Best Writing Tool For Mac
Scrivener ($45) is a Windows and Mac app that gives you a single place to dump all your ideas and writing. It includes tools to keep notes, collect research, outline, and organize your writing. Focused is an simplified word processor that eliminates distractions while you write. Its Zen mode keeps your writing front and center, while its built-in Markdown formatting means your work will look great no matter where on the Web you publish it. The Best Pro Writing App for Mac (and iOS) - The Sweet Setup Thesweetsetup.com Ulysses is the best writing app for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. For writers — from bloggers to authors to journalists and more — Ulysses offers the perfect combination of power and simplicity, combining feature-rich writing and research tools amidst a focused, distraction-free writing environment. Grammarly offers a good proofreading tool for Mac, you can install it with a few clicks. Also, there is an app for Windows and also extensions for web browser like Chrome, Safari etc In my experience, the tool works faster compared to online editing, and it never affects the machine performances and speed. The above table includes word processors, the tools we use to “write” the book. However, all authors know there is more to writing a book than just “writing,” so we’ve added book writing software that’s helpful for writing novels, outlining, editing, keeping focused, and formatting below as well. Best Software for Writing a Book. Espresso is a web development tool for Mac. It comes with a powerful code editor and built-in CSSEdit. It comes with beautiful interface and advanced features like drag and drop code snippets, code folding, navigator, live styling and X-ray preview.
Dedicated Writing Apps
What constitutes the best app for writers depends on their process, genre, and conditions in which they are most productive. Additionally, it depends on what they intend to do with the finished work: publish it online, send it to an agent, or shoot a film. There is no single best app for all writers, but there are plenty of excellent writing apps that cater to different needs, work styles, and genres.
Priced for the Starving Artist (Mostly)
Apps for writers tend to be less expensive than other kinds of software. Many sell for a one-time fee, although a few require a subscription. The least expensive writing apps cost only around $10. Final Draft, one of the most expensive writing apps, costs $249.99, but even that is a one-time fee, meaning you pay once and own the software for life. Ulysses used to sell for a standalone fee but recently moved to a subscription model, now costing $39.99 per year. If you own an older copy of Ulysses, it's still yours to keep and use, but you won't receive any updates.
When an idea strikes, many writers want to be able to jot it down or immediately add it to an ongoing project. To do that, they likely need a companion mobile app to go along with their desktop software. Support for mobile apps isn't particularly strong in the writing category. A few companies that make software for writers offer iOS apps, but it's rare to find anything for Android. Additionally, mobile writing apps typically cost a good deal more than what people are used to paying for an app. Scrivener for iPhone and iPad, for example, runs $19.99. Storyist's iOS app is $14.99. To get over this price hurdle, I recommend thinking about the combined cost of the mobile and desktop software together and considering it a bundled purchase.
What's the Best Screenwriting Software?
As a genre, screenwriting has unique requirements. Scripts for movies, television, and the stage must make clear the difference between direction, setting descriptions, spoken dialogue, and so forth. This allows all the people involved in creating the final product—actors, film crew, editors, and directors—to do their jobs. As a result, the formatting for screenwriting is exceedingly precise. A few writing apps cater specifically to professional screenwriters. Final Draft is one, and it continues to be an industry standard. If you're actively employed in film or television, you might already own a copy. When you purchase Final Draft, you can use the app on two computers, and it's compatible with both Windows and macOS.
Another app that specifically handles scripts is Adobe Story. The app costs $9.99 per month, but it's also available to anyone who has an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Story is unusual because it's not just writing software. It also lets you make notes about the actual production of a script. For example, you can write a detailed description of shots you want to see or provide information about shooting locations. The app can generate a production schedule based on all the metadata associated with each scene. Adobe Story is also compatible with Adobe Premiere, so after the footage has been shot, you can pipe in the script to run alongside the video, helping the editors do their job, too.
