracy of your writing.
Try them all to see which one or two work best for you and your style or type of writing.
1. Prowritingaid – Free and Premium
Prowritingaid is one of my favorite writing checkers. I use it every single day of the week.
You can use the free version of ProWritingAid.
It offers you a lot of functionality to help you write more accurately online using a simple Chrome extension to check your grammar and spelling.
Are you an author? Then you should consider all the editing and checking tools that are available with this app.
It is a superb writing aid for authors and writers of long-form content articles.
There are over twenty different writing analysis tools and reports in the premium version. These will give you a huge range of suggestions to improve your writing.
There are also easy to use extensions available for Chrome, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener too.
It is my number one go-to editing tool when I need to work intensively on very long documents such as long-form articles or book manuscripts.
You can also read my full Prowritingaid review.
2. Grammarly – Free and Premium
Without a doubt, Grammarly is the number one online grammar checker.
For a lot of writers, it’s one of the best writing apps around.
I have used Grammarly for years now.
It is one online writing tool that I always have switched on in Chrome to use with my WordPress editor.
It works with so many sites, platforms, software, and applications. So it is always on and always helping me correct my writing in real-time.
Grammarly has a desktop app. It also has a plugin for Word in Microsoft Office for PC users.
You can use it in any web browser, with WordPress, and even on your social media sites. It also works on mobile devices as well as with an iOS Grammarly Keyboard app.
There is also support for Google Docs, but this feature is still in beta.
No matter what, when, or where you are writing, Grammarly is always helping you write better and more accurately.
The browser version of Grammarly works very well for most users. But for more advanced features to help you in your writing process, there is a premium version available.
You can read more in my Grammarly review .
3. Ginger – Free and Premium
Ginger Grammar is another very popular grammar checker.
There is a free Chrome extension, and it works similarly to most of the other popular online checkers.
There is also a sentence rephraser and vocabulary enhancement tools.
But where Ginger shines is in its ability to find and fix incorrectly spelled (or spelt) words depending on the context.
Try it to see how Ginger contextual correction works.
4. 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.
Read more about this app in my Hemingway Editor review.
5. 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 it is an excellent tool to check and correct your writing.
There is also a free Chrome extension you can try.
6. Grammar Lookup – Free
Grammar 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.
It is the default writing tool for many writers, bloggers, and authors. But it is definitely not cheap.
Depending on your country, the annual license for Office 356 can range from $60 – $100.
If you want to buy the one-time purchase version, which is called Office Home & Student, it can cost you as much as $150.
Microsoft Office is, as its name implies, software for office use. It includes Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint, and other programs. You will never use these software programs for creative writing.
Do you need to pay for all these extra programs to have a word processor to write a blog post, article, or short story?
What is the best word processor for writers? Are there free writing software tools equal to Word?
Yes. If you want to write, you can always find great word processors that cost you nothing to use. Often they come with many other options and tools that are better suited for writers.
Most of them will be suitable for your writing goals and any form of short creative writing project.
But you should note that a word processor is not the best app for writing a book. You can find better programs for authors in the next section of this article.
1. Google Docs – Free
Like Microsoft Office, Google Docs is a suite of office tools. The big difference, of course, is that Google Docs is available for free online.
If you are familiar with Word, you will have no problem at all adapting to Docs, which is the word processor component.
All the formatting options are very similar, as is the user interface.
Unlike some word processors, Docs has a word count so you can keep track of your word count goal.
I know that many writers, particularly content writers, use Google Docs because of the simplicity of sharing documents online.
Writing projects can be quickly and easily shared using Google Drive, which comes with 5 gigabytes of storage. It is usually plenty of storage space for writers. You can also use Docs offline .
If you are writing every day and working with other writers, content editors, proofreaders, or editors, Google Docs allows you to collaborate with ease.
There is no need to know what file format or program others are using.
As long as each person has a Google account, and who doesn’t, working together is very easy.
2. Apple Pages for Mac Users – Free
If you are a Mac user and all you need is a word processor, Apple Pages can handle everything you could possibly need to do.
It really is the best free writing software for Mac.
Like Word, you can start with a blank document or use the template chooser.
Word processing in the page layout document view is easy to work with. All the text formatting, fonts, and writing tools are easy to find and use.
There is a spell checker, word and page count , and track change with an add comments option.
It also auto-saves directly to your hard drive or your iCloud drive when you are online. There is also the file duplicate function. It gives you very easy version control of your revisions and edits.
It is difficult to think of a standard feature or function in Word that is not available in Pages documents.
There is one other area where Pages shines. It has a lot more control over images compared to Word.
One other big plus with Pages for authors is that you can export directly to epub. You don’t need to convert your file formats into another program.
Pages is one of the best free writing software programs for Mac users.
There is also a mobile app for iPad and iPhone too. 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 you use it online. It can be especially true if you use WordPress and also in publishing ebooks.
The quickest and easiest way to clean a document, big or small, is to copy all the text into a basic text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit. You can then convert everything to plain text.
Then you can copy back the clean text into your blog editor or word processor for ebook formatting.
4. Libre Office – Free
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. AbiWord – Free
If you want simplicity, AbiWord is well worth trying.
It has been around for a long time now, and while it might look a little outdated, its functionality is not.
The best way to describe AbiWord is uncluttered. It is ideal if you are looking to write distraction-free.
There are all the basics, such as spelling and grammar checking and auto-saving.
Abiword also works with the most common file types, including docx.
Abiword is not fancy, but it works. It’s ideal for writing blog posts or article content.
However, due to its print limitations that require an external program to see a print preview, it might not be the best alternative to write your book.
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, at times, be practical.
Another time-saving yet straightforward feature of WPS is tabbed documents.
While Excel has had this for years, Word never has, so working on two documents at the same time is much more efficient in WPS.
WPS also has a cloud storage service with 1G for PC and iOS.
7. SoftMaker Free Office – Free
Free Office gets a mention because it can export .epub. It is a convenient tool for self-publishers.
TextMaker is the word processor in this office suite.
But it doesn’t come with the ability to save in docx format unless you opt for the premium version.
But you can open and edit docx files.
Apart from that inconvenience, it has all the advanced features you would expect in a modern word processor.
It comes with advanced formatting options, the ability to create databases for bibliographies and footnotes, as well as track change.
8. Dropbox Paper – Free
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 free, but also because it is such a feature-rich cross-platform program.
Scribus is a page layout and desktop publishing program for Linux, FreeBSD, PC-BSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, OpenIndiana, Debian GNU/Hurd, Mac OS X, OS/2 Warp 4, eComStation, Haiku, and Windows.
Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as CMYK colors, spot colors, ICC color management, and versatile PDF creation.
Perhaps it is not a choice for most authors and bloggers. But you might have a desktop publishing need one day.
4 Free book writing apps
Are you ready to start writing a book? You need to hunt a little to find good writing programs for writing books and novels.
A writing app or author software for a book is entirely different from a word processor.
The best book writing programs consist of many elements.
You need plot timelines, character builders, and event tracking. It should also include note-taking and research pinning tools.
Here are four of the best free book apps to help with writing, formatting, and publishing your books or ebooks.
There is a link to seven more free book writing programs at the end of this list.
1. Shaxpir – Free and Premium
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
It is not free writing software, but I have to include Scrivener in this list of apps because there is a generous trial available.
Scrivener is one of the best book writing software tools for authors and screenwriters.
It has an outliner for chapters and scenes, a corkboard, and index cards.
There is also side-by-side viewing, word count targets, and a full-screen editor along with print, export, and publishing tools. It has everything any writer could ever need.
There is a 30-day trial period offered by Scrivener.
But it is counted by the days that you use the software. So if you use it every second day, your trial period will last you for 60 days.
If you only write at the weekend, it will last you for a good few months.
Scrivener is available for download for both Windows and Mac. There are also iOS apps for 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 free writing software app for you to use.
The program has improved a lot over the last couple of years. Initially, it was a little unstable, and its primary function was to help you format a Kindle book.
But stability is much better now, and Amazon has been slowly adding new features since it merged Createspace into KDP.
Kindle Create can now format not only ebooks but paperback books as well. But this latest option is still in beta.
It is so easy to format beautiful ebooks using Kindle Create.
Do you want more free book writing software?
Are you trying to find the best apps for writing your book?
Do you want the best novel writing tool that can help you work on individual chapters and scenes?
Here are seven choices for apps and free writing programs for you that are specifically designed for writing your book.
Read our review of seven 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 and not a genuine headline analyzer. But writers can use it to discover new ideas for any piece of writing.
All you have to do is input your base word or words, and then you can select a working title for a new writing prompt.
4. ShareThough Headline Analyser – Free
How engaging is your article headline?
Sharethrough must be my absolute favorite little blog post writing 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 article writing app. So it might not truly belong in a list of blog writing tools and programs.
But Canva is a fantastic tool for promoting your writing.
Canva is a free online tool for creating images.
Because using Internet images you find on Google images are very often copyright protected, it is a much better idea to create your own unique images.
You can find and use stock images to upload to Canva that you can then design and transform into a unique image.
You can use Canva to make images for social media promotion, images for your blog posts, Facebook headers, and even for quick and dirty ebook covers.
While there is a paid option, the free version offers more than enough images, graphics, icons, shapes, and backgrounds for almost any image creation project.
It’s so useful; I sometimes feel a bit guilty because I use this app almost every day.
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, 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 free writing software and writing apps are recent additions to our list.
They are not categorized. But all of them could be worth a look to see if they are a match for what you need in an app or program.
As they are quick mentions, you will need to investigate for yourself to see if they might be worthwhile.
1. Kindle Previewer – Free
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 and 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 it 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 free writing software. But I have to include Pixabay because I use it every day to find great free images for my blog.
There are a lot of free stock image sites, but this one is my favorite because the choice of images is enormous.
7. Pixlr – Free
Again, this is not a writing app. But when you need to edit an image for your blog or ebooks, then Pixlr might do the job for you.
There is a premium version, but you will find that the free version can do most of the basic photo editing tasks you would need to do.
8. DramaQueen – Free
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.
If you treat it like a game, it is a fun challenge and maybe a clever way to help you overcome writer’s block.
Summary of free writing software
For all writers, there are plenty of writing programs, software, and tools.
You can also find free book writing programs that work very well for any book project.
You don’t need to spend any money at all to get some of the best free writing software and apps.
There are so many open-source and free software alternatives for word processors, book writing, short story writing, and spelling and grammar correction tools.
Are you ready to write your book or get started as a content writer or blogger?
Then the writing tools in the list above will be more than enough to get you off on the right foot.
All of them are user-friendly and quick, and easy to learn how to use.
Make your choices based on what you need and want to achieve as a writer and what you think you will need to succeed.
Then head off to the coffee shop with your laptop, or pump up Hipster Sound at home and start writing.
