The Best Writing Apps in 2026
We researched writing apps through official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. We ranked them by their core writing job, value for money, and verified features for drafting, editing, organizing, and publishing long-form writing.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Final Draft#1 of 1359.4/10A screenplay-focused toolkit with deep planning, production, revision, and collaboration features.
5-day trial
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Runner-up
Scrivener#2 of 1359.3/10A structured workspace for drafting, organizing, and compiling long-form work.
30-day trial
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Top-ranked free plan
Celtx#3 of 1359.2/10Scriptwriting and production planning for screenwriters working with collaborators.
Free plan · 7-day trial
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 135 tools, best first · page 1 of 3
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Best forProfessional screenwriters and production teams
A screenplay-focused toolkit with deep planning, production, revision, and collaboration features.
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Final Draft -
Best forNovelists and other long-form authors
A structured workspace for drafting, organizing, and compiling long-form work.
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
- Version history
9.3/10★★★★★Visit Scrivener -
Best forProduction-oriented screenwriters
Scriptwriting and production planning for screenwriters working with collaborators.
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
Free plan · 7-day trial Our Celtx verdict → Visit CeltxFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #3 · $79/mo →9.2/10★★★★★Visit Celtx -
Best forAuthors publishing finished books
A focused book-writing workspace with planning, collaboration, and EPUB/PDF publishing.
- Real-time collaboration
- Version history
- Publishing tools
Free plan · 30-day trial Our Reedsy Studio verdict → Visit Reedsy StudioFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #4 · $69/mo →9.1/10★★★★★Visit Reedsy Studio -
Best forAcademic LaTeX collaborators
A focused LaTeX workspace for research teams that need shared editing, citations, and PDF previews.
Free plan · 7-day trial Our Overleaf verdict → Visit OverleafFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #5 · $59/mo →9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Overleaf -
Best forTechnical authors needing structured documents
A focused desktop tool for technical documents, mathematics, references, and typesetting.
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit LyX -
Best forNewsletter writers building paid audiences
A publishing and audience platform for writers building paid newsletters.
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Substack -
Best forScreenwriters working with co-writers or teams
A screenwriting workspace with collaboration, outlining, revision tools, and broad exports.
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit WriterDuet -
Best forWriters publishing newsletters and membership content
Ghost combines web publishing, newsletters, memberships, and paid subscriptions.
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Ghost -
Best forTeams needing self-hosted live editing
A self-hosted writing workspace for teams that need live editing and revision control.
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Etherpad -
Best forWriters seeking a public story-reading community
A community-first home for discovering, publishing, and discussing stories.
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Wattpad -
Best forWriters seeking simple audience publishing
A publishing-focused writing app for reaching readers, not managing writing projects.
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Medium -
Best forWriters publishing blogs and newsletters
A publishing-focused writing app with a free plan and paid options for growing publications.
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Write.as -
Best forCollaborative fiction teams
Draft fiction, build story worlds, and collaborate with editors in one workspace.
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Campfire -
Best forTeams collaborating on Markdown documents
A collaborative Markdown workspace with strong GitHub, publishing, and team workflow support.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit HackMD -
Best forDevelopers publishing technical articles
A focused web publishing platform for developers building technical publications.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Hashnode -
Best forMarkdown writers wanting a low-cost desktop app
A capable desktop Markdown editor with broad exports and a $14.99 one-time license.
- Offline mode
- Version history
- Publishing tools
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Typora -
Best forOrganizations needing self-hosted collaborative notes
A flexible collaborative Markdown workspace for teams that manage their own deployment.
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit HedgeDoc -
Best forAI-assisted novelists who want provider choice
A flexible writing workspace for novelists who want planning depth and AI provider choice.
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Novelcrafter -
Best forIndependent screenplay professionals
A one-time desktop license pairs screenplay tools with optional browser-based collaboration.
- Real-time collaboration
- Offline mode
- Version history
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Fade In -
Best forWriters working across Mac, iPad, and iPhone
A structured writing workspace for Apple users, with goals, language checks, exports, and publishing.
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
- Version history
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit Ulysses -
Best forMinimalist Markdown writers
A focused Markdown editor with preview, revision tools, and publishing workflows.
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
- Version history
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit iA Writer -
Best forBudget-conscious screenwriters working offline
A free desktop screenwriting app with formatting, revision comparison, reports, and multiple export formats.
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Trelby -
Best forResearchers using Markdown and citations
A free, local Markdown workspace with citations, linking, search, and publishing tools.
