Writing Apps Review Roundup
Most people use a word processor (such as Microsoft Word) for drafting their everyday work. When I do use a word processor for putting together my academic writing projects, I’ve already found that there are generally better alternatives to Microsoft Word (two I recommend are Mellel and Nota Bene, my readers can save money off the price of Nota Bene by using NBNP as the group code when purchasing it).
However, even before my writing is added to my word processor, I always draft everything I write in a dedicated writing app. A writing app is separate from a word processor. It provides a distraction-free environment for organizing, writing, and drafting my thoughts. It generally provides useful tools for storing my writing, setting writing goals if I need them, syncing my writing between multiple devices, and allows me to quickly launch the app and start writing when I know I have some extra time to write.
Below is a roundup of various writing apps I have tried or evaluated over the years, and I recently tried a few additional writing apps to see which one or ones I wanted to settle in on as my preferred writing app or apps or choice. Any of these writing apps I have either taken free trials of or purchased, so I am able to provide 100% unbiased reviews of each:
Scrivener: Scrivener is developed by Literature and Latte in the UK. It was my first attempt at learning about writing apps and the first writing app I used. I used Scrivener during my PhD program to draft my PhD dissertation, which I then imported into Nota Bene and formatted it into my seminary’s writing style. I plan to produce a video on how to use Scrivener in a PhD program. Scrivener is a one-time purchase (although they generally charge for upgrades) and works across Mac, Windows, and iOS. It costs about $60 each for the Windows and Mac versions (with bundle and student discounts available) and about $24 for the iOS version.
Scrivener is a powerful and flexible writing app. It organizes writing into a project file. Inside each project file, you can create folders (and even subfolders) to outline your writing project, then create various documents to draft your writing. You can break up your documents into multiple sheets and move them around to easily re-structure the writing project. You can store notes in a sidebar of what you need to work on, as well as set a status in the bottom-right corner (first draft, in progress, final draft, completed, etc). Inside the project file, you can also easily store your research as well so that it is always a click away. While I stored most of my research in Nota Bene so I could search it with Orbis+, I stored some research I needed quickly during my PhD program inside my Scrivener writing project. You can easily compile and export your project file to various common file formats and easily import it into another word processor (like I did for my PhD dissertation) While Scrivener has such a wealth of features that some find it overwhelming at first, I found that Scrivener does an excellent job offering both power and simplicity, where the powerful features are there if you need them but generally out of the way if you don’t.
I have used Scrivener primarily on a Mac but also on Windows, as well as on iOS (on an iPad). Due to the nature of Scrivener’s project file format, it syncs best with Dropbox (it does not sync well with iCloud at the moment). I no longer use Dropbox and primarily store my files in Proton Drive and use iCloud Drive for some file syncing, so I admit it is now a little more difficult for me to consider using Scrivener cross-platform moving forward. Additionally, Ulysses (another writing app I use) has now added the ability to offer Projects which now function similar (but not exactly) to Scrivener’s projects, and since Ulysses can sync between Mac and iOS over iCloud, it is quickly becoming more of my preferred writing app across devices.
Scrivener is an excellent writing app, and I will keep my Scrivener license handy in case I need to use it in the future. I would personally recommend it to someone looking for a powerful writing app with a longstanding reputation as one of the major writing apps on the market. I’d also recommend it to someone looking for an app that is a one-time purchase (with the ability to pay for upgrades in the future) and who needs the flexibility of an app that works across Mac and Windows, as well as the option for iOS. I would also recommend it for someone who primarily stores their writing in Dropbox.
Moving forward, I am gradually pivoting more toward Ulysses, as I will explain in my review of Ulysses, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for Scrivener as the first writing app I used, the one I used to finally become “Dr. Parker”, and there are times where I may still decide to fire up Scrivener for tackling the largest writing projects in the future.
Scapple: Scapple isn’t a writing app, but it is a companion app to Scrivener also produced by Literature and Latte in the UK. The app is an outlining and “mind mapping” app for Mac and Windows. This app does not offer an iOS version (although it would be fun if they ever did!). Like Scrivener, it is a one-time purchase for about $20 across each platform (educational discounts available).