Alternatives to Microsoft Word
Why would a writer use a dedicated writing app instead of Microsoft Word (or Google Docs, Apple Pages, or any other typical word processor)? There's no reason you can't use any of those apps, but they don't have many of the special features you get from apps that are specific to writers.
Fiction writers, book authors, and screenplay writers often change the order or scenes, sections, and chapters. That's easy to do when an app is designed specifically with professional long-form writers in mind. With the right drag-and-drop tools, you can quickly and easily reorganize your files. It also helps if footnotes and endnotes renumber accordingly, when you move parts around.
Another feature that office apps typically don't have is a writing target. It's common for professional writers to strive to meet a daily word or page count goal. So while Word, Google Docs, and Pages all have word count features, they don't have the same options for setting and tracking goals over time.
Some writers need to keep exhaustive notes regarding plot points and characters, and possibly even visual references, such as an image of a shoot location or faces that inspire characters. The best writers' apps include tools that make it easy to see reference material and notes whenever the writer needs, and then get back to writing quickly.
Finally, the word processors in suites are generally heavy-duty apps that can do everything from formatting and footnoting to headers, footers, and special pagination. That's handy for many kinds of business and academic writing, but for the average creative writer, all this may just be a major distraction.
What's the Best Distraction-Free Writing App?
Writers who find themselves in the less-is-more camp will want a writing app that strips away anything that could possibly be the least little bit distracting. Distraction-free writing apps are a dime a dozen; the trick is to find one that also offers the tools you need when you need them. The best distraction-free writing apps hide the tools you need until the appropriate time, rather than omitting them altogether.
With that criterion in mind, Ulysses is my favorite distraction-free writing app, and a PCMag Editors' Choice. A well-designed interface makes Ulysses easy to use and easy on the eyes. It has good tutorials and help menus for newcomers, including a cheat sheet for Markdown language. Markdown is a very lightweight set of codes that can be used instead of the rich formatting options that are common in word processors. If you've ever typed asterisks (*) around a word in a chat app to make it bold, that's similar to Markdown. It's very simple, and takes no time at all to learn, especially when you have a cheat sheet to guide you.
The idea behind Markdown is that you can apply basic formatting, like marking titles and subtitles, bold and italic text, without moving your fingers from the keyboard. It's also less distracting than having a panel with 50 alluring typefaces that you're dying to try. Ulysses is only available for Mac and iOS. Windows users might also try yWriter.
Note that we have reviewed Focused (for Mac), but it didn't score well enough to make this top-ten list. If you're curious why, please feel free to read the review.
What Are the Best Writing Apps for Novelists?
Book authors spend a lot of their time simply organizing their manuscript. Whether it's fiction or nonfiction, the work doesn't always shape up as the author originally intended. Chapters sometimes move. Stories aren't always told in a linear fashion. And scenes sometimes become more effective when their order changes.
To facilitate the shaping of a story in this way, you need a library, or a pane within the writing app showing file folders and their organization. Not all writing apps have one, as you can see from the chart above.
Writing for Medium, WordPress Blogs, and More
Book authors and screenwriters aren't the only types of writers, of course. Many writers create shorter pieces that they publish online directly, without ever passing through the hands of an agent, publisher, or movie producer. If you're publishing on Medium or WordPress, it sure is handy to have a writing app that can export each piece directly to your platform of choice.
Ulysses and iA Writer both have integration options for those two platforms. Like Ulysses, iA Writer is a distraction-free writing app, but it's much more pared down. It has some neat functions, such as text transclusion, that can be fun to learn for people who think more like programmers than traditional writers. Text transclusion allows you to create a final document of many smaller pieces by, essentially, giving commands about which files to pull together and in what order. 'First display the introduction. Next add an image. Then include my argument. Finally, show my author bio.' The text of your document could be all of four sentences long, but it might whip together a piece that, when exported, is 25 pages.
