Best Writing Apps in 2025

A focused environment where you can write freely. With iA Writer, you can gain unparalleled insight into your writing structure, detect superfluous words and clichés, and navigate through your documents and notes with ease.

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

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

Website: https://ia.net/writer

Also rated 4.0 ★ on PC Magazine

Pages is a powerful word processor that lets you create stunning documents, and comes included with most Apple devices. And with real-time collaboration, your team can work together from anywhere, whether they’re on Mac, iPad, iPhone, or a PC.

Platforms: iPad, Mac, iPhone

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

Website: https://www.apple.com/pages/

Also rated 3.6 ★ on the App Store

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

Platforms: Online

Best for: Drafting, Book, Story, and Free

Website: https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/

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/

Also rated 4.2 ★ on Google Play

Plot your next masterpiece with Pluot, the writing planner packed with features and there for you whenever inspiration strikes.

Platforms: Android

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

Website: https://pluotstudios.com/

Also rated 4.3 ★ on Google Play

FocusWriter is a simple, distraction-free writing environment. It utilizes a hide-away interface that you access by moving your mouse to the edges of the screen, allowing the program to have a familiar look and feel to it while still getting out of the way so that you can immerse yourself in your work.

Platforms: Windows, PC

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

Website: https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/

Also rated 4.0 ★ on TechRadar

Simple. Effective. Personal. Keep life moments and ideas always with you. Diaro is here to help.

Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android, Chrome

Best for: Note-taking, Journal, and Free

Website: https://diaroapp.com/

Also rated 4.6 ★ on Google Play

The most enjoyable desktop app for writing a thesis or paper.

Platforms: Windows, Mac, PC

Best for: Drafting and Essay

Website: https://www.monsterwriter.app/

Also rated 3.8 ★ on the App Store

Mellel is a word processor designed from the ground up to be the ultimate writing tool for academics, technical writers, scholars and students. Mellel is strong, stable and reliable, and is the ideal companion for working on documents that are long and complex, short and simple, or anything in between.

Platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, and Essay

Website: https://mellel.com/

Also rated 3.2 ★ on the App Store

Compose bold, clear, mistake-free writing with Grammarly. Work with an AI writing partner that helps you find the words you need⁠—⁠to write that tricky email, to get your point across, to keep your work moving.

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

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

Website: https://www.grammarly.com/

Also rated 4.4 ★ on the App Store

Scribus is an Open Source program that brings professional page layout with a combination of press-ready output and new approaches to page design.

Platforms: Windows, Mac, PC

Best for: Publishing, Book, Story, and Free

Website: https://www.scribus.net/

Also rated 4.5 ★ on TechRadar

Take digital handwritten notes for class, work, or fun!

Platforms: Android, Chrome

Best for: Note-taking, Essay, and Free

Website: https://www.squidnotes.com/

Also rated 4.3 ★ on Google Play