Related reading: Choose Your Writing Apps For iPad To Write Anywhere
- ← Draft2Digital Self-Publishing Platform – A First User’s Review
- How Much Does It Cost To Self-Publish A Book? – The Numbers →
Derek Haines
A Cambridge CELTA English teacher and author with a passion for writing and all forms of publishing. My days are spent writing and blogging, as well as testing and taming new technology.
26 thoughts on “ 50 Free Writing Software Tools And The Best Free Writing Apps ”
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!!!
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15 Best Book Writing Software Tools (2023 Guide)
BY Charity Jerop | Sep 10, 2020 | Writing , Reviews
On the hunt for the best book writing software for you?
Writing software can be hard to come by, especially since what might work best for you, doesn't necessarily work for someone else and vice versa.
Some might argue that the medium is not the issue – they'll tell you don't worry about fancy writing software, just start writing.
And while that may be true for some, in our experience with helping thousands of authors write and self-publish a book, we've found that every author has a tool that helps them organize their writing, and increase their productivity.
Software specifically designed to write a book can make your writing process more organized, efficient, and focused, ultimately allowing you to write your book faster .
We've compiled the best free writing software for beginners, but there are some paid tools included here that require some learning, too.
In this article, we’ll not only take a detailed look at the free writing software tools available to authors, but we’ll cover some paid tools, as well.
Here is the best book writing software:
- Zoho Writer
- LibreOffice
- Google Docs
- FocusWriter
- Hemmingway App
- Microsoft Word
- ProWritingAid
What is Book Writing Software?
Book writing software is a program designed to streamline the book writing process using technology on a computer or other device. It is mainly a word processor with added benefits specifically for authors and novelists, such as book organization tools, story development features, and more.
There are many options for free book writing software, as well as paid writing software for all budgets and price points. Depending on your own needs as an author and writer, there are many book writing software to choose from.
Maybe you’re a writer that’s just getting started on how to write a book . Or maybe you’re a seasoned writer that’s researching how to become an author and you’re ready to commit to your practice with the best book writing software available.
No matter what type of writer you are, there is software designed to streamline your writing process. It’s just a matter of finding the perfect one to fit your needs!
Do You Really Need Software to Write a Book?
We know what you’re thinking. All that’s needed to write is pen and paper.
In simple terms, yes – you don’t need a fancy writing tool to actually write. In fact, humans have been expressing their creativity and ideas through writing using the most basic tools available for centuries.
But every writer needs a medium, which is the tool that you use to write on or with. The efficiency and ease-of-use of the medium can affect the writer’s productivity.
Think about how easy a typewriter or keyboard makes it to type a 50,000 word novel; now, imagine having to write that many words by carving it on stone. See how the medium can affect your productivity as a writer?
Technology has made the writing process easier – there’s no doubt about that. But is writing software necessary?
I posed this exact question to a group of writers to see if they really use software. Based on their feedback, it’s clear that writers like you value these programs. Every writer has their preferred book writing software, and some use multiple writing software programs.
Take a look at some of the responses:
That's just a quick look at how many real-life writers actually use book writing software to improve their efficiency and organization.
So, the next time you're in need of gifts for writers , consider buying them a subscription to their favorite book writing software!
The Pros to Using Book Writing Software
Of course you can write using whatever tools are available to you, but there are some important reasons to consider using special software for writing a book.
Writing is already hard – why make it even more difficult by not utilizing the tools that were designed to make the process easier?
When you make technology work for you and not against you, great things can come out of it – like that book you’ve been meaning to write!
Here are the main reasons to use book writing software:
1. Your book files are organized in one place. No need to have each book chapter file saved in various places throughout your desktop. Keep it clean and organized with book writing software. With most tools, you can even access files from anywhere, making it easy to pick up where you left off no matter where you are, or what time of day it is.
2. Special built-in features designed to make your writing life easier . The best writing software programs have built-in features that can prevent a ton of issues. For example, you can check for spelling and grammar mistakes on-the-go, which cuts down your editing time. Or use features like a plagiarism checker , which automatically highlights sections in your text that need citation.
3. The auto save feature will automatically save your work as you type. Losing your unsaved work due to unavoidable circumstances (like your power going out) is a thing of the past! Auto-save is a lifesaver when it comes to ensuring your book progress is continuously updated.
4. Prevent distractions so you can focus on writing. Some book writing tools have features to block you from unnecessary distractions. This ultimately helps you get done with your book in the shortest time possible, and helps you create a productive writing space .
5. Create a productive writing process. Once you learn the ins and outs of your book writing software, you’ll feel comfortable making it part of your writing process . Chances are, you won’t want to write without it!
Now that you know why it’s important to give book writing software a shot, let’s dive start with the free book writing software available. Then, we’ll move on to book writing software tools that offer paid versions.
As we go through the list, it is important for you to consider certain factors when choosing which writing tool is best for you.
There isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to writing. What works for one author, might not work for another author.
How to decide which book writing software is best for you:
- Cost of the software. Think of your budget. Can you afford to invest in writing software, or do you need to rely on the free versions for now?
- Accessibility. Think of where you write. Do you need to be able to access your book manuscript from multiple devices (like a phone or tablet), or do you only write on one specific machine?
- Features. What features are important to you? Do you need spell checker, plagiarism checker, and productivity-improving features?
- User-friendliness. Are you tech-savvy, tech-challenged, or somewhere in the middle? There are some book writing software programs that require a steep learning curve for more advanced writers, and others that are great for beginners.
- The simplicity of the writing software. Do you need all the nuts and bolts, or do you work better with less?
- Size of the book writing software. Will the program take up a lot of space on your hard drive?
Free Book Writing Software For Beginners
Before we dive in to the best paid book writing software, let’s take a look at some of the free options available to beginner writers.
We always recommend taking advantage of some of the free tools out there, so that you can get a feel for what you want to invest in. There are plenty of free book writing software for beginners to choose from, so try a few (or all!).
These free book writing tools have the basic essentials to provide you with the features you need, so that you can have more time for writing .
#1 – Zoho Writer
Writer by Zoho , also known as Zoho Writer, is an online word processor that comes with special features to help you write from anywhere and at any time you want to. It is a cloud software, which means you can access it on all of your devices, no matter where you are.
Even better, Zoho has different templates for you to choose from, depending on what it is you need to write.
Benefits to using Zoho Writer as a free book writing software for beginners:
#1 – It’s readily available . You do not need to sign up or log in to be able to use it. And to add, Zoho Writer is user-friendly and if you are part of a team of writers, you can work together and share the documents with each other using the share button at the top right corner.
#2 – You can write offline, without internet access. To add, despite this software being on online writing tool, you can still write your way offline and have you're work synced to your account.
#3 – You can use it across all devices. You can also use this book writing software across all the devices be it your phone, Tablet, or a PC. No need to worry about accessing your manuscript from the wrong device
This book writing software is free.
#2 – LibreOffice
Developed by the Document Foundation, LibreOffice is open source software that prides itself on being a free office suite. While it boasts other programs for spreadsheets and charts, Write is the name of its free word processor.
Benefits to using LibreOffice Writer as a free book writing software for beginners:
#1 – It’s a robust one-stop-shop for writers. And it’s similar to Microsoft Word (which we’ll cover in our paid writing software section).
#2 – It’s an effective word processing tool with helpful features for authors. It wasn’t only created for writers, but can be used by anyone who needs a word processor. At its core, it can be used as a powerful book writing software for authors. The autocorrect and spell checker tools allows you to catch grammar and spelling mistakes in the fly. It also supports other languages no need to worry if you want to write your book in your native language.
#3 – It provides useful templates. LibreOffice includes readily available templates to choose from, that are properly formatted to meet your needs. All you need to do is add your text! Whether you want to write your resume, brochures, letters or your book, these templates can save you time and come in handy for clean, crisp formatting.
#3 – Google Docs
Google Docs is by far the most common and widely used writing software, and this list of free book writing software tools wouldn’t be complete without mentioning it.
Google Docs is a word processing tool that comes with your Google account. If you have a Gmail account then you already have access to Google Docs.
Benefits to using Google Docs as a free book writing software for beginners:
#1 – You can write and access it from anywhere. Like Zoho Writer, it’s a cloud platform, which means you can write anytime inspiration strikes. You can also use this book writing software when you’re offline and don’t have access to WiFi or internet.
#2 – Your work is autosaved. Each time you key a letter, your Google Doc will save your progress. No need to worry about clicking the “save” button every time you add a new page in your book! You can also view revision history, in case you accidentally delete or change something that you want to restore.
#3 – It’s easy to collaborate with a team, another writer, or an editor . Additional features streamline the collaboration process, such as sharing your work with others. Be it your co-author , editor, you are a click away. You can also use the track changes feature for the editing process, so you can see exactly what your editor has changed.
Note: A major downside to using Google Docs as your book writing software is that it does not support heavy formatting and outlining . Therefore, writing an entire book on this platform can be a bit challenging, but you can still use it for short stories , articles and note-keeping.
#4 – FocusWriter
FocusWriter is a “simple, distraction-free writing environment.” If you struggle to stay focused and on task during your writing sessions, FocusWriter may be the solution for you.
Benefits to using FocusWriter as your free book writing software:
#1 – Designed to be distraction-free. Like its name suggests, FocusWriter helps you zero in on your project by eliminating anything that could produce a distraction within the program with its hide-away interface.
#2 – Timers and alarms. This is for my writers who love to write in sprints. Structure your writing sessions by planning and timing how long you'll write.
#3 – Auto-save function. If you're a writer who struggles to remember saving your own work, FocusWriter has you covered with their auto-saves.
#5 – Evernote
Evernote has both a free, and paid version. You can use the free version as a word processor and note-taking software, or pay for the premium version if you want extra perks.
While Evernote isn't designed specifically for books, the tool's organization makes it a feasible option as a book writing software.
Benefits to using Evernote as your free book writing software:
#1 – Streamlines note-taking process. At it's core, Evernote is a writing software that's designed to make note-taking easy and efficient. This makes it a useful book writing software because the same note-taking organization principles can be integrated into the process of writing a book .
#2 – Versatility makes for easy customization. While Evernote isn't designed for just authors and novelists, the versatility it brings to users with multiple uses for the program come in handy, especially for those writing a book. The ability to create notebooks, tags, and sort information, as well as robust AI-suggested content means that this book writing software is a power-house for personalization. With enough tweaks and adaptability, Evernote is a super versatile program that you can adjust to fit your needs best.
#3 – A hub for your book research and inspiration. Anyone who is in the process of writing a book knows how often a random surge of inspiration, or piece of research , hits us as we write. Evernote is perfect for housing all of our inspirational quotes or research, without derailing our book writing efforts altogether.
Related: Inspirational Writing Quotes
Best Paid Book Writing Software
Now that we’ve covered the top free book writing software tools available, let’s move on to the paid book writing software.