Your Writing, Your Choice
Every writer has unique needs and desires. Do you need an app that works on both Windows and macOS? Is learning a new way to format text a deal-breaker? Does your final submission need to meet industry standards the way screenplays and teleplays do? The range of software dedicated to writers is impressive. If nothing tickles your fancy from the full reviews linked below, you should also read our short synopses of many other apps for writers, as well. Finally, if you decide that a dedicated writing tool just isn't for you, and you'd rather just use a plain old word processor, we've rounded up the top office suites, too.
Featured Writing App Reviews:
Final Draft Review
MSRP: $249.00Pros: Well tailored for screenwriters. Powerful tools for both writing scenes and crafting the larger story. Plenty of view options. Offers a variety of templates. Collaboration supported.
Cons: Collaborative editing restricted to one person at a time. Inadequate default auto-save and revision history.
Bottom Line: Final Draft is the software you need if you are in the screenwriting business or aspire to be. It has all the tools you need to get the script right, both from a story perspective and a technical one.
Read ReviewScrivener Review
MSRP: $45.00Pros: Excellent tools for organizing writing. Ample collection of templates. Competitive price. Multiple installs allowed. Also available for Windows and iOS.
Cons: No web app. No native collaboration features.
Bottom Line: Built with writers in mind, Scrivener 3 has everything you need to research, compose, organize, edit, and finish a piece of writing, all for a ridiculously reasonable price.
Read ReviewUlysses (for Mac) Review
MSRP: $39.99Pros: Beautiful and clean interface. Excellent selection of distraction-free modes. Flexible. Tracks writing goals. Filters help organize content. Can publish directly to WordPress.
Cons: Now sold as subscription. Requires some learning, especially for those unfamiliar with Markdown. No audio file uploads.
Bottom Line: Ulysses is the most elegant distraction-free writing app for Mac. It's ideal for writers who prefer a minimal interface and total flexibility, rather than a lot of structure and hand-holding.
Read ReviewAdobe Story CC Review
MSRP: $9.99Pros: Screenwriting and preproduction in one app. Generates shooting schedules. Feature rich. Collaboration features.
Cons: No mobile apps or desktop apps; online only. Monthly subscription makes it expensive over the long run.
Bottom Line: Screenwriters who not only write but also direct and produce their own work won't find a better outlet for their creativity than Adobe Story.
Read ReviewScript Studio (for Mac) Review
MSRP: $199.95Pros: Excellent feature set. Helpful sample scripts included. Attractive and organized interface. Also available for Windows.
Cons: Expensive. No mobile apps. Some crashes in testing.
Bottom Line: With a professional interface and wealth of tools, Script Studio is among the best writing apps you'll find. Its high price may dissuade some from trying it, though.
Read ReviewStoryist (for Mac) Review
MSRP: $59.99Pros: Very good templates for scripts. Clean, clear interface. Includes tools for storyboarding, outlining, character sheets. Supports importing and exporting many formats.
Cons: No collaboration features. Mediocre auto-save functionality.
Bottom Line: Storyist packs the power of a full word processor into an app for writers. If you don't get distracted by having too many features, it's an excellent Mac app.
Read ReviewiA Writer (for Mac) Review
MSRP: $19.99Pros: Inexpensive. Uses distraction-free style with Markdown language. Offers transclusion method for embedding images, tables, and so on. Can export directly to Medium and WordPress.
Cons: Few tools for organizing and arranging files. No templates for genres. Not ideal for code-phobic writers.
Bottom Line: Taking minimalism to the extreme, iA Writer might be the writing app with the fewest built-in distractions, and it's inexpensive, too. But this Mac app is also BYOE: bring your own everything.
Read ReviewyWriter Review
MSRP: $0.00Pros: Good structure. Rich tools for story and character development. Plentiful stats. Free.
Cons: No Mac app or mobile apps. Doesn't include screenwriting tools or templates. Support for third-party backup options could be more apparent.
Bottom Line: The free writing app yWriter has a stats-heavy, technical feel to it, which is great for writers who crave organization and data about their work.