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Zettlr -
Best forNewsletter writers building subscriber businesses
A focused newsletter platform with publishing, audience tools, automations, and paid subscriptions.
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Buttondown -
Best forLinux users wanting a minimal Markdown editor
A focused, free Linux editor for Markdown writing and Pandoc export.
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Apostrophe -
Best forEditors collaborating with InDesign layout teams
A focused desktop editor for copy teams coordinating directly with InDesign layouts.
- Real-time collaboration
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Adobe InCopy -
Best forFree desktop LaTeX authors
A capable free LaTeX workspace for authors who prefer desktop editing.
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit TeXstudio -
Best forAI-assisted book and screenplay drafting
A web-based AI workspace for long-form book and screenplay drafting.
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Squibler -
Best forScreenwriters seeking value and AI tools
A low-cost screenwriting suite with planning, collaboration, exports, and optional AI credits.
- Offline mode
6.5/10★★★☆☆Try Story Architect -
Best forAcademic publishers and research teams
A focused web workspace for collaborative academic writing, formatting, and publishing.
- Real-time collaboration
- Version history
- Publishing tools
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit SciFlow -
Best forNovelists organizing complex stories or series
Outlining, story-world records, and continuity tools for novelists, with AI options.
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Pendraic -
Best forAccessible offline writing workflows
A free, local writing workspace with accessibility, manuscript, dictation, and export tools.
- Offline mode
- Version history
- Publishing tools
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit QUILL -
Best forWorldbuilding-focused authors
A broad, offline fiction-writing studio with strong planning and publishing tools.
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
- Publishing tools
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Edda -
Best forSimple bloggers wanting free publishing and analytics
A focused, free-first blogging tool for simple publishing, analytics, and discovery.
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Bear Blog -
Best forResearchers writing interactive papers
A focused research-writing workspace with collaboration, interactive figures, and broad exports.
- Real-time collaboration
- Offline mode
- Version history
5.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Curvenote -
Best forGoal-driven novelists
A browser-based novel-writing workspace with planning, goals and publishing tools.
- Real-time collaboration
- Offline mode
- Version history
5.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Novlr -
Best forAuthors wanting AI continuity assistance
A focused manuscript workspace with continuity tools, research, exports, and optional metered AI.
5.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Calliope -
Best forCollaborative screenplay beginners
A focused screenplay workspace with free essentials and paid outlining and revision tools.
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
5.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Arc Studio Pro -
Best forSmall screenplay teams using AI analysis
A focused screenplay workspace for small teams that want AI analysis, not AI rewriting.
- Real-time collaboration
5.5/10★★★☆☆Visit Lastslate -
Best forScreenwriters who need story-structure analysis
A capable offline story-development suite, especially strong for structure-focused screenwriters.
- Offline mode
5.4/10★★★☆☆Visit DramaQueen -
Best forPrivacy-minded Apple-based long-form writers
A focused manuscript workspace with local Markdown storage and strong export options.
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
- Version history
5.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Vondel -
Best forWriters collaborating on shared fiction drafts
Ellipsus links collaborative fiction drafts with comments, version tools, and AO3 publishing.
- Real-time collaboration
- Version history
- Publishing tools
5.2/10★★★☆☆Visit Ellipsus -
Best forTechnical writers needing collaborative documents
A flexible writing system for technical teams that need collaboration and structured exports.
- Real-time collaboration
- Publishing tools
5.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Typst -
Best forNovelists who want offline writing and collaboration
A planning-rich novel workspace with offline writing and flexible desktop or cloud plans.
- Real-time collaboration
- Offline mode
- Version history
5.0/10★★☆☆☆Visit NovelPad -
Best forNovelists who want planning, co-editing, and broad exports
A cross-platform writing studio with story planning, offline editing, and broad exports.
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
4.9/10★★☆☆☆Visit Wayscript -
Best forMac and iOS authors planning books or screenplays
A Mac and iOS writing app with story-planning tools and extensive book exports.
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
- Version history
4.8/10★★☆☆☆Visit Storyist -
Best forAuthors preparing print and ebooks
A book-focused writing and formatting app with offline access and a one-time price.
- Real-time collaboration
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
4.7/10★★☆☆☆Visit Atticus -
Best forResearch-heavy independent writers
A strong fit for independent writers working on long, research-heavy documents.