If you're concerned about investing in a paid book writing software, then do as much research as you can on the product before you buy it. Also, consider the costs of your initial investment – will it pay for itself when you start earning book profits ?
#6 – NovelPad
NovelPad is a novel-writing software developed for the way writers write.
Unlike other book writing software on the market that requires you to download a program to your computer, NovelPad can be accessed on any device with web access. If you want to try it out before committing, take advantage of the 14-day free trial (no credit card required) .
This book writing software is $8 per month
Benefits to using NovelPad as your book writing software:
#1 – Use it on any device, online or off . NovelPad is browser-based, so you can open your projects on any device. They also have offline mode, if you'd like to limit distractions by disabling web connection, or if you're writing on the go.
#2 – Minimal, distraction-free design. The layout is simplistic and minimal, with limited distractions. The NovelPad team has stated that they only include features when and where writers require them, which leads to an incredibly intuitive, easy-to-use system.
#3 – Chapters page . A popular NovelPad feature is the ability to have a bird's eye view of your entire project. You can use scene descriptions, color labels, and other organizational tools to know at a glance what's happening in each scene, then simply click and drag to reorder them. This is a big time save for longer projects!
#4 – Customizable word count goal and tracker . Trying to hit a specific writing goal ? NovelPad has you covered. Instead of tracking your word count goal externally through a spreadsheet or other means, NovelPad allows you to set goals and tracks them for you. Set vacations and sprints, customize which days you'd like to write more or less, and let NovelPad do the math for you.
# 5 – ProWritingAid is included. That's right! Get a streamlined drafting software and stellar grammar check with one subscription.
#7 – Ulysses
Ulysses is also another full-fledged book writing software specifically designed for Mac users. Whether you are a Sci-Fi writer or learning how to publish an eBook writer, Ulysses is an all in one software that allows you to focus on your main business – writing.
This book writing software starts at $5.99 per month
Benefits to using Ulysses Writer as your book writing software:
#1 – Minimalist interface. Getting distracted while writing can hurt the flow of your creative juices pretty bad. Ulysses comes with a minimalistic interface to help you stay focused and productive.
#2 – The customizable editor comes with special perks. You can choose to switch to typewriter mode. You can attach additional information from images, pdf, keywords, notes, and anything in between.
#3 – You can publish directly to WordPress and Medium. Instead of having to copy and paste all of your text from your writing software into a website, you can simply publish directly to the site. This is especially helpful for authors that blog.
#4 – You can share your writing in any file format you want. No more complicated conversion processes to be done outside of the book writing software!
Note : Ulysses is only available on Apple products at the time of writing.
Price: You have to pay for a subscription for you to enjoy its awesomeness.
#8 – Hemingway App
Have you heard of Hemingway App yet? If you have, then chances are you know either love it or hate it. As the name suggests, Hemingway is a word processing app that is simple and easy to use, but is very visual.
This book writing software starts at $19.99
Related: Hemingway App Review
Benefits to using Hemingway App as your book writing software:
#1 – It comes with advanced editing and revising tools like the spell and grammar checker to help you come up with the finest writing piece. It uses different colors to highlight sentences/words that need restructuring.
#2 – There is a helpful sidebar display that shows things like the readability level of your writing, as well as your overall word count.
#3 – It has a free editor. Even if you don’t want to pay for the subscription, you can still use the free editing tool!
Note: We’ve all been advised to not edit as we write, especially when during the book writing process. Since Hemingway draws a lot of visual attention to errors, this could slow your writing down if you’re one to get distracted easily!
#9 – Scrivener
Almost every modern book writer out there (regardless of the genre) swears by this powerful book writing software.
It's jam packed with features and tools to help you organize and write your book, but there is a learning curve to be aware of.
If you want to try Scrivener out, plan to take some tutorials before investing in this program to determine if it's really right for you.
And this is likely because Scrivener was specifically designed for writers.
This book writing software starts at $49
Benefits to using Scrivener as your book writing software:
#1 – Scrivener boasts a user-friendly drag and drops features available on its user interface. The outliner tool helps you work on your book while having an overview of what your chapter, a page or even the whole book would look like.
#2 – Includes research tools for easy reference. The snapshot tool allows you to take snapshots that you want to view and reference later, without losing your train of thought.
#3 – You can set writing targets. Setting targets can really boost your productivity game as a book writer. Scrivener has a target setting tool to help you set your own targets and work towards achieving them.
#4 – Customizable organization with the binder tool. If you are the type of writer who likes working on an organized and well-planned piece, then Scrivener is your perfect match. The binder tool allows organizing your manuscript in files, sub-files, sub-sub- files and so on.
Note: While Scrivener is a super robust software for writing a book, you’ll most likely have to watch a few tutorials to learn how to master it.
Price: The cost to purchase Scrivener varies depending on your device.
#10 – FastPencil
This is also another writing software that can take your writing game a notch higher. With FastPencil , you can draft, edit, publish, and even sell your book through some of the best booksellers in the industry.
Benefits to using FastPencil as your book writing software:
#1 – It’s an all in one software. Just like we mentioned above, you can use this writing software to not only write your book, but it also can include editing, publishing, and marketing services – depending on your needs and budget.
#2 – It’s fairly easy to learn how to use. The software is pretty user-friendly, and there isn’t a high learning curve when you’re figuring out how it works.
#3 – You can use it to write your book in an organized manner. Because it is designed specifically for book writers, there are tools to help you section off chapters.
#4 – A variety of special features are included, such as being able to preview how your book will look live. Another handy tool is the chat tool, which makes collaboration with other writers and/or editors easy.
Price: FastPencil is available for free if you only want to use it as a word processing tool, but you can pay for access to more advanced features.
This book writing software cost depends on service
#11 – Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is one of the most common, and widely used word processors out there, because it’s pretty much the oldest one.
But even today, it remains a top contender as the book writing software preference for many authors.
This book writing software starts at $159.99, but might be included with your device
Benefits to using Microsoft Word as your book writing software:
# 1 – It’s very user-friendly and many writers already have experience using it, whether they learned it in school or at work. While it’s an older program and has been updated numerous times, its function remains the same overall.
#2 – The simple visual interface can create a distraction-free writing space. Other than the top toolbar, the rest of the window is reserved as your page, with ample room for your text.
#3 – You can create and use templates. Because it’s so versatile, Word has many options for customizing the functions to meet your needs as you write your book. For example, you can use headers to create chapters or sections of your book.
Price: If your device doesn’t already include access to Microsoft Word, you can buy it; the price will vary depending on your needs and which package you want.
Bonus Writing Software Tools To Help You Write Your Book
We’ve covered eleven of the best free and paid writing softwares available for aspiring authors. But wait – there’s more!
While the last two writing tools we mention aren’t exactly word processing software programs, they are tools many authors find helpful to use in their writing practice.
#12 – Grammarly
Grammarly is not just a writing tool but also an AI-powered program to help you write a clean, crisp book that’s free from common errors, such as grammar and spelling.
There is a free version available, but the paid version offers more advanced features like the plagiarism checker tool.
You can even add Grammarly as a Chrome Extension, so it can edit and revise any writing you do – from emails, to social media posts, and more!
#13 – Freedom
When you’re writing from a computer or laptop, it’s easy to get distracted with the internet just one tab away – distracting you from your work , and preventing your book from actually getting written. This is where Freedom comes in.
Freedom helps you stay focused by blocking sites on the internet that might shift your attention.
#14 – ProWritingAid
We cover all the nuts and bolts of this writing tool in our complete ProWritingAid review .
But for a quick summary, ProWritingAid is a tool that can be used with many book writing software programs, and is a robust tool that checks grammar, spelling, edits style, and offers a number of writing improvement insights based on AI-powered reports.
If you're looking for a tool to pair with your book writing software of choice, and are dedicated to improving your writing quality and style, then ProWritingAid will offer more than any standard spellchecker can.
Get ProWritingAid here .
#15 – FocusWriter
A word processor that touts “distraction-free” features, this simple book writing software is designed to keep writer's focus on their writing.
Although it's not as high-tech as some of the other writing programs available, it's not meant to be. FocusWriter uses a hide-away interface with a customizable environment and autosave. It's not fancy, but it is useful! And really, the fancy programs are usually the ones that we get sidetracked with due to shiny object syndrome.
Download FocusWriter here.
So there you have it! The best writing software programs you can choose from to streamline your writing process, improve productivity, and get your book written faster.
Researching the different writing software and tools can be overwhelming, but remember: it’s important to pick programs that work for you.
What works for one writer, may not work for you! If you start using one software, then discover that it’s not right for you – that’s okay. You don’t have to commit to one writing tool if it’s hindering your productivity.
Once you find the perfect book writing software for YOU, the rest will fall in line.
What's your favorite book writing software?
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Looking for the best digital writing pad for your laptop? This article will have you writing in no time.
Technology has become synonymous with every aspect of our lives, including the writing pads we use to jot down notes, sketches, or even doodles. Gone are the days of spiral notebooks and legal pads, replaced by digital writing pads that can transfer your information to a laptop or cloud service, lasting forever.
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While the old tech may be tried and true, upgrading is never a bad thing and if you’re ready to trade your pencil in for a stylus, have we got the buying guide for you.
As we take a closer look at the 10 Best Digital Writing Pads for Laptops, we know that letting go of old faithful may be tough for some people but just think of the stacks of paper you’ll be saving and the number of trees!
Anyhow, before we jump right in, let’s take a gander at our choices and then how you can be sure to pick the right digital writing pad.
Alright, class is in session!
10+ Best Digital Writing Pads for Laptops & PCS 2023
- Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notebook — The best digital writing pad overall (Editor’s Choice)
- HUION Inspiroy H950P — The best budget-friendly digital writing pad
- Moleskine Pen+ Ellipse Smart Writing Set — The best value digital writing pad
- Galaxy Tab S8+ — The best Android digital writing pad
- Royole RoWrite 2 — The best digital writing pad for notetaking
- B00X Nova3 Color — The best digital writing pad for writers
- Apple iPad Air — The best multipurpose digital writing pad
- ReMarkable Paper Digital Writing Pad — The best digital writing pad with memory
- XP-Pen Star05 V2 — The best versatile digital writing pad
- Wacom One Drawing Tablet — The best entry-level digital writing pad
- Drawing Tablet UGEE M708 V2 – The best light weight digital writing pad
What is the best Digital Writing Pad for laptops?
The Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notebook is our pick for the best Digital Writing Pad for Laptops. However, in this article, we have got you a guide to the ten best digital writing pads of the year. These are listed with their own pros, cons, and special features.
We have selected the top 6 and ranked them by best overall performance, Budget-Friendly, Value, Entry-Level, Multipurpose, and Versatile. Check out the comparison table below.
How to Choose the Best Digital Writing Pad
When you finally decide to make the switch from Mr. Notebook and his #2 pencil buddy, knowing exactly what you should be looking for can be tough for a newbie. Thankfully, we like to go shopping and did a lot already so we can share what we look for to make sure you choose the right digital writing pad.