Read ReviewByword (for Mac) Review
MSRP: $11.99Pros: Distraction-free writing app with support for Markdown language.Supports direct publishing to popular online sites. Good export options. Inexpensive.
Cons: No library or tools for reference materials. Not ideal for long-form writers. Lacks templates. Solutions to common technical problems require macOS Terminal.
Bottom Line: Byword, an inexpensive writing app for Mac and iOS, publishes your work directly to Medium, WordPress, and other platforms. It's not ideal for long-form writers, however.
Read ReviewWriteRoom (for Mac) Review
MSRP: $9.99Pros: Distraction-free, lightweight Mac app for writing. Inexpensive. Some neat view options.
Cons: Does not support Markdown formatting. No mobile apps. Lacks a library view/folder structure. No preview before PDF export. No collaboration features.
Bottom Line: WriteRoom is an inexpensive Mac writing app with a less-is-more approach that helps you focus on your words. It's too bare-bones for book projects or screenplays, but, for shorter works, it can get the job done.
Read Review
Why use creative writing software?
We spent over 30 hours testing 10 creative writing programs and worked with several types of writing, including novels, poetry, song lyrics and screenplays, to see just how easily and effectively each program can help develop stories, edit massive amounts of text and create a full story outline. We recommend WriteItNow as the best creative writing software for anyone needing help with their writing. It is easy to use and has the most extensive and powerful tools for developing all aspects of your story and for editing it afterwards.
Best creative writing overall
WriteItNow
A creative writing software that is fantastic for organising complex plots
WriteItNow offers the most powerful and comprehensive organizational features of the applications we reviewed. It’s a great tool to use to keep track of your novel, from the planning stages through to publication. WriteItNow offers plenty of tools to help with character development, including a detailed questionnaire that allows you to assign numerical values to certain traits like intelligence. This information is stored in the easily-accessible Character tab, and you can reference it at any point in your writing.
The software has similar tab features for keeping track of other elements as well to keep your story on track. As you write, WriteItNow makes it easy to stay organized with its variety of tools that cater to many different styles of outlining, whether you need timelines, graphs or color coding. In testing, we found all of this was extremely easy and intuitive to use, as the application’s modern interface was straightforward.
WriteItNow includes a built-in word processor and web browser, that make it easy to stay in one application while you work. The in-app editing tools and submissions manager make it a great tool to use through every step of the writing process. The only downsides to WriteItNow is that it isn’t great for other types of writing, and the company does not offer phone support.
Read the full review here: WriteItNow 5 Review
Most versatile creative writing software
Power structure
A great creative writing software that offers a wide range of assistance
Power Structure has a variety of formats to assist with several genres of writing. It keeps all your most important story elements in view at the top of your writing interface, so you can keep them in mind while you write. Its Index Cards feature works to sort out plot points, notes, chapters and ideas, which is a useful feature for plot development and structure, especially since Power Structure does not have genre outlines or brainstorming tools.
The application’s word processor has basic editing tools like spell check, but it does not have a built-in dictionary. In testing, we found Power Structure was easy to use, though we ran into a few glitches when seeking out the PDF user manual. The best thing about Power Structure is that its plethora of tools work not only with long-form prose but also with different genres, including playwriting. It’s a good choice for writers who dabbles in a little bit of everything.
Read the full review here: Power Structure Review
Best for Apple Users
Storyist
Storyist
A super easy creative software to use
Storyist is a Mac OSX compatible creative writing application with a sleek, easy-to-use interface. It has a feature-rich word processor with a dedicated space to jot down notes, so you don’t have to navigate to a new page and interrupt your flow when you think of an idea or question in the middle of writing a sentence. One of the best features of Storyist is its companion iOS app, which lets you write wherever inspiration strikes. Though most creative writing software’s in-app word processors include basic editing tools, Storyist’s are generally more powerful and include word count trackers and formatting functions.
