Best Writing Apps in 2026

Notes is the best place to jot down quick thoughts or to save longer notes filled with checklists, images, web links, scanned documents, handwritten notes, or sketches. And with iCloud, it's easy to keep all your devices in sync, so you’ll always have your notes with you.

Platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad

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

Website: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notes/id1110145109

Also rated 3.3 ★ on the App Store

Do you have a story to tell? Unlike conventional word processors, Storyist helps you track your plot, characters, and settings, and keeps all of your writing organized and accessible—so you can focus on telling your story.

Platforms: Mac, iPhone, iPad

Best for: Outlining, Drafting, Book, and Story

Website: https://storyist.com/

Also rated 4.0 ★ on PC Magazine

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

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

Keep peace of mind knowing your team's content is perfect.

Platforms: Online

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

Website: https://linguix.com/

Also rated 4.6 ★ on Capterra

The Novel Factory helps guide new writers through the novel writing process - while completing your first manuscript.

Platforms: Mac, Windows, Online, PC

Best for: Book, Drafting, Outlining, and Story

NovelPad's online and offline novel writing software helps you organize, write, and edit your novel anywhere, on any device, from start to finish.

Platforms: Online

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

Website: https://novelpad.co/

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

Life Note is an AI journaling app that lets you reflect with history's greatest minds—Jung, Marcus Aurelius, Thich Nhat Hanh, and 1000+ others—each trained on their actual writings.

Platforms: Online, iPhone, Android

Best for: Journal

Website: https://www.mylifenote.ai

Also rated 5.0 ★ on Apple Store

Create ebooks for every platform: Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and more. Each specialized file can guide readers to buy your next book in their favorite store.

Platforms: Mac

Best for: Publishing, Story, and Book

Website: https://vellum.pub/

Also rated 3.0 ★ on Reedsy

Most writers have at least one old notebook lying around somewhere, full of old story ideas, interesting characters, enchanting locations, or a myriad of other margin-scribbled thoughts. Notebook.ai is a worldbuilding tool that organizes, saves, and helps in fully fleshing out your fictional world, your way.

Platforms: Online, Chrome

Best for: Worldbuilding, Book, Story, and Free

Website: https://www.notebook.ai/

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