While the overall purpose of a digital writing pad is the same, like many other choices when it comes to technology, there are plenty of options when it comes to size. If your primary focus is to use the pad for writing, then you may want to look at pads that are between 7 and 10 inches, while someone who may primarily use a pad for artwork might want something a little bigger.
While some digital writing pads offer internal storage so you can save all of your notes, if you happen to choose one that doesn’t, you have to make sure that it syncs with a storage option such as Google Drive or iCloud.
The last thing anyone wants is to spend an entire afternoon taking notes at the big meeting, only to have no way of saving them for later reference.
No matter how good your digital writing pad is, without a good stylus, you might as well throw it out the window (Don’t do this!). Seriously though, much like a physical notebook, a stylus is how you’ll jot ideas down or take notes in class.
The point of a good stylus is that it replicates the natural feel that comes with handwriting as best as it can. While they can come in many different materials, finding the right one will feel like an extension of your hand.
Battery life is among the most important things to consider before you buy a digital writing pad. There are some pads that require frequent charging and others with long battery life. Having a long battery life enables you to work without any interruptions, so you must know the battery life and not only the hours of work.
There are different types of digital writing pads with a variety of features, so you must choose one depending on your needs and requirements.
Some of them have LCD screens with ink technologies and rely on sensors, but there are also traditional writing pads with pens and a stylus. These have a sensor capturing method which suits most of the requirements, but may not suit your needs.
When it comes to pricing, it all depends on the features you’re looking for. For written text that can be converted to digital text in physical books, it costs users below $50. For more direct digital writing, your entry-level digital notepads usually cost around $100 (this is without a screen).
When it comes to digital writing pads with a screen, these tend to be a little more pricey with options starting around $400 and upwards. That said, these ones are typically tablets. This means that they come with several other functions like email, applications, WiFi, and even Bluetooth.
For those with a budget, we’d strongly recommend opting for a tablet for its convenience and versatile utility.
10+ Best Digital Writing Pads for PC & Laptops
1. rocketbook fusion smart notebook (editor’s choice).
The best overall digital writing pad for laptops
When it comes to notebooks that appeal to writers, there are none more appealing than the Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notebook. A uniquely designed notebook that combines digital and analog functionality. Many writers enjoy the feeling of putting pen to paper and this notebook only nurtures that relationship but with a digital save option.
The Rocketbook Frixion pens use actual ink which can be wiped off the digital notebook with a microfiber cloth and isn’t necessary unless you’re a novice when it comes to digital writing pads. Once you’re done taking notes, simply scan the document, save it to the cloud, wipe away the ink and begin again. With 42 template pages, the amount of notes you can take is almost limitless.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- No more wasting paper - this environmentally friendly 42 page notebook has 7 different page styles for planning, listing, goal setting, note-taking, sketching, and sharing big ideas
- Blast your handwritten notes to popular cloud services like Google drive, Dropbox, Evernote, box, OneNote, Slack, iCloud, email and more using the free Rocketbook application for iOS and Android
- Allow 15 seconds for ink from any Pilot Frixion pen, marker, or highlighter to dry in order for it to bond to our specialized pages - just wipe clean with a damp cloth to start over
- 42 pages include task list, weekly planner, monthly calendar, OKR goal template, idea list, dot-grid, and lined pages
- Includes 1 Rocketbook Fusion Executive Size (6" x 8.8") Notebook, 1 Pilot Frixion Pen, and 1 Microfiber Cloth
2. HUION Inspiroy H950P
The best budget-friendly digital writing pad
This writing pad laptop is compatible with almost every digital art software, including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Painter, Manga Studio, Clip Studio, Zbrush, Krita, Gimp, and more. Huion’s Inspiroy H950P also supports Android/tablet connection as well as MacOS 10.11 or later, Windows 7 or later, and Linux (Ubuntu).
As a perfect replacement for the traditional mouse and paper, Inspiron H950P allows you to work, sketch, paint or edit photos, sign documents digitally, create mind-maps, draw diagrams or take notes. Inspiron H950P equips 1100mAh lithium-ion battery providing up to 20 hours of work time and charges within three hours. As this bundle includes the H610PRO V2 Drawing Tablet and HUION Inspiroy Dial Q620M Wireless Graphic Drawing Tablet, the H950P is a great budget-friendly option.
- Drawing On-the-go: Huion H950P graphic tablet is not only support OS Android /tablet connection, but also macOS 10.11 or later, Windows 7 or later and Linux(Ubuntu). Play the OSU! Game or start your...
- H950P: Compact design with drawing area 8.7” x 5.4”, 8mm slim thickness and 497g light weight which will be easy to carry around. Compatible with most digital art software: Adobe Photoshop,...
- Perfect replacement for traditional mouse and paper! The Huion Inspiroy Dial Q620M is the winner of Taiwan’s Golden Pin Design Award 2019. It's amazing precision and reduced Parallax provide no...
- Q620M: 2.4 GHz Wireless Connection: Support both wireless or wired modes, equipped with 1100mAh lithium-ion battery it only need 1.2-3 hours quick charging and will provide up to 20 hours continuous...
- This is a bundle which include 2 products: H610PRO V2 Drawing Tablet and HUION Inspiroy Dial Q620M Wireless Graphic Drawing Tablet
3. Moleskine Pen+ Ellipse Smart Writing Set
The best value digital writing pad
Known for their high-quality, stylish notebooks, Moleskine produces versatile notebooks that maintain a tactile experience that every user is looking for. WIth the Pen+ Ellipse Smart Writing Set , they created a whole new ballgame.
While from the outside, the Pen+ Ellipse looks like a standard Moleskine notebook, the pages are embedded with a nearly invisible grid pattern of dots while the camera recognizes each pen stroke, the page number you’re on, even which Moleskine notebook you’re using. The great thing about the Pen+ Ellipse set is that even if you fill a notebook while you’re not connected, once you sync the pen to the app, everything you’ve done shows up
- INCLUDES: Pen+ digital smart pen, Paper Tablet with ncoded paper in dotted layout to work with pen+, pen+ smart pen USB recharging cable, 1 pen tip ink refill, & user manual Designed with Code...
- FROM PAGE TO SCREEN: Companion app seamlessly transfers what's written on the notebook page to your device, digitizing your analog notes & allowing you to notate, share, search, edit, & organize your...
- MULTIMEDIA: Record audio to sync with your notes; flesh out your ideas & ensure that nothing gets lost in translation Explain, clarify, detail With the app you can have the picture & a thousand words...
- MOLESKINE VERSATILITY: In addition to the iconic notebook, the Moleskine family of products includes both digital & analog writing & lifestyle technology, including smart notebooks & apps, bags,...
- MOLESKINE QUALITY: We're dedicated to culture, travel, memory, imagination, & personal identity—both physical & digital We bring this commitment to our notebooks, bags, apps & smart pens & notebooks
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
The best Android digital writing pad
With a wide range of tablets on the market, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ is the best-selling digital writing pad. The 12.4-inch sAMOLED big screen provides vivid, high-resolution images.
Samsung S Pen packed with Tab S8+ feels more like an actual pen and is more responsive. With an upgraded Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, the S8+ provides you with the battery you need all day and supports universal fast charging.
Additionally, the S8+ offers an enhanced camera for 4K recording and Dex multitasking for enhanced productivity. With WiFi 6E, S8+ is the rounder you need for all your tasks, from working and streaming to gaming.
- FASTEST WI-FI: Work and play with the blazing fast speed of Wi-Fi 6E* -- 3x faster than the previous generation of Wi-Fi
- LARGE DISPLAY, INCREDIBLE VISUALS: Get more enjoyment out of every moment with a big 12.4 inch sAMOLED screen and high resolution that dazzles with unbelievable brilliance, crispness, and color
- ULTRA WIDE CAMERA: Record super clear video in 4K and great photos with an ultra-wide front camera with auto framing; With Galaxy S8+, your photography skills will shine regardless of your experience...
- S PEN: Inspire your imagination with our fastest S Pen yet, an S Pen that is more responsive than ever, feels even more like a real pen, and it’s included with tablet purchase
- DeX MULTITASKING: Do more on the go with enhanced productivity capabilities, like Samsung DeX and Microsoft 365 integration, that give you a PC experience, wherever you happen to be
5. Royole RoWrite 2
The best digital writing pad for notetaking
For anyone who is a fan of the original RoWrite, the Royole RoWrite 2 improves on just about every aspect and successfully delivers one of the best digital writing pads for laptops we’ve seen today. With a slimmed-down design, the RoWrite 2 trades the original gray canvas cover for a beautiful leather cover that comes in a wide variety of colors.
Internally, the RoWrite 2 has simplified the mechanisms to make it easier to load paper. Instead of locking specific pads of papers into a frame, you can now slide any small, A5-sized notebook into the rear cover and the sensor panel stitched into the back will take care of the rest. If you’re looking for a digital notepad for your next class, the RoWrite 2 is an excellent option.
- This is A Smart Writing Notebook, Not A Digital Tablet, Without LCD Screen,too.and it needs to be used with notepads of Real Paper and Ink pen refills which are included in the product. compatible...
- Using this electronic notebook, you can simultaneously capture notes, ideas and drawings digitally
- Organize, search and share work on the RoWrite App
- Edit and share work as PDF, MP4 & JPEG via the RoWrite App
- Stylish design with synthetic leather and premium aluminum
6. B00xX Nova3 Color
The best digital writing pad for writers
When you start shopping for a digital writing pad, you’ll notice that the majority of them are only displayed in grayscale. Well, times they are changing and that change start with the Boox Nova 3 .
Packing more than 4,000 shades of color, the Nova 3 uses the Android 10 OS, which means that you can access all the apps found on the Google Play Store but the hits don’t stop there. With its 7.8-inch screen, great battery life, and good performance, the Nova 3 Color is a great versatile writing pad that can be used anywhere and even includes a speaker so you can listen to audiobooks or your favorite podcasts.
![[3 Pack] Synvy Screen Protector, Compatible with ONYX BOOX Nova3 Color/Nova 3 Color 7.8' TPU Film...](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41aLV2tcCuS._SL160_.jpg "writing tools laptop")
- ★[Not Tempered Glass] Please be noted that this screen protector is TPU Soft Film, Not Tempered Glass.
- ★[Scratch Resistant] Protector can effectively protect your phone from unwanted scuffs and scratches by knife, keys and some other hard substances.
- ★[Easy installation] 4H Hardness with 100% Bubble-Free Adhesives for easy installation and no residue when removed.
- ★[Ultra Clear] Extreme clarity preserves the original screen brightness and definition, ensuring an unrivaled viewing experience.
- ★[High Sensitivity ] TrueTouch Sensitivity for an invisible and perfect protection on touch screen.