Storyist offers plenty of organization tools to help you keep track of the important details in your writing. It offers customizable style sheets to ensure consistency. I also offers character trait sheets and bulletin-board-like systems to arrange notes and writing elements. One thing we particularly like about Storyist is its autosave and version history features, which make sure that your work is never lost, even if you accidentally delete a whole chapter. Overall, Storyist is easy to use and offers features for use on both OSX and iOS.
Read the full review here: Storyist Review
Best for Screenplays
Best for Screenplays
Contour
Best creative writing software for screen plays
Contour is a good creative writing software application dedicated to movie screenplays. It helps you step-by-step through developing the characters, action and conflict of your movie. When you start a new screenplay file, the program asks you several questions to hone in on your most important characters and their actions. It then helps you outline 44 plot points throughout three acts, drawing examples from successful movies.
Though Contour is a great tool to help you write your screenplay, it acts more as a way to organize your notes and outlines than a place to actually write it out. The program does not include an in-app word processor, so most formatting happens outside of the application. If you need inspiration and a step-by-step process, Contour is ideal as its scripted steps provide structure. It’s not designed for a seasoned screenwriter, however.
Read the full review here: Contour Review
Best for Song Lyrics
MasterWriter
MasterWriterUnlike most creative writing software applications, MasterWriter stays away from big-picture outlining and organization tools. MasterWriter is much more concerned with specific lines and word choices. Its focused specificity is why it is the best creative writing software for lyricists and poets. It has a database with 33,000 common word combinations to help you figure out that saying on the tip of your tongue, as well as 136,000 rhymes or rhyme phrases.
If you want to make a pop culture reference in your work, you can also utilize one of MasterWriter’s 12,000 movie and culture quotes from the Pop Culture feature. Another tool the software provides for finding exactly the right phrase is Word Families, which acts as a combination of a reference dictionary and thesaurus. This feature lets you filter results by part of speech, as well. To help you keep track of your ideas, MasterWriter allows you to keep both written and voice-recorded notes.
Read the full review here: MasterWriter Review
How does creative writing software differ from a word processor?
Creative writing software provides you with tools that are more refined than the ones typically found in word processors. Software specifically designed for writers typically offers developmental tools, storyboards, and features that help you spawn round characters, think through storylines and choose just the right word or phrase to add life to your writing. The software helps you develop and organize info on characters and subplots so you can keep intricate details straight throughout your story.
Some programs are geared toward a specific writing type, such as novels or screenwriting, while others are more general in scope. The best creative writing software helps instill and prompt these qualities through organization and structure.
Creative Writing Software: How We Tested, What We Found
In our tests, we explored each program fully and evaluated how easy it was to download, install and use. We compared the features and functionality of each application to determine which were the best. We also looked for the programs that provide the most comprehensive tools to assist you in the writing process from beginning to end, no matter your writing style or experience level.
Best Free Writing Program For Mac
We found that the best creative writing software not only accommodates many types of writing – like screenplays or song lyrics – it also has editing tools, a customizable interface and built-in plot and character development tools. The top programs are also backed by prompt, friendly customer service.
The top creative writing programs should have features that spark creativity, help you organize story lines and aid in developing characters, conflicts, settings and plots. It should contain a built-in word processor and be user-friendly so that even a beginning writer can feel confident enough to practice and write with the application.
Crucial factors to consider with creative writing software
Organization Tools The software should offer sufficient features to help you brainstorm ideas, organize your thoughts, create believable characters and keep track of their activities in minute detail. The best software offers structure templates with tools to develop conflict, characters, plots and settings. It will also help you power through moments of writer’s block by helping you brainstorm ideas, outline your story and develop each setting and arc along the way.
Writing & Editing The best creative writing software offers a host of practical tools. If your computer didn’t come preinstalled with Microsoft Word or a similar word processing application, consider one of the programs that has one built into it. The main benefit of using a program with a built-in word processor is that your notes and outlines will be in the same place as your writing. You can easily access your notes, view your storyboard and write in the same window, which means you won’t have to waste time switching between programs. The best programs also provide tools to help you find just the right word, like a dictionary, thesaurus or a vast library of rhyming words or alliterations.