The goal of Scapple is to provide a canvas on which you can jot down various notes and “rough out” your thoughts. I have used Scapple for various writing projects, including my PhD dissertation, other academic research and writing, and even some fictional writing for fun. You can create little notes around the canvas, color code them, change the color background or font type, and even connect notes to each other. I’ve seldom needed to connect notes to each other, but I have used Scapple to create columns of notes on which I would drag around notes and organize them into “chapters” of a larger writing project or “sections” of a smaller article, then use the different color backgrounds to assign what I wanted to keep in my project, what I potentially wanted to discard, which sections I had fleshed out enough information, which ones I was still working on thinking through, etc. I have found the tool useful for me to “rough out” writing projects and spend quality time getting my thoughts down into my computer then organizing them so I could create an outline of my writing from them.
I would highly recommend Scapple to someone who needs a way to quickly get their thoughts down onto a large, flexible canvas and move them around to better organize them (think of it as a large, digital whiteboard), with the limitation that you cannot use Scapple on a mobile device yet (although I can just imagine how fun it would be to use Scapple on a touch screen!).
Long-term, I could probably accomplish a similar feat with Ulysses (without the flexibility of moving notes around on a large canvas) by simply dumping my thoughts into a “sheet” inside Ulysses then later re-structuring them and moving them around into an outline format. Therefore, I may be able to consolidate multiple apps into a single app for everything. However, I will still keep my Scapple license around, as I may still find myself coming back to that big, beautiful, blank canvas I can freely jot my thoughts down and drag them around and organize them into outlines.
Ulysses: Ulysses is the second major writing app I learned about. I also used it during my PhD program as a replacement for a note taking app when attending all my reading and research seminars. I drafted and stored all my notes for each class in Ulysses since it synced well across my Mac and iOS over iCloud. I made a video of how to use Ulysses in a PhD program. The only drawback of Ulysses is that it is Mac and iOS only. There’s no Windows version available. However, Ulysses is so beautifully-designed, I would switch to a Mac or iOS device just to use it (Ulysses works great on an iPad), and I don’t see how the Ulysses team could replicate this beauty on Windows. Unlike Scrivner, Ulysess has moved to a subscription-only format for about $40/year (student discounts are available), but the subscription works across Mac and iOS (Scrivener is a per-platform one-time purchase).
Ulysses stores everything in its own library format. Traditionally, it used a series of “groups” that one could create that would be used for each writing project. Inside each “group”, one could create their own “sheets” which contain the written content. Ulysses can also export to multiple formats which can easily be imported into a word processor, plus their PDF export feature can export to various “styles” which make for a clean way to quickly draft a PDF. Ulysses now offers the ability to create “projects” inside its library which offers a little more organization similar to Scrivener. It does offer a sidebar with writing goals and notes similar to Scrivener, but unlike Scrivener, you cannot set a “status” for each “sheet” yet (I really hope Ulysses will add this feature). Instead of a dedicated “research” feature, each “sheet” has the ability to store “attachments” (it just has an overall different feeling from Scrivener).
While Ulysses’ interface overall feels simpler than Scrivener’s (it has a beautiful full-screen mode), one major difference is how to format your writing in each app. Scrivener is a traditional “What You See is What You Get” writing app with a traditional formatting toolbar for bold, italic, outlines, paragraph styles, etc. Ulysses utilizes Markdown format instead (a version of it they call “Markdown XL”) where one formats their writing using a series of codes (for example, one hashtag is Heading 1, two hashtags is heading 2, etc). I’ve found that there are only a handful of Markdown codes I needed to memorize for working in Ulysses, and some are still accessible using a formatting bar at the bottom of each “sheet” when selecting text. I’ve also found that the Markdown codes I have been able to memorize actually make my writing go more smoothly than needing to stop and move my mouse to a formatting bar to apply the codes (although in Scrivener, formatting can also easily be applied using keyboard shortcuts). Some users may feel that Ulysses’ Markdown formatting sounds a little overwhelming at first, but I encourage users to give it a try. Once you memorize a few formatting codes, you’ll be able to write so quickly using Ulysses you’ll find it improves, not hampers, your writing.