7. Apple iPad Air
The best multipurpose digital writing pad
If you’re an avid reader of JUSTCreative, then you know our affinity for great products and the iPad Air from Apple certainly fits that moniker. With its 10.9-inch screen, a beautiful retina display, plus a 12 MP camera, the iPad Air is the Swiss army knife of digital writing pads for laptops.
With the incredibly powerful M1 chip, iPad Air meets almost all your drawing needs. iPad Air’s 8-core GPU provides faster graphics for smooth drawing both in 3D and 2D. You can combine the iPad Air with the second-generation apple pencil (sold separately) for maximum efficiency.
- 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone, P3 wide color, and an antireflective coating
- Apple M1 chip with Neural Engine
- 12MP Wide camera
- 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage
- Up to 256GB of storage
8. ReMarkable Paper Digital Writing Pad
The best digital writing pad with memory
Already an established brand, ReMarkable is an e-reader and digital notepad that easily compared to the Kindle from Amazon. While many new writing pads and tablets will use LCD screens because of their reliability and cheaper cost, writing pads like the ReMarkable Paper Digital Writing Pad has managed to carve out a nice niche within the market.
Originally funded by Kickstarter, the ReMarkable writing pad laptop is great for any note-taking or sketching that you may need to do during a meeting or just on your own. The ReMarkable pen looks and feels just like a real pen except for its ‘special high-friction grip’ that will keep it securely in your hand. The overall experience of writing on the ReMarkable tablet is better than any other digital pad available including the iPad Pro from Apple or the Galaxy Note 8 from Samsung.
- The reMarkable paper tablet - a digital device for writing, reading & sketching that feels like paper.
- No other tablet in the world gives you an experience so close to paper as reMarkable.
- Here to replace your notebooks, printouts and documents. A groundbreaking device that changes how people work.
- Super low latency, 226 DPI CANVAS display. You've never experienced anything like the CANVAS display.
- In the box: reMarkable, Marker, 8 extra Marker tips and charging cable. Original reMarkable Folio (sleeve) NOT included.
9. XP-Pen Star05 V2
The best versatile digital writing pad
The sleek off-black XPPen Star05 V2 is a ready-to-use device. The sturdy Star05 V2 feels natural, comfortable in hands, and easy to connect. Speaking of connectivity, you can connect the Star05 V2 using a USB receiver or USB cable. The tablet takes around 2.5 hours in wired connectivity for a full charge and lasts about 14 hours. The battery-free stylus features 8192 pressure levels and works without interruptions.
The six touch-sensitive buttons: Brush+, Brush-, Switch, Pen-walker, Grab and Redo make the tablet fantastic and improves productivity. XP-Pen Star05 V2 is compatible with Windows 7 and higher and Mac OS 10.10 and higher and supports almost every digital drawing software, including Photoshop, Paint tool Sai, Clip Studio Paint, etc.
- [Wireless Technology] - The Star05 V2 Drawing tablet features both wired and wireless USB capability: Simply plug the included USB receiver into your computer to draw wirelessly using the ISM 2.4G and...
- [XPPen Advantage] - The Star05 V2 Pen Tablet built-in lithium battery charges quickly and conveniently during wired use—2.5 hours provides a full charge that lasts up to 14 hours, our battery-free...
- [Touched Shortcut Keys ] - Six touch-sensitive shortcut keys allow quick access to most commonly used functions. The Star05 V2's 8x5in working area provides ample room to draw and paint comfortably.
- [Compatability & Application] - The XPPen Star05 V2 digital wireless tablety is compatible with Windows 7 and above and Mac 10.10 or above operating systems and compatible with Photoshop, Paint tool...
- XPPen Office Desk Pad Protector Desk Blotters Writing Mat for Office and Home (23.62"X11.81", Mint (Green+Pink)
10. Wacom One Drawing Tablet
The best entry-level digital writing pad
Wacom One Drawing Tablet can make your imagination come to life with its 13.3-inch display that allows you to enjoy the experience of both drawing and writing on paper. While many tablets can do this as well, most of them are lower-tier and not worth the affordable price that they ask.
You can sketch or paint directly on the screen and the Wacom One pen uses software to act as multiple pens and brushes to provide you with complete digital freedom. The overall working area is large compared to other options on our list.
It has diverse compatibility, so you can link up your Wacom One to your Mac, PC, or Chromebook, and certain Android tablets and smartphones. If you’re looking for a digital notepad for all creative uses, Wacom One Drawing Tablet is an excellent option.
- Wacom One Creative Pen Display: High definition creative pen display designed for creative hobbyists, visual thinkers, and anyone needing a second screen or bigger digital canvas for work or play
- Natural Pen Experience: The included ergonomic 4096 pressure sensitive battery-free pen is responsive and easy to control, giving you the familiar pen-on-paper feel that you are used to with precision
- Digital Freedom: See your imagination come to life in full color on a 13.3" HD screen. You can draw, edit photos and videos, or take notes just like you would with a pen and paper
- Includes Creative Software: Register your device to get Bamboo Paper Pro, Magma Studio, Bluescape, Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher, Affinity Designer, & Skillshare for 3 months. Get Clip Studio...
- Register your device to get education software: Kami App (12-Mos), Foxit PDF Editor for Education (12-Mos), and 3-mos of Explain Everything, Pear Deck, & Limnu.
11. Drawing Tablet UGEE M708 V2
The best light weight digital writing pad
Drawing Tablet UGEE M708 V2 is one of the traditional digital writing pads which has a screen size of 10 x 6.25-inches. It is a slim, sleek, and lightweight panel with a compact design and delicate craftsmanship. It also offers a no-delay drawing experience.
It is versatile and comes with 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, allowing you to control the thickness of lines with detailed descriptions to be more accurate. UGEE M708 V2 comes with a tilt brush supporting up to 60 degrees to provide smoother, soft lines and strokes. This also enables you to add shadows to your creative projects.
The UGEE drawing tablet contains 8 customizable shortcut keys allowing you to move, undo, eraser, hand, zone in, zone out, brush+, brush-, which saves you time while drawing. It is user-friendly and supports left-handed user operation.
It also has good compatibility with most systems, androids, and even Mac OS. It is also compatible with applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Painter, Autodesk MAYA, and more.
- Mac/Windows/Android Supported: The graphics drawing tablet supports connections with Android 6.0 or later Phones and Tablets. It is compatible with most major software including: ibis Paint X,...
- Compatible with PC Multiple Systems: This graphics tablet is compatible with Windows 7/8/10 Chrome and Mac OS 10.10 or above after download latest driver from UGEE official website, but not for the...
- Papery Drawing Experience: 8192 levels pressure sensitivity, the harder you press, the thicker and darker lines would be,the lines transition from thin to thick will be fluid and precisely under your...
- Large Working Area: 10 x 6.25-inch working area allows to release your inspiration on enough space and slim, sleek, super lightweight panel with compact design and delicate craftsmanship, offers a no...
- Innovative Tilt Control System: M708 V2 supports up to 60 degrees of tilt brush effect and delivers smoother and more natural lines and strokes, while also giving you the ability to add shading to...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a digital writing pad.
A digital writing pad is a book, computer device, or tablet that allows users to write and draw using a stylus, rendering the data digitally. The person does this similarly to how people use pen and paper. However, it can be shared, stored, and utilized a lot easier this way. In some cases, the pad can be a book that saves the data digitally.
What is the best digital writing pad overall?
The Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notebook is our pick for the best digital notepad overall. This writing pad helps users write digitally similar to how one would use a book, and is affordable to use. We’d strongly recommend the Apple iPad Air for those with a larger budget.
What is the best digital writing pad for affordability?
When it comes to affordability, the Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notebook is the best digital writing pad to opt for. If you’re looking for an option that connects directly with your device then you should consider the HUION Inspiroy H950P instead.
What is the most multi-functional writing pad?
The Apple iPad Air and The Galaxy Tab S2 are the best multifunctional writing pads. While these two are technically tablets, they have the most features for a device that doubles as a writing pad.
Which digital writing pad looks most authentic?
When it comes to looking authentic we have 2 recommendations. The Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notebook and the ReMarkable Paper Digital Writing Pad are the best choices.
What is the best digital writing pad for beginners?
The Wacom Bamboo writing pad is the best electronic notepad for users looking to work directly on devices. That said, even the Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notebook is a great option.
What is the importance of digital writing pads?
Digital writing pads enable multi-modal writings which in turn gives you more depth in reading, understanding, detailing, and designing. It is also simple to access different learning and improve efficiency.
Although it may be innocuous-looking, a digital writing pad can have many more uses than just jotting down notes or scribbling the random thoughts to run through your head. Our list of the best digital writing pad for laptops can make you forget all about your old pen and notebook and help you clear all that clutter.
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Best Laptops for Writers in 2023: The Write Life’s Top Picks
by Farrah Daniel | Sep 9, 2020
It may be fun to wax nostalgic about the days of click-clacking away at a typewriter or scrawling your novel into a leather-bound journal, but those romantic ideals are impractical for the modern-day writer.
Nowadays, a writer’s laptop is her best friend.
Like any best friend, a good laptop should be there for you through thick and thin, from bustling airports to cozy coffee shops, from the triumph of a strong WiFi signal to the heartbreak of no available outlets.
A reliable laptop lets you take your writing anywhere, whether you’re researching a freelance article or drafting your latest novel idea.
What’s the best laptop for writers?
If you’re wondering, which laptop should I buy? We’re here to help.
We rounded up the best laptops for writers based on categories that matter most to wordsmiths: affordability, reliability, portability, keyboards and more.
Most links to the laptops recommended below will take you directly to Amazon for easy shopping; that’s also a good place to read more reviews. But don’t underestimate the manufacturers’ websites if you want more information. You might also check the price there before you buy, since each laptop model comes with a wide range of options and Amazon’s prices vary from day to day.
Here are our picks for the best laptops for writers.
Most affordable laptop
Most of us are on a budget, especially if we’re just starting our freelance writing career or working on creative writing on the side of a day job. Laptops aren’t exactly known for being cheap, but you can find budget-friendly options if you’re willing to compromise on storage space and fancy add-ons.
Starting at $249.93, the HP Chromebook can’t be beat for affordability.
Writers will appreciate a processor that supports more speed for streaming and editing, plus the near 13-hour battery life. Although Chromebooks have small storage capacity and limited functionality without an internet connection, many users find the two years of access to 100 GB of Google Drive storage is good enough to make this laptop a stellar deal. (Oh, and offline functionality of Google Docs isn’t too shabby either.)
Up until recently, Chromebook couldn’t run Microsoft Word — while you still can’t download the traditional software, Microsoft’s Office apps for Android devices can now run on the newer Chromebook models that have the ability to download, install and run apps from the Google Play store.