Best Writing Tool For Mac
Ease of Use Good creative writing software should be easy to use. It should also have user-friendly features so anyone can download, install and quickly figure it out. The best programs have an intuitive, modern interface that’s easy to navigate with no hidden menus or features.
Help & Support Creative writing software should offer a variety of support options. You can contact any of the software publishers in our lineup via email or contact form, and a few even offer technical support over the phone. While most of these companies don’t offer live chat support, they make up for it by hosting a veritable artillery of informational resources on their websites. From video tutorials to extremely detailed PDF user manuals and community user forums, most of these programs have you covered when you’re troubleshooting.
Supported Configurations If you find a creative writing program that you like, double check that it’s compatible with your computer’s operating system. Most programs are compatible with all recent versions of Windows, though a few only work on Mac OS X. Although a couple can technically run on a Linux computer, there may be further limitations or extra software to install before the program will work properly. As for mobile use, a few programs either have compatible smartphone apps or can be used on a mobile web browser.
Don’t worry if you’re trying to stick to your budget – there are multiple options available for about $40. However, if your budget’s really tight, we recommend MasterWriter, which has monthly payment plans available for just under $10 per month. The software may be simple but it provides you with a place to write and store multiple stories, poems or song lyrics. It even includes an impressive bank full of alliterations, rhymes and other words so you can easily find just the right word.
Our creative writing software reviews can help you find just the right software package. While some programs have a broader focus than others, you can find one to help with just about any type of creative writing project. Whether you want to focus on finishing your novel or getting ideas for a screenplay, our reviews are a wonderful place to start.
Similar Kinds of Programs
Experienced writers know that writing can be a multi-faceted process laden with distractions and that it’s important to have the right tools to get the job done. Luckily, there are tons of programs and tools to help novice and veteran writers alike stay organized and produce high-quality writing. Below, we share a variety of tools to help you through the entire writing process:
For learning how to type. If you hunt and peck at your keyboard, it may be beneficial to learn how to type before setting out to write your best-seller. There are free websites, such as TypingClub, that teach you the basics of typing, or you can pay for entire courses through sites like KAZ. If you prefer to download a program onto your computer, check out our typing software reviews.
For organizing. Many writers have brilliant novel or screenplay ideas in their heads but never get them down on paper because they find it’s difficult to organize everything. There are programs out there designed specifically to help you organize your entire writing project – including tasks, plot points, character info and everything else relevant to your story – in a single place. Gingko is one such program. If you want something made for more of a general task management, consider MeisterTask or Basecamp. Once you have all the logistics written out, it should clear the path for you to focus on writing.
For minimizing distractions. Whether it’s a new email or a neighbor knocking on your door, distractions are everywhere, and they are the enemy of writers. Although we can’t help you with nosy neighbors, we can recommend some applications and other tools to help maximize your focus. Browser extensions, such as Mindful Browsing, limit the type of websites you can access or simply remind you to stretch and get back to work. We also recommend using focusing playlists designed to help you stay energized and on task. Websites like Brain.fm work, as does a quick search on your favorite music streaming service.
For checking grammar and improving vocabulary. Writing a great story is tough enough without having to worry if you misused a word or used incorrect grammar. Thankfully, there are websites ready to help you check your work before sending it off to a publisher. They can check for incorrect punctuation, misused words and spelling errors as well as grammatical errors. Plenty of these sites, including WhiteSmoke, are free, though you can pay for a service, such as Grammarly, should you wish. Some of these sites can also check for plagiarism, which is handy.
For sharing your work. Once you’ve polished your masterpiece, you’ll want somewhere to post it. If blogging is your thing, check out WordPress or Blogger. If you prefer to create a website for your portfolio, check out sites like Squarespace or Weebly or hire a professional website designer to make a custom site for your work.