- Mobile apps
- Offline mode
- Version history
4.6/10★★☆☆☆Explore Tolstoy -
Best forDesktop authors wanting AI editing and book formatting
A long-form writing app with story planning, AI editing, and book exports for Windows and macOS.
- Offline mode
- Publishing tools
4.5/10★★☆☆☆Visit Manuscript
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Publishing tools | Offline mode | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Final Draft | No | $99.99/yr | Yes | Yes | 9.4 |
| 2 | Scrivener | No | $23.99 one-time | Yes | Yes | 9.3 |
| 3 | Celtx | Yes | $11.24/mo | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 4 | Reedsy Studio | Yes | Yes | No | 9.1 | |
| 5 | Overleaf | Yes | 9.0 | |||
| 6 | LyX | Yes | Free | 8.9 | ||
| 7 | Substack | Yes | 8.8 | |||
| 8 | WriterDuet | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 9 | Ghost | No | $18/mo | 8.6 | ||
| 10 | Etherpad | Free | 8.5 | |||
| 11 | Wattpad | Yes | 8.4 | |||
| 12 | Medium | Yes | 8.3 | |||
| 13 | Write.as | Yes | $6/mo | 8.2 | ||
| 14 | Campfire | Yes | $19/mo | Yes | Yes | 8.1 |
| 15 | HackMD | Yes | $5/seat/mo | 8.0 | ||
| 16 | Hashnode | Yes | $50/site/yr | 7.9 | ||
| 17 | Typora | No | $14.99 one-time | Yes | Yes | 7.8 |
| 18 | HedgeDoc | Free | 7.7 | |||
| 19 | Novelcrafter | No | $4/mo | 7.6 | ||
| 20 | Fade In | No | $79.95 one-time | Yes | Yes | 7.5 |
| 21 | Ulysses | No | $39.99/user/yr | Yes | Yes | 7.4 |
| 22 | iA Writer | No | Yes | Yes | 7.3 | |
| 23 | Trelby | Yes | Free | 7.2 | ||
| 24 | Zettlr | Yes | Free | 7.1 | ||
| 25 | Buttondown | Yes | $9/mo | 7.0 | ||
| 26 | Apostrophe | Yes | Free | 6.9 | ||
| 27 | Adobe InCopy | No | No | 6.8 | ||
| 28 | TeXstudio | Yes | Free | 6.7 | ||
| 29 | Squibler | Yes | $29.99/user/mo | 6.6 | ||
| 30 | Story Architect | Yes | $4.17/mo | Yes | 6.5 | |
| 31 | SciFlow | Yes | Yes | 6.4 | ||
| 32 | Pendraic | Yes | $14.99/mo | 6.3 | ||
| 33 | QUILL | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 6.2 |
| 34 | Edda | No | $39 one-time | Yes | Yes | 6.1 |
| 35 | Bear Blog | Yes | 6.0 | |||
| 36 | Curvenote | Yes | $9/mo | Yes | Yes | 5.9 |
| 37 | Novlr | Yes | $8/mo | Yes | Yes | 5.8 |
| 38 | Calliope | Yes | €99/yr | 5.7 | ||
| 39 | Arc Studio Pro | Yes | $69/user/yr | Yes | Yes | 5.6 |
| 40 | Lastslate | Yes | $150/user/yr | 5.5 | ||
| 41 | DramaQueen | Yes | $11.90/mo | Yes | 5.4 | |
| 42 | Vondel | No | $49.99/yr | Yes | Yes | 5.3 |
| 43 | Ellipsus | Yes | $60/yr | Yes | No | 5.2 |
| 44 | Typst | Yes | $7.99/user/mo | Yes | No | 5.1 |
| 45 | NovelPad | No | $150/yr | Yes | Yes | 5.0 |
| 46 | Wayscript | Yes | Yes | Yes | 4.9 | |
| 47 | Storyist | No | $19 one-time | Yes | Yes | 4.8 |
| 48 | Atticus | No | $147 one-time | Yes | Yes | 4.7 |
| 49 | Tolstoy Compose | Yes | £60/user/yr | Yes | Yes | 4.6 |
| 50 | Manuscript | No | $79 one-time | Yes | Yes | 4.5 |
Head-to-head All 27 comparisons →
- Final Draft vs Scrivener
- Final Draft vs Celtx
- Final Draft vs Reedsy Studio
- Final Draft vs Overleaf
- Final Draft vs LyX
- Final Draft vs Substack
- Final Draft vs WriterDuet
- Scrivener vs Celtx
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How we rank writing apps
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update