Ulysses syncs seamlessly across Mac and iOS over iCloud (although with my unreliable Internet, I have occasionally encountered a delay when syncing between apps), and it offers the ability to add “external folders” to Ulysses in case you prefer to sync over Dropbox or another service (such as Proton Drive). I have started a project on my Mac then decided to proofread it on my iPad mini, or I’ve started a project on a larger-screen iPad then polished it up on a larger-screen Mac (it also works great on an iPhone should you need to read or jot down notes in your pocket). I would highly recommend Ulysses to a writer living exclusively in a Mac and iOS environment (or who is ready to switch to a Mac or iOS device) who wants a beautiful, distraction-free writing app, especially if they plan to use iCloud syncing so everything gets out of their way and allows them to focus solely on writing. The only two things to consider is Ulysses is a subscription (but a cross-platform one) and uses Markdown for formatting (although it’s easy to learn and flexible once you get used to using it).
Personally, I have decided to consolidate as much of my writing as possible under Ulysses (keeping my Scrivener and Scapple license as a backup in case I need them) so that I can do everything in a single writing app that is beautiful, syncs well over iCloud across Mac and iOS, and allows me to easily write no matter what Apple device I’m working on.
Paper: Paper is a writing app developed by Mihhail Lapushkin. Like Ulysses, it offers a beautiful and distraction-free interface with a thoughtful and fun design. Also like Ulysses, it is only available on the Mac and iOS devices. It offers a free tier that always functions, but simply occasionally prompts you to upgrade to Pro if you want to try a Pro feature (unlike Ulysses which goes into read-only mode without an active subscription) and a “Pro” tier that’s generally available as a subscription (pricing looks to be around $99/year), but the developer has been known to offer a “lifetime” version of “Pro” for about $199 per-platform (Mac or iOS). The developer is also super-responsive and helpful when asking questions about the app. Like Ulysses, Paper also supports Markdown format. It can also easily export to a variety of formats to import into your favorite word processor.
The developer informed me when I was testing Paper that it is a simpler app than Ulysses, and that is true. While the app does sync data over iCloud (like Ulysses does), it generally stores documents in Apple’s native “Files” system instead of in its own “Library” as Ulysses does. The app also doesn’t offer all of Ulysses’ functionality at the moment (much less the complexity of Scrivener). For me personally, I find working in Ulysses “Library” concept, as well as its overall feature set, what I need in a writing app, so I decided not to switch from Ulysses to Paper. However, I would highly recommend Paper to someone who prefers working in Apple’s “Files” format to a built-in library, who doesn’t need the feature set of Ulysses, who needs a generous and working free version with a path to upgrade to Pro as a subscription or “lifetime” license, and who wants direct-access to a highly responsive developer. While I ultimately couldn’t switch to it at the moment, I am glad to see another option on the market as beautifully developed as the work Mihhail has put into the app. For writers trying writing apps for the first time, Paper is a great way to get your feet wet with something simple before investing in a more complex or fully-featured app such as Ulysses or Scrivener.
Bear: Bear is developed by Shiny Frog (based out of Italy, Ireland, and the US). Like Ulysses and Paper, it is only available for the Mac and iOS. Bear offers a generous free tier that always functions (unlike Ulysses that goes into read-only mode if the subscription expires) or a Pro tier with full functionality for about $30/year. Like Ulysses, it supports Markdown, syncs over iCloud, and exports to a variety of formats that makes it easy to import your writings into your favorite word processor.
Bear is the closest writing app I found to Ulysses, but its library is based around “tags” instead of “groups”, plus Bear is also geared as a “notes” replacement to major note taking apps (such as Evernote or OneNote) and does an excellent job at collecting research. Ulysses could implement some of Bear’s research-collecting features into their app.
