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Best Outlining Writing Apps in 2025

Showing 38 writing apps that match your search.

A powerful writing tool from Reedsy. Write and export a beautifully typeset book. This is the beloved app made for authors, by authors.

Platforms: Online, Chrome

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, Editing, Proofreading, Publishing, Book, Poetry, Story, and Free

Website: https://reedsy.com/write-a-book

Base price:

Free

Premium price:

Distraction-free interface for writing

Collaborative editing

Export for instant distribution

Track changes & statistics

★★★★★ Performance

★★★★★ Features

★★★ Accessibility

★★★★★ Value

Also rated 4.6 on Trustpilot

The best outlining app for your best work. Where brilliant ideas are captured, fleshed out, and realized.

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

Best for: Outlining, Book, Story, Blog, Essay, and Free

Website: https://dynalist.io/

Base price:

Free

Premium price:

$7.99 yearly

Tags & cross-linking

Color code anything

Easy export

★★★★ Performance

★★★ Features

★★★★ Accessibility

★★★ Value

Also rated 4.2 on Google Play

The only online writing and editing platform that guides your hand based on data from real, bestselling books, AutoCrit is built to match the genuine demands of publishing professionals and discerning readers.

Platforms: Online

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

Website: https://www.autocrit.com/

Base price:

Free

Premium price:

$30.00 monthly

Pre-made templates

Digital notecards

Interactive reports

★★★★ Performance

★★★ Features

★★ Accessibility

★★ Value

Also rated 4.0 on TechRadar

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

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

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

Website: https://milanote.com/

Base price:

Free

Premium price:

$9.99 monthly

Boards for notes and to-dos

Web clipper

Collaborative functionalities

Integration across platforms

★★★★ Performance

★★★★ Features

★★★★★ Accessibility

★★★★ Value

Also rated 3.0 on PC Magazine

Step-by-step guided essay-writing directions written by a college English professor and includes explanations and examples to help you write a college-level essay including the following: introduction paragraph, supporting paragraphs, and conclusion paragraph.

Platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, and Essay

Website: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/guided-essay-writer/id11731...

Base price:

$1.99 one-time payment

Premium price:

Essay writing tips

Help documenting sources

Easily check progress

★★★ Performance

★★★★ Features

★★★ Accessibility

★★★ Value

Also rated 5.0 on the App Store

OmniOutliner is a powerful tool for organizing (and reorganizing) information, so you can see the full picture and structure your information effortlessly.

Platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad

Best for: Outlining, Essay, and Blog

Website: https://www.omnigroup.com/omnioutliner/

Base price:

$19.99 one-time payment

Premium price:

$99.99 one-time payment

Resource folders

Multitasking

Document stats

Inline notes

★★★ Performance

★★★ Features

★★★★ Accessibility

★★ Value

Also rated 3.2 on the App Store

Still looking for the perfect app to write your novel? Novelist might just be the perfect tool for the job!

Platforms: Android, iPhone, iPad, Online

Best for: Outlining, Worldbuilding, Drafting, Story, Book, and Free

Website: https://www.novelist.app/

Base price:

Free

Premium price:

Goal setting

Rich text editor

Back up and restore

★★★★ Performance

★★★ Features

★★★ Accessibility

★★★★ Value

Mind mapping starts with a main idea in the center of your mind map. As your map takes shape, add context to topics with attachments, embedded media and more. MindMeister’s features guide you through your first mind maps onto maximum creativity.

Platforms: Online, iPhone, iPad, Android

Best for: Outlining, Journal, Poetry, and Free

Website: https://www.mindmeister.com/

Base price:

Free

Premium price:

$8.25 monthly

Outline mode & focus mode

Comments and notifications

Collaboration

★★★★ Performance

★★★ Features

★★★ Accessibility

★★★ Value

Also rated 4.7 on Capterra

Campfire is a versatile writing tool organized into modules, each one offering a different type of story element you can create. Keep track of each character's motives, history, eye color, and more. The Characters Module gives you an easy way to make quick notes or detailed character sheets about anyone in your story. Upload your map to the Maps Module, add pins to integrate it with the rest of your story, and nest other maps to keep things organized.

Platforms: Mac, Windows, Online, PC

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

Website: https://www.campfirewriting.com/

Base price:

Free

Premium price:

$2.00 monthly

Character Modules & Maps Modules

Flexible panel system

Create customizable DIY themes

★★★ Performance

★★★★ Features

★★★★★ Accessibility

★★★★ Value

Also rated 4.0 on Reedsy

Story Planner is an easy-to-use and yet powerful tool for plotting novels, screenplays, and any fiction story. It works great for writers, screenwriters, producers, directors, RPG masters … All kinds of storytellers!

Platforms: iPhone, iPad

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, Story, and Book

Website: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/story-planner-outline-your-...

Base price:

$5.99 one-time payment

Premium price:

Organize projects by tags

Link elements

Color code and organize plot lines

★★★★ Performance

★★★ Features

★★ Accessibility

★★★ Value

Also rated 4.7 on the App Store

Are you using the right tool to get your novel written? If you want a finished manuscript, you need intuitive novel writing software that keeps you on track and helps you write more novels. Writing a novel is not easy, but it should be simple. Novelize has all the features you need while minimizing distractions. Just write!

Platforms: Online, Chrome

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, Book, and Story

Website: https://www.getnovelize.com/

Base price:

$65.00 yearly

Premium price:

Easily navigable

Dozens of lists for settings and names

★★★ Performance

★★★★ Features

★★★ Accessibility

Value

Also rated 3.5 on PC Magazine

Typing Chimp Character is designed to help fiction writers create better characters, stories, and worlds fast.

Platforms: Windows, Mac, PC

Best for: Outlining, Worldbuilding, Book, and Story

Website: http://www.typingchimp.com/

Base price:

$29.99 one-time payment

Premium price:

Enneagram tools

Story generator

World generator

★★★ Performance

★★ Features

★★★ Accessibility

Value

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