You can write in just about any text editor – Notes, Text Edit, Notepad, etc. So, why use a specialist writing app?
Free and built-in text editors are pretty basic. They lack small but useful features, like remembering your last place in a document, the size of your fully opened app, or a word count.
Writing apps provide improved document navigation and outlining. They offer better chapter-by-chapter word counts, and increased export options. Some of them provide a more simplified user experience.
The question is, are they any good? And which one is the best?
I’ve split them into three groups:
Office productivity
Do everything writing software
Minimalist writing apps
Office productivity
There are many office productivity apps for writers. The most popular one is Microsoft Word. It comes with an annual subscription that includes other Microsoft 365 products like OneDrive. Word is designed for making business documents, but it’s also popular with writers looking for a reliable word processor with a broad range of features. It uses an ‘industry standard’ file format that’s often used to share manuscripts or to exchange inline comments within your document. And it has an excellent spellchecker.
Google Docs is another office productivity app. It’s a free web-based app, which means you can use it in pretty much any web browser. Or you can use the mobile app.
Obsidian is simpler, and free for personal use. It’s designed for business note-taking.
Apple Pages is another free app. It’s easier to use than Word, especially for new users, and it has an attractive interface.
Recommended apps:
Microsoft Word (from £84.99 / year)
Apple Pages (free version)
Obsidian (free for personal use)
Google Docs (free for personal use)
Positives:
A familiar environment to work in
Word’s commenting feature
Negatives:
Some of these apps can feel more corporate than creative
They may have distracting features that writers don’t use
Do everything writing Software
In terms of do everything writing software there’s Scrivener. It offers excellent document planning and outlining features along with extensive customisability and export options. It has versatile word count options. Scenes and chapters can easily be moved around. On the downside, it does feel like professional software with a learning curve. There are other do everything writing apps out there, but none that I consider strong enough to include here.
Recommended apps:
Scrivener (purchase for £55 macOs, iOS / iPad for £23.99)
Positives:
Every feature in the desktop version that you could ever need
Excellent document navigation, and overview
Negatives:
Complicated settings and export options (especially for new users)
Can feel a bit old fashioned
Not the best option for seamless sync between multiple devices (although it’s better with DropBox)
Minimalist writing apps
For a leaner writing experience there are the so-called Minimalist writing apps like iA Writer and Ulysses. These apps take a different approach to Microsoft Word and Scrivener by providing a simplified user experience. People often assume it’s all about the user interface, but its just as much about having less settings that need to be tweaked to get up and running.
Recommended apps:
iA Writer (£34.99 Mac, £19.99 iOS / iPad, and £27.99 for Windows OS)
Ulysses (£39.99 / year, which also includes the iOS and iPad versions of the app)
Positives:
Less distraction (less settings for those obsessive tweakers to tweak)
More focus on the basics of writing
Negatives:
Some people might not like using Markdown code
You pay as much for a reduced feature set and Minimalist design as you do for apps with more features
Conclusion
What’s the best? It really depends on what you want – an office productivity app, fully featured specialist software for writers, or a paired down Minimalist experience. Another consideration is how seamless the sync is, especially if you frequently switch between devices. And, how does the app of your choice perform on a smaller screen?
Does the app offer full page / multiple page view on a desktop? This can be useful when working on a large screen. The page / multipage view on a desktop screen offers greater contextual awareness than a smaller screen. The page view can be a useful way to judge the look and feel of your prose (to work out if it’s too light or dense).
There’s an argument to be made for planning in, say, Scrivener, writing a first draft in iA Writer, and polishing and formatting a manuscript in Word. Alternatively, it’s also sensible to find a dependable app, one that fits your workflow, and stick with it.
In today’s world, with email submissions, there’s much less need for complicated export functions or to print out a manuscript. Most writing apps can save to PDF, Microsoft Word, or plain text.
Writers want their apps to be reliable, and easy-to-use. The aesthetics of the interface and user experience are more subjective. We all have our preferences.
Most dependable file sync: iA Writer
Best document overview: Scrivener
Best web-based word processor: Microsoft Word
Best web-based Minimalist writing app: Google Docs
Best balance of features and user experience: Ulysses
Best spellcheck: Microsoft Word
Best Minimalist writing app: iA Writer