If I were to ever move away from Ulysses to another app full-time, I would likely consider Bear, as overall it feels as closest to Ulysses (with some minor differences) in terms of functionality and overall workflow for $10/less per year. However, I don’t really need the “notes” features of Bear, as I do all of my note taking in Standard Notes instead. I also prefer Ulysses “groups” feature to Bear’s “tags” feature, although both formats are useful and similar. I’ve also already learned how to use Ulysses exceptionally well and fit it into my workflow, so the idea of packing up my data and migrating it to Bear (which would likely be easy) and re-learning a new app (which would take a little more of a mental adjustment) isn’t worth the $10/year savings to me. However, I would recommend Bear to someone who is looking for both a writing app and notes app all-in-one (although I prefer to keep mine separate), who wants an app at a similar but slightly-less price point than Ulysses, and for someone who wants a generous free tier fallback in the event their subscription expires (note to Ulysses, a free basic tier that still allows some basic editing would be a huge competitive selling point for you). Plus those who are invested solely in Apple’s ecosystem. However, for $10/year more, you can take home a “gold standard” in writing apps, so between the two, I would still recommend Ulysses over Bear as a primary writing app. I am glad to see that Ulysses has such close competition with Bear though. The Ulysses team needs someone to keep their developers on their toes.
Ommwriter: Ommwriter is developed by Byteberry Studio and is available for the Mac and Windows PCs. It is not currently available on mobile devices. It offers a super-affordable one-time cost for about $10 (per platform, plus occasional paid upgrades). Unlike Ulysses and Scrivener, it is not really geared for using Markdown, but it does include the ability to format text in a “What You See is What You Get” style similar to Ulysses. You can export text from Ommwriter into your favorite word processor easily.
What sets Ommwriter apart is that it enters full screen by default and offers customizable backgrounds behind your text, as well as the ability to add background sounds (such as tranquil music, a train ride, or nature sounds) and even the ability to add typewriter sounds, to Ommwriter while you’re typing to make for a more pleasant writing experience. Some people have found the typewriter sounds actually distracting (although they can be disabled, I don’t really need them since I primarily type on a Launch mechanical keyboard from System76). I’m not sure if I would benefit from the background noises in Ommwriter, as I would personally rather be writing either in an environment without any background noise or in actual nature instead of in a simulated nature environment, although the idea of writing to the background sound of a train ride does sound appealing.
The two biggest issues I’ve found with Ommwriter is that they do not currently offer a mobile app yet, nor is there a simple way to sync content between devices. Since I start some writing projects on my MacBook Air then finish them on my iMac Pro (or vice versa), and since later this year I’m considering moving to an Apple Silicon iMac and possibly a large-screen iPad, plus I also use an iPad mini now for reading my writing (and keep my iPhone handy for jotting down inspiration on-the-go), Ommwriter doesn’t offer me enough to fit into my workflow at the moment, especially as a replacement for Ulysses. I would recommend Ommwriter to someone who needs primarily a Mac or Windows writing app at a low, one-time cost, who doesn’t need mobile device or syncing support, or for someone who wants to get their feet wet with a writing app before investing in a more complex or fully-featured app such as Ulysses or Scrivener.
IA Writer: IA writer is designed by a IA in Japan. It is another beautifully-designed writing app for Mac, Windows, and iOS (they’re having issues with Google at the moment on trying to move forward with updating their Android app). Like Ulysses and Paper, IA Writer supports Markdown and can sync across multiple cloud platforms. You can also export content easily to your favorite word processor. It is a one-time purchase of about $50 each on Mac and Windows and about $20 for iOS.
I would recommend IA Writer to users who need a beautiful writing app that supports Markdown across both Mac and Windows, as well as iOS, who need the flexibility of syncing with cloud drives besides iCloud, and who prefer a one-time (per platform) purchase to a subscription. At the moment, I still prefer Ulysses to IA Writer in terms of my overall workflow with it, but if I ever needed to heavily work across both Mac and Windows, as well as if I ever needed to heavily reduce my subscriptions further than I already have, I would seriously consider IA Writer as an alternative. It is a beautiful app that is another solid contender in this space and one that Windows users will want to consider.
