Best Essay Writing Apps in 2026

The human brain is non-linear: we jump from idea to idea, all the time. Your second brain should work the same. In Obsidian, making and following connections is frictionless. Tend to your notes like a gardener; at the end of the day, sit back and marvel at your own knowledge graph.

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

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

Website: https://obsidian.md/

Also rated 4.0 ★ on TechRadar

Whatever kind of writer you are, ProWritingAid will help you improve your writing and get your ideas across more clearly. Our grammar and style checker contains over 3,000 explanations and videos written by our experts, so you don't need to remember all those crazy rules.

Platforms: Mac, Windows, Online, PC, Chrome

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

Website: https://prowritingaid.com/

Also rated 4.5 ★ on Reedsy

Create beautiful handwritten notes, sketch your ideas, record audio, and organize your notes like never before.

Platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android

Best for: Note-taking, Journal, Book, Story, Essay, Poetry, and Blog

Website: https://www.noteshelf.net/

Also rated 4.4 ★ on the App Store

Lists for Writers is a great addition to any writer’s toolbox. Helpful to both novice and expert writers alike, this app delivers list after list of prompts and ideas for your brainstorming sessions: names, character traits, plot lines, occupations, obsessions, action verbs, and much more!

Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android

Best for: Note-taking, Outlining, Drafting, Book, Story, and Essay

Website: https://thinkamingo.com/lists-for-writers/

Also rated 4.7 ★ on the App Store

A tool for thoughtful writing. See your work in new ways, think with an integrated concept map, and export with an automatic reference section, all in a distraction free environment.

Platforms: Mac

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

Website: https://www.augmentedtext.info/author

Also rated 4.4 ★ on TechRadar

Grammarlookup.com uses artificial intelligence to check grammar and punctuation mistakes in your writing, eliminate spelling errors and highlight 1000s of style issues to make your writing exceptional among other writers.

Platforms: Online

Best for: Editing, Proofreading, Essay, and Free

Website: https://www.grammarlookup.com/

Also rated 4.7 ★ on Capterra

Build your best ideas together, in Google Docs. Create, edit, and collaborate with others on documents from your Android phone or tablet with the Google Docs app.

Platforms: Online, Chrome, iPhone, iPad, Android

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

Website: https://www.google.com/docs/about/

Also rated 4.0 ★ on TechRadar

Writer Plus is a writing application without the fuss and distraction of a traditional word processor, perfect for writing notes, novel, lyrics, poems, essay, draft on your phone or tablet.

Platforms: Android

Best for: Note-taking, Poetry, Story, Essay, and Free

Website: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.easy4u.w...

Also rated 4.6 ★ on Google Play

A minimalist writing zone, where you can block out all distractions and get to what's important. The writing! To get started, all you need to do is delete this text (seriously, just highlight it and hit delete), and fill the page with your own fantastic words. You can even change the title!

Platforms: Online, Chrome

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

Website: https://zenpen.io/

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

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

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

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

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

Also rated 4.6 ★ on the App Store

Traditional word processors include dozens of options for formatting text, distracting you from what really matters: writing. Calmly Writer is an editor designed to focus on what you want to tell, with a simple, unobtrusive and ease-to-use user interface.

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Online, Chrome, PC

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

Website: https://www.calmlywriter.com/

Also rated 4.0 ★ on TechRadar