Laptop with the best battery life
You’re at your favorite coffee shop making huge progress on your latest writing project. Of course, that’s the exact moment when your laptop’s battery indicator turns red, warning that you only have a few precious minutes before your computer shuts down.
Avoid the scramble for an open outlet at coffee shops, libraries and airports.
Instead, go with the full HD version of the Dell XPS 13 (starting at $899.99). With up to 19 hours and 24 minutes of continuous run-time, this versatile touch laptop will never leave you stranded with a dying battery.
Most portable laptop
Whether you’re a digital nomad who’s constantly on the move to the next freelancer-friendly city or a hometown writer who enjoys working from coffee shops, laptop portability is an important factor for many writers.
There’s no need to schlep a heavy laptop around when you have options like the Acer Swift 7 (starting at $1,499). Weighing under three pounds and nine millimeters thick, the ultraportable Swift 7 is ready to take your writing wherever the wind blows you.
Laptop with the best keyboard
Most people probably don’t think twice about their keyboard. Writers, on the other hand, can be obsessed with them.
A responsive, ergonomic keyboard is essential for writers, and not all laptops deliver.
For those who are picky and truly want the best laptop keyboard, it’s probably best to test-drive a few models in-store to get a feel for what you do and don’t like.
If you need a place to start, look no further than the HP Spectre x360 (starting at $959.99). The smooth, softly backlit keyboard gets rave reviews from users, who appreciate its deep and spacious keys amid the compact design. The trackpad also beats out many of its competitors with a wide touch area and satisfyingly firm click. And with two useful levels of backlighting, writers can create their next masterpiece from anywhere.
Most reliable laptop
A laptop isn’t something you want to upgrade every other year.
In most cases, the brand of laptop you choose has more impact on reliability than which specific model you go with. Overall durability, customer support and warranty options all come into play in this category.
Apple is well known for its excellent support staff, especially since the bountiful presence of brick-and-mortar Apple stores often means you won’t need to ship your computer to the manufacturer for servicing.
Try the classic MacBook Air (starting at $899) for a laptop that’s stood the test of time.
A strong PC brand is Asus, with helpful customer service reps and plenty of warranty options, including hardware repair and accidental damage protection, where users can make up to one claim per year for accidents caused by a drop, spill or liquid damage.
Their ASUS ZenBook 13 (starting at $975.32) meets the rigid MIL-STD-810G military standards for durability and reliability, so you know it’s tough. On top of that, the laptop was tested in harsh environments, extreme altitudes, extreme temperatures and humidity, and it passed all with flying colors.
Laptop with the best screen display
No one likes squinting at tiny text on a screen they can barely see. A larger screen is particularly important for writers who need multiple documents open side-by-side or who are working through tedious revisions.
The best in show for top-of-the-line screen displays goes to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 (starting at $899.99). Whether you’re watching webinars, Zooming across the world, or writing the next Great American Novel, the Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 7 lets you choose from several displays, including a full HD touchscreen or one with PrivacyGuard for screen security. The cinematic 4K Dolby Vision™ panel has high dynamic range technology that makes shadows and textures become richer on the 14-inch screen, which is a pro for any writer who’s tired of endlessly fiddling with brightness settings.
If you need a laptop with a stellar display that travels well, the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 (starting at $899.99) is your best bet. This laptop boasts a 15.6-inch display with vibrant and crisp optional 4K resolution that makes the anti-glare wide viewing angle a pleasure to use.
Best 2-in-1 laptop
Versatile 2-in-1 laptops give you the flexibility to interview a source with a lightweight tablet in the morning, then type up your notes on a full-sized keyboard in the afternoon.
Frequent travelers and journalists will especially appreciate how quickly a 2-in-1 laptop can transform to meet their needs at any moment.
The HP Elite Dragonfly (starting at $1,399.99) is an easy option for writers whose busy schedules require versatility. It’s not the cheapest 2-in-1 laptop out there, but the HP Elite Dragonfly doesn’t skimp on high-quality features that make it just as powerful as a traditional laptop. The powerful, yet thin and light design is complete with incredible speakers, a smooth keyboard and an optional 4K display
If you’re looking for a two-in-one that can pull its weight without breaking the bank, check out the Lenovo Yoga Book C930 (starting at $619) with a 360-degree hinge that allows for both conventional laptop and tablet-style operation.
Best laptop for entrepreneurs
Many writers consider themselves small business owners. We tap into our inner entrepreneur to find freelance clients, market our books and keep our business finances in order.
Entrepreneurial writers need a laptop that can keep up with whatever task they’re tackling, whether it’s creating a promotional video, researching a story or recording a podcast episode .
Apple lovers can’t go wrong with the MacBook Pro (starting at $1,299.99). This cult-favorite has been the top pick for entrepreneurs for years, and for good reason. The high-quality performance, Retina display in a variety of screen sizes (13 or 16 inches!) and excellent customer support make the MacBook Pro a classic choice for business-minded writers — especially with the radically improved backlit Magic Keyboard.
If you’re in the market for a PC, consider the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 (starting at $649). This well-rounded laptop boasts the versatility of a studio and tablet, so you can type, touch, draw, write and work more naturally. Plus, the high-speed memory and performance can help entrepreneurial writers manage all their job duties.
Now you’ve got all the info you need to choose the perfect laptop for your writing life, no matter which features are most important to you.
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!
The original version of this story was written by Ashley Brooks. We updated the post so it’s more useful for our readers.
Photo via Jacob Lund / Shutterstock
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Essential Tools for Successful Writing
List of essential tools every writer should have:
Computer/Laptop : A reliable computer or laptop is necessary for any writer to produce and edit written content.
Pens : Having a good set of pens can be helpful for writers who prefer to write by hand. Different colors can be used for note-taking, editing, or highlighting.
Notebooks : Notebooks are helpful for writers to capture their ideas and thoughts while on-the-go or away from their computer. Notebooks can also be useful for planning, outlining, or brainstorming.
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Our Favorite Smart Pens and Tablets for Writing Digital Notes
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How Smart Pens Work The Specs
Our Favorite Smart Pen Neo Smartpen M1+ Read more
A Reusable Notebook Rocketbook Core Read more
Try an iPad iPad + Apple Pencil Read more
School typically requires taking a lot of notes, whether you're going into ninth grade or college. Typing out notes on a laptop might be faster, but physically writing something down helps you remember and learn more. Putting real pen to paper also just feels good. But having a digital backup is convenient for on-the-go organization and studying.
There are smart pens, notebooks, and tablets made to save digital files of your handwritten notes or drawings. You can save files as PDFs, images, and Word Docs, or transcribe to a text file in Google Docs to make all your notes searchable. Some of these devices can record, too, which is great for lectures and interviews. If your notes need an upgrade, we recommend giving these a try. Be sure to check out our guide to Best Dorm Essentials , as well as our favorite laptop backpacks and totes .
Updated January 2023: We've added the newest Kindle Scribe. We've also updated prices and links throughout.
How Smart Pens Work
A smart pen doesn't act alone (at least not yet). You'll also need a special notebook and an accompanying app. An infrared camera near the pen's point tracks your writing strokes. As you write in the notebook, dotted grids plot the pen's movements. You then use a Bluetooth connection or USB port to transfer the files to your computer. Like regular pens, these do also require ink refills eventually.
For now, you won't be able to use your favorite paper notebooks, which is a bummer for those of us with serious notebook feelings. However, at CES 2023 we saw the Nuwa Pen ($279) that promises smart notes on any paper. We'll try it as soon as it's available (hopefully by the summer).
Smart pens can …
- Transcribe your notes into text files, making them easier to read and manipulate.
- Export files from the app as PDFs, Google Docs, Evernote files, and more.
- Be used without opening the app. Just make sure the pen is on. You should be able to transfer data later, but transfer frequently so you don't run out of storage (or in case you lose the pen).
★ Remember: You have to keep your pen charged and ready, so you don't run out of battery mid-sentence. The pen will still write, but it won't digitize anything.
Our Favorite Smart Pen
The Neo Smartpen M1+ is the thinnest and lightest of all the pens I tried, which makes it feel a bit more like your standard pen and—more importantly—comfortable in your hand. You should be able to find whatever size and style of notebook you need, like spiral-bound college-ruled ones, as well as planners .
The Neo Studio app (available on iPhone and Android ) is nice, with an easy-to-navigate notebook system and the ability to search for pages by page number or date. You can change the color of the ink and thickness of the lines right on the page as you go, or you can switch them up later and edit the colors of what you've written. This pen doesn't record audio, but if that's something you want, Neo sells a separate recorder that pairs with the pen.
★ Alternative: The Neo Smartpen Dimo ($59) is the cheapest and uses replaceable batteries instead of a rechargeable one. It isn't compatible with Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook like our other picks. We haven't tried the Neo Smartpen N2 ($169) yet, and though it looks sleeker, you probably don't need to spend the extra $40.
A Reusable Notebook
I find a lot of joy in brand-new notebooks, but there's no doubt that they can be wasteful. Rocketbook makes several reusable notebooks , planners , and accessories like flashcards . Take notes with an erasable Pilot Frixion Pen (one should come with whichever item you buy), scan photos to the Rocketbook app, and erase the whole thing with the damp microfiber cloth. The app is designed to keep everything organized and easily send things off to Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote, and a handful of other options.
The paper isn't as nice to write on as regular paper, but it's made to withstand a damp cloth. Can you write in any notebook with a pencil or erasable pen, take photos, and erase it? Yes absolutely, but that will eventually ruin the integrity of the paper. It all depends on your budget and habits. If I took a ton of notes every day, I'd probably want really good paper, but I like that one notebook can last as long as you take care of it. I stuck with the black pen it came with, but some people buy colorful Frixions for more organized notes.
Try an iPad
If you don't mind writing on a screen and have several hundred dollars you can spare, an iPad and Apple Pencil make great options for writing or drawing. Plus, you get all the other conveniences of an iPad. The Apple Pencil is much more precise than the cheap, bulbous-tipped styluses you might be used to.
WIRED writer Jaina Grey uses her 11-inch iPad Pro ($769) with the GoodNotes and Notability apps for her writing, but any of the current iPad lineup should work fine. Our guide explains the differences in depth, but the 2021 iPad ($330) is the best for most people, and it works with the first-gen Pencil and Smart Keyboard . The Mini ($500) and Air ($560) have their own advantages.
-Gear.jpg "writing tools laptop")
Or an E-Ink Tablet
For what e-ink tablets will cost you, an iPad is a better deal, but those aren't for everyone. You may not be a fan of Apple's OS or don't want to give your kids more opportunities for distraction when they should be studying. E-ink tablets, like your Kindle, are easier on the eyes and better to use in direct sunlight. Unlike a Kindle, some are designed around taking notes, like the Boox Note Air2 Plus that runs Android 11.