Minimal: Minimal is developed by Arthur Van Siclen who has a love for Colorado and nature. Minimal is available for the Mac and iOS. Like Ulysses, the app requires a cross-platform subscription for about $50/year (plus there’s a Family tier for about $80/year, education discounts also available). Minimal supports Markdown but also has a formatting toolbar on the right-side, plus a way to add an “expiration date” to notes (called “Notes Lifetime”) to have notes auto-delete. You can also export content easily to your favorite word processor. You can also collaborate with others using it and even create to-do lists for checking off tasks. A companion Apple Watch app allows you to dictate notes as well. Minimal syncs everything via iCloud.
I would primarily recommend Minimal to people who need both their writing app and notes app in a single app (although I like to keep both of my apps separate), as well as people who need to collaborate on writing projects, notes, or to-dos together (as these are features other writing apps don’t offer). The Family Plan tier is also useful, plus the Apple Watch dictation app is a nice plus. Again, you need to be invested in Apple’s ecosystem to go for it.
At the moment, Ulysses still better fits my overall workflow and is $10/year less than Minimal. However, I am glad to see a US developer jump on the writing app development bandwagon and offer unique features and pricing not found elsewhere. It is another useful contender in this space.
Werdsmith: Werdsmith is designed by an Australian company. Their app only runs on iOS (iPhone, iPad, with an Apple Watch word count app). The app offers a generous free tier (including syncing and exporting files), but there are paid-membership tiers to unlock additional functionality (prices look to be around $99 or $149/year).
The app breaks everything down into projects and offers AI suggestions to help one break through writer’s block. It’s the first app I’ve seen that offers built-in AI suggestions.
Werdsmith offers some interesting features (integrated AI suggestions, an Apple Watch app to track your word count on your wrist) and a generous free tier that even allows syncing without paying for a subscription. Their subscription pricing is somewhat higher than Ulysses and Bear but along the lines of Paper Pro. The main issue I have with it that it is iOS only. While I love the iPad, I also do the bulk of my writing on my Mac, so the lack of at least a native Mac app keeps me from considering the app at the moment. Since Apple Silicon makes it easier than ever to port an iOS app to the Mac, I would encourage them to consider it in the future. If you solely need an iOS app and need integrated AI, it may be worth a try, but it’s still not enough to dethrone Ulysses or other options such as Bear or Paper.
Joplin: Joplin is a free and open-source writing app that is similar in structure to Ulysses, and like Ulysses, also uses Markdown format. In fact, I was able to easily export Markdown files from Ulysses and import them into Joplin. Joplin is available for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and even Linux! It can sync data via its own Joplin Cloud, or it can leverage any third-party cloud service to store the files such a Dropbox, iCloud, Proton Drive, etc. When I last gave it a try, I tried it on a Linux machine using NextCloud for syncing and storing the files, and it worked well.
If you want an app that functions similar to Ulysses and are stuck using a Windows PC, Linux machine, or Android device, or you just prefer a free and open-source app, than Joplin will do the job (albeit in a less beautiful and elegant app). It’s the closest app I’ve found in general functionality to Ulysses that runs outside of Apple’s ecosystem. If you’re already invested in Apple’s ecosystem, however, I’d recommend springing for the extra investment in Ulysses over Joplin. While there’s nothing wrong with Joplin, and the app developers have done an excellent job with overall development, I’ve found Ulysses to be so beautiful and elegant that if I’m going to pay the “Apple Tax” on hardware, I might as well pay it in software that takes full advantage of Apple’s platforms, which Ulysses excels at. If I were forced to use a Windows or Linux machine as my daily driver again, then I consider Joplin, as I am able to easily export from Ulysses into it if I seriously needed to.
This is my roundup of the most popular writing apps out there (at least that I am aware of) and the ones I’ve used and evaluated over the years. Each of them offer various strengths and weaknesses, and there are features I like from various apps. However, I’ve decided to consolidate the majority of my writing under Ulysses for its beautiful interface and excellent support across Mac and iOS, while keeping my Scrivener and Scapple licenses handy in case I still need to break out the extra power of Scrivener for major writing projects. If Ulysses would add the “status” tag feature to their sidebar similar to what Scrivener offers, that would be major productivity booster for me.
If you’re one of my paid subscribers, feel free to share with me your favorite writing app or any additional writing apps you’d like me to evaluate in the future!