Writing on the Air2 Plus was a dream, and it was so much faster than the e-readers I've tried, so you won't be three sentences behind the rest of the class. As with smart pens, you can create multiple notebooks and save them to Google Docs or DropBox. You can also record while taking notes. There are a bunch of free e-books available too, and you can mark them up as needed.
We also enjoyed using the ReMarkable 2 E Ink tablet . Depending on the bundle you go for, you may end up spending the same, but for the tablet, the basic stylus, and no cover, it's about $378.
Best for Books
Kobo makes some of our favorite e-readers and this combines reading with note-taking. The Elipsa is pricey, but it comes with a stylus that allows you to make up ebooks and compatible PDFs. If you're an English major who has to read multiple books a semester, this might be a great option for you to easily keep track of notes. Plus you can create numerous notebooks like the other tablet here.
Pro tip: You can check out ebooks from your local library for free if you have a library card. If you don't have to hold on to your notes until the end of the year, this could help you save much-needed money in college.
★ A Kindle Alternative: The Kindle Scribe ($340) ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is slightly cheaper than the Kobo, but they work basically the same, with easy-to-use notebook options. We prefer Kindle interfaces, but marking books is actually simpler on the Kobo—with the Kindle, you have to use sticky notes instead of writing directly on the page.
For Beginner Artists
You can take notes with Repaper as easily as with the other items on this list, but I think artists will enjoy easily digitizing their work, especially those just getting started (it's cheaper than an iPad). Repaper uses a tablet and magnetized rings to automatically digitize notes as you work. Any properly sized paper will work—if it's bigger than the tablet, you won't get an accurate digital version—as will any writing utensil that fits a Repaper Ring (it comes with a pencil).
The Repaper Studio app shows your work in real-time if you want it to. That's especially handy if you want to draw directly on the tablet with the included stylus and not use paper or if you're sharing your screen via Zoom for class. If not, you can finish and upload your creation later. You can download sharable time-lapse videos too. It's not without its faults, and I occasionally found it to be buggy when switching between pens, but overall I was impressed.
Adrienne So
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A Runner-Up Smart Pen
Moleskine has garnered a devoted following for its classic notebooks and journals, but it has also moved into smart territory . The Smart Writing Set gets you a notebook and pen bundle, so this is the best option for most people starting out. But you can buy the pen on its own, as well as notebooks and planners in various sizes.
The Moleskine Notes 2.0 app (available on iPhone and Android ) was easy to use once I settled into it. An older version of the app is available for download, but the 2.0 version is nicer and more streamlined. A pop-up let me know that 2.0 is still a work in progress and I might need to switch back to the older version if my device is having trouble, but my iPhone 11 didn't have any issues.
★ Note: I tried the $149 2018 version , which is no longer available. I haven't tried the 2022 version. They seem identical, but the price has jumped dramatically to $279 . There's also a 2016 version still selling for $100 on Amazon, but we think it might be too old at this point, you may end up needing an upgrade sooner than you'd like.
This Pen Prioritizes Audio
The Livescribe Symphony has all the features you'd expect from a smart pen, but it places a heavier emphasis on the ability to record. There are even Record, Pause, and Stop labels at the bottom of the notebook pages that you can activate just by pressing with your pen—a feature I really liked. However, the app is a bit clunky, and its transcription tool isn't as good as the other picks on this list.
The Symphony doesn't have a power button. Instead, it turns on when the cap is removed and off when the cap is replaced. This is a nice feature, in theory, to make sure you don't forget to turn it on before you start writing. However, the cap easily pops off, which means you risk leaving it turned on and draining the battery.
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Scott Gilbertson
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The Best Writing Tools Compared: Mac, PC, Mobile & Online
Have you ever used MS Word to write your blog posts and wondered if there was something more blogger-friendly out there?
As a blogger, you have unique needs. More than fancy features and formatting, you want:
- A place to capture all of your ideas
- A writing tool that cuts out distractions
- A way to find and remove embarrassing grammatical errors.
Fortunately, there are plenty of writing tools around to help you do all of the above.
In this post, I’ll share some of the most powerful writing tools for bloggers. I’ll also cover Mac, Windows, mobile apps and web apps.
Let’s dive in:
Tools to capture and organize your ideas
Have you ever sat down to write and come up with… nothing?
The dreaded writer’s block is part and parcel of every blogger’s life. But things become much easier when you have a long list of existing ideas to work on.
This is why every serious blogger I know maintains a central repository of ideas. These can be anything – blog post titles, new angles for older posts, marketing hooks, etc.
The tools I’ve listed below will help you capture and organize all these ideas:
Evernote usually sits at the top of the list for any serious note-taker, and for good reason.
As one of the first “online notebooks,” Evernote lives up to its promise to help you “remember everything”. It is also available online, as a desktop app (Mac and Windows) and as a mobile app (both iOS and Android) so you can jot down ideas wherever inspiration strikes.
What makes this particularly useful for us bloggers is the search functionality. You can make an unlimited number of notebooks and quickly search through them.
Best of all, it is free to use, although you would need to upgrade to the paid plan to unlock more features.
Price: Freemium
Platform: Online, mobile, and desktop (Windows and Mac)
If you’re like most bloggers, you spend a good part of your day just reading other people’s blog posts.
But sometimes, you just want to file away an interesting blog post and read it later.
This is where Pocket can be incredibly useful. Simply install the Pocket extensions (for both Firefox and Chrome) and click the icon in the browser when you land on an interesting page.
Pocket will archive the page and format it for easy reading.
If you download the Pocket app, you can read your saved articles anytime – even if you’re offline.
Pocket also has thousands of integrations with cool apps (such as Twitter) to make saving articles even easier.
Price: Free
Platform: Online (Firefox/Chrome) and mobile (Android/iOS)
Drafts (iOS only)
What if you just want to quickly take notes without scrolling through half a dozen menus and buttons?
This is where Drafts comes in.
Drafts was designed from scratch as a “write-first, organize-later” type app. Everytime you open the app, you get a blank page so you can jot down your inspiration right away. This design choice fits the writers’ workflow perfectly.
But there’s more: once you’ve got your notes down, you can use one of the many pre-built ‘actions’ to get more from your notes.
For example, you can automatically send the note contents straight into your Dropbox.
Think of it as a built-in IFTTT for your notes. You can see a list of actions here .
The only downside? It’s only available on iOS (iPhone, iPad and yes, even Apple Watch).
Platform: iOS
A lot of serious content marketers swear by Trello, and it’s easy to see why.
Trello is a ‘kanban’ style project management tool. You create a ‘board’ which can have multiple ‘lists.’ Each ‘list’ can have any number of items.
You can use these lists to store and organize your ideas. Once an idea moves past the ‘ideation’ to the ‘production’ stage, you can drag and drop it to another list.
For example, you might have four lists on a board – “Ideas, “To-Do,” “Editing” and “Published.”
You can then manage your ideas like this:
- Raw ideas go into the ‘Ideas’ list.
- Finalized ideas go into the ‘To-Do’ list.
- Once you have a draft of an idea, push it to the ‘Editing’ list.
- Once the post is live, drag it to ‘Published’.
Ultimately you can craft your own workflow by setting up the lists that matter to you.
This will bring much needed clarity and control over your editorial process .
Platform: Online and mobile
Writing tools that simply work
The writing tool is the blogger’s sanctuary. This is where you’ll spend the bulk of your time; writing and editing your content.
A poor writing tool will make you want to tear your hair out with annoying distractions and errors (remember ‘Clippy’ circa Office 2003?). A great one will make writing sheer joy.
Below, I’ve compiled a list of writing tools for all platforms, budgets and experience-levels.
Dragon Naturally Speaking
I always tell bloggers to write like they speak – conversationally.
An easier way to do that is to actually speak to your computer. This is where Dragon Naturally Speaking comes into the picture.
Dragon Naturally Speaking is a speech recognition tool that lets you fast-track document creation by transcribing text through voice. Unlike the speech recognition tools of old, Dragon has a very high degree of accuracy – much more than Google Voice or Siri.
Also, Dragon recognizes industry specific-terms and acronyms from a wide-range of industries such as healthcare, legal and small business to ensure transcription accuracy.
In case of errors, the software is also capable of learning new words and phrases, giving you a completely personalized experience.
Price: From $200
Platform: Desktop (PC and Mac) and online
Google Docs
Google Docs is fast becoming the writing tool of choice for a great many bloggers, writers and marketers.
It’s easy to see why:
With Google Docs, you can invite team members to collaborate and edit documents in real-time (great for working with guest bloggers too). The close integration with Gmail also makes it easy to share your content with others.
Other features include automatic saving, pre-created templates, and powerful add-ons such as speech recognition and label creation. All helping to ensure your attention is focused on the task at hand.
It can also work great for hosting lead magnets.
Scrivener is essentially a project management tool masquerading as a writing tool.
Originally built to help novelists write complex projects, Scrivener has quickly become the go-to writing tool for serious bloggers.
Scrivener’s design focuses on creating ideas as ‘virtual index cards’. You can write your ideas on these cards and shift them around to create the structure and flow of your content. It also helps you take and organize comprehensive notes and make quick edits across lengthy documents.
Most bloggers will find Scrivener overkill for everyday blogging. But if you do a lot of writing and creating of lengthy documents – such as eBooks, guides etc. – you’ll find it an incredibly powerful ally.
Price: From $19.99
Platform: Windows and Mac
Bear Writer
Bear Writer is an iOS-exclusive writing application designed for copious note taking.
It supports writer-friendly features such as basic markdown support for quick text formatting, a focus mode for distraction-free writing, and the ability to export content to alternative formats such as PDFs.
Another unique feature is the ability to organize and link thoughts through hashtags. For example, you can add the #idea hashtag to any paragraph that contains an idea. When you search for the ‘#idea’ hashtag, all of those paragraphs will show up.
This makes content creation and organization much easier.
Price: Freemium (premium version costs $15/year)
Platform: iOS (iPhone, iPad and Mac)
WordPerfect
If MS Word isn’t for you, there is a perfectly viable (and even older) word processor out there: WordPerfect .
WordPerfect has been around since 1979. For quite a while, it was the most popular word processor around before MS Word hit the scene.
Today, WordPerfect offers most of the features of MS Word, but with a cleaner interface. You’ll find that it’s particularly well suited for creating long-form documents such as whitepapers and eBooks. It offers writers the ability to create, edit, and share these documents as PDFs.
You also get access to a wide-selection of templates which allows you to work faster and smarter.
Price: From $89.99
Platform: Desktop (PC)
As a blogger, you want to write, not deal with unnecessary features and menu options.
This is why there has been a big increase in minimalist writing tools on the market lately. These tools do away with most features. Instead, they let you focus on what you do best: write.
Paragraphs is one of the most popular offerings in this category. This Mac-only app gives you a clean, distraction-free writing interface. Instead of ‘ribbon’ menus and a laundry list of features, you get a blank page to jot down your thoughts. Formatting options are limited and within easy reach thanks to a contextual menu.
The best part is that you can export your text as HTML. This is super helpful because you can simply copy and paste this HTML code directly into WordPress (or whichever blogging platform you use ) to keep your formatting.
Price: Only available in certain countries
Platform: Desktop (Mac only)
Editing, proofreading and fine-tuning your content
Before your content goes out to your readers, it’s always a good idea to put it through a proofreading tool.
Spelling and grammatical mistakes are embarrassing and will hinder the impact of your content.
Now, I must point out that you shouldn’t completely rely on proofreading tools.
The truth is that no tool will catch every error and they can’t take your personal writing style into account.
That said, they can still spot a lot of errors, so they do work well as an ‘extra set of eyes’.
I also like to put my post titles through different headline analyzers to get an estimate of their potential impact.
Here are a few tools to help you edit, proofread and fine-tune your content:
Grammarly is your spell checker on steroids. While any decent spell checker can detect common errors, Grammarly goes one step further and detects awkward phrasing, poor-word usage, and run-on sentences.
Okay. So it’s not like you’ve actually got an experienced editor sitting next to you and pointing out all of the ways you can tighten your content. But it’s the next best thing.
You can use Grammarly as a browser extension, as an online tool, as a desktop app or as an add-in for MS Word. By using their Chrome/Firefox extension, Grammarly will automatically proofread your text across the web. Every word you type into email, social media, or a content management system is automatically scanned for grammatical, contextual, and vocabulary mistakes (with solutions offered on-page).
You can also simply copy and paste your finished post into Grammarly to see a list of errors.
Although the service is free, you might want to upgrade to the premium version to detect more advanced grammatical/phrasing errors.
Another premium feature I find useful is Plagiarism checker – I use this for every guest post I receive, just in case.
Price: Freemium (premium version costs $11.66/month)
Platform: Online, desktop app and MS Word add-in
Learn more in our Grammarly review .
Hemingway App
Inspired by the sparse writing style of Hemingway, the Hemingway App analyzes your writing for mistakes and highlights them visually through color coding.
Hemingway can automatically detect complex words and phrases, unnecessarily long sentences, and an overabundant presence of adverbs. Besides detection, it can also offer simpler alternatives to complex phrases.
The tool is available for free online, although there is a premium desktop version which lets you access advanced features such as offline use, exporting privileges, and the ability to directly post content into a CMS.
One of the things I love about the desktop version is that it’s a fairly minimal word processing tool. This makes it a great alternative to some of the writing tools mentioned above.
Price: Freemium ($19.99 one-time fee for desktop version with advanced features)
Platform: Online and desktop (Mac and Windows)
WhiteSmoke is a word-processor and grammar checker designed with non-native English speakers in mind.
The software uses an advanced algorithm to detect not only grammatical mistakes in your content but offers tips on how to improve style, tone, and clarity. Think of it as a Grammarly alternative built for writers who struggle with casual English-language expression.
Although you can use it as a writing tool, you’ll get maximum benefit from using it to proofread and grammar-check your written content.
This tool is available both online and as a desktop app.
Price: From $59.95/year
Platform: Online and desktop (Windows only)
StyleWriter
StyleWriter is another editing and proofreading tool that helps to improve your writing.
Designed by professional proofreaders, this tool focuses on bringing clarity to your writing and making it more reader-friendly. It automatically detects jargon and awkward phrasing, grammatical errors and spelling inconsistencies.
Although the interface can be a bit confusing at first, you’ll appreciate the kind of spelling/grammar errors it can detect once you get used to it.
Price: $90 for starter edition, $150 for standard edition, and $190 for professional edition
Platform: Desktop (PC only)
Wrapping it up
While most bloggers may build their blog with a platform like WordPress , they usually use a completely different tool for writing their posts.
Having the right tools can ensure you never forget ideas and that your copy is optimized to drive engagement with your readers.
Use this list as a starting point to discover your next favorite writing tools. Try them out at your own pace and see which ones fit your workflow and writing style.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means we may make a small commission if you make a purchase.
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Surface Laptop help & learning
Featured topics.
Download drivers and firmware for Surface
Find out how to get the latest drivers and hardware firmware to keep your Surface up to date.
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Troubleshooting Wi-Fi connection on your Surface
Having Wi-Fi problems on your Surface? Try these steps to get connected.
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Surface won't turn on or start
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Featured Surface laptops
Surface laptop 5.
Surface Laptop 5 gives you power, portability, and a long-lasting battery with a sleek laptop design to help you get things done in style throughout your day.
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It’s a powerful workstation and portable studio that adapts to you.
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Surface Laptop Go 2
Get style and portability with performance you can count on to make the most of your day.
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Surface Laptop SE
Surface Laptop SE is only available to educational institutions and organizations.
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Troubleshooting
Background & identification, additional information.
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HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15-b142dx Repair
Released in 2013, this laptop comes equipped with a 16” LED-backlit screen, 500GB hard drive with 4GB of RAM, and pre-installed with Windows 8. It also comes with a built in HD webcam and digital microphone, as well as Dolby dual speakers.
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Troubleshooting New Page
HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15-b142dx Troubleshooting
Support questions.
These are some common tools used to work on this device. You might not need every tool for every procedure.
Phillips #0 Screwdriver
iFixit Opening Tool
Having problems with your Sleekbook 15? Refer to the troubleshooting page .
The HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15-b142dx first became available on July 31, 2013. It was one of the first generations of laptops produced by HP to feature the Windows 8 operating system.
This laptop is equipped with a 16” HD, LED-backlit screen and uses an AMD Radeon HD 7500g graphics card to produce the on-screen images. It comes with a 500GB hard drive, 4GB of RAM with the ability to upgrade up to 8GB, and an AMD A6-4455M Accelerated Processor. The processor was faster and more powerful than competing processors in its time, with speeds ranging between 2.1 and 2.6GHz.
Like almost all laptops, it came with a built in HD webcam and digital microphone. However, it came with integrated Altec Lansing dual speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio, which are generally specific to HP devices.
Official HP Manual & Service Guide
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Best laptops for writers: Stay creative on the go Scrivener: best writing software for authors Scrivener is packed with all the features a novelist needs, helping you track plot threads, store...
The best laptop for writers overall Specifications CPU: Intel Core m3 - Intel Core i7 Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 615 RAM: 8GB - 16GB Screen: 13.3-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) or 4K LCD...
Tools. Demo Try Grammarly, and see how it works; Grammar Checker Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes; Plagiarism Checker Check your work for plagiarism; Citation Generator Format citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago; Essay Checker Review your papers for a better grade; Guides. Writing; Grammar; Punctuation; Blog
These writing apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android put your words into the right format, adding polish and professionalism to your creations. The 8 Best Laptops of 2023 01 of 10 Best Word Processor for All Genres: Microsoft Word What We Like Hundreds of templates make creating any document simple and fast.
ProWritingAid imports your Scrivener folder into its platform and gives you a detailed analysis of how you're writing. 3. Evernote Cost: Free, or $8.99/month for the Pro version Why we love it: It lets you organize all your writing ideas in one place Evernote is a writing app that helps you organize your ideas and research.
The 22 Best Writing Tools of 2023: A Guide for Writers Before the computer there was the typewriter, and before the typewriter there was pen and paper, and before pen and paper there were plenty of other lost tools of writing — like clay, papyrus, wood, slate, parchment, and, of course, pens made out of reeds.
Shop Freewrite Devices. Freewrite is a dedicated drafting device for anyone who writes, without the distraction - or temptation - of browsers, apps, or notifications. Get in writing flow and develop more prolific writing sessions by separating the drafting and editing processes. When it is time to edit, your drafts wirelessly sync to the ...
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.
Here is the best book writing software: Free Writing Software Zoho Writer LibreOffice Google Docs FocusWriter Evernote Paid Writing Software NovelPad Ulysses Hemmingway App Scrivener FastPencil Microsoft Word Grammarly Freedom ProWritingAid FocusWriter What is Book Writing Software?
Tap the screen with your pen or select the pen menu in the corner of the taskbar. When the pen menu appears, select Settings then Edit pen menu. Select Add to add apps to your pen menu. If you want to remove apps from your pen menu, select Remove. Collaborate in Whiteboard
Whether you're looking for the best laptop for photo editing or a Windows laptop that works with your computer software, you'll want to find the laptop that is designed for your unique needs. For casual use, like email, surfing the web, paying bills and checking social media, you'll probably be satisfied with a small laptop that doesn't need extra room for the advanced technology ...
10+ Best Digital Writing Pads for Laptops & PCS 2023 Rocketbook Fusion Smart Notebook — The best digital writing pad overall (Editor's Choice) HUION Inspiroy H950P — The best budget-friendly digital writing pad Moleskine Pen+ Ellipse Smart Writing Set — The best value digital writing pad Galaxy Tab S8+ — The best Android digital writing pad
Google Input Tools remembers your corrections and maintains a custom dictionary for new or uncommon words and names. Type the way you want Get your message across in the language and style you...
Weighing under three pounds and nine millimeters thick, the ultraportable Swift 7 is ready to take your writing wherever the wind blows you. Laptop with the best keyboard Most people probably don't think twice about their keyboard. Writers, on the other hand, can be obsessed with them.
Writing Software: Writing software, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, can help writers to organize their thoughts and ideas, and create a polished final product. Grammar and Spell Check...
These handy tools combine the ease of jotting notes by hand with the power of saving them digitally. ... Typing out notes on a laptop might be faster, ... Writing on the Air2 Plus was a dream, and ...
A simpler way to write A beautiful interface built for distraction-free writing. Our formatting toolbar makes it easy to apply styles as you write. When it comes to typesetting, consistency is key. Learn more about how to format your book here. Collaborative editing Say goodbye to managing chapter revisions with your editor and co-authors by email.
Scrivener. Scrivener is essentially a project management tool masquerading as a writing tool. Originally built to help novelists write complex projects, Scrivener has quickly become the go-to writing tool for serious bloggers. Scrivener's design focuses on creating ideas as 'virtual index cards'.
Notebook or laptops for writing Pens or pencils for writing Optional: highlighters Teacher Preparation Instructions and materials are based on a camp size of 15 students. Adjust accordingly for different camp sizes. Time One three-hour camp session or three one-hour class periods.
Surface Laptop SE is only available to educational institutions and organizations. For info on the device, see Surface Laptop SE features . For info on Windows 11 SE, see Windows 11 SE for students: FAQ. Get help using your Surface Laptop SE, visit Microsoft Community. If you're an IT administrator, visit Surface Laptop SE overview.
Background & Identification. The HP Pavilion Sleekbook 15-b142dx first became available on July 31, 2013. It was one of the first generations of laptops produced by HP to feature the Windows 8 operating system. This laptop is equipped with a 16" HD, LED-backlit screen and uses an AMD Radeon HD 7500g graphics card to produce the on-screen images.