Best Writing Apps and Tools for Writers in 2026

Ever found yourself staring at a blank screen, wondering why you thought you could write? Yep, We’ve all been there. That sinking feeling that AI is going to do it better in 30 seconds doesn’t help either. On top of that, We’re bombarded with distractions every minute of the day (you’re probably distracted right now (Hi, thanks for reading. Also, sorry. As you were). It’s a great recipe for procrastination. Now, normally I’d try the Stephen King approach, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work”, but sometimes we need a little help to get going. As I’ve been absent from my desk for most of the summer, I thought now would be a good time to share a few of the best writing apps around to help creative writers boost productivity when general dithering gets in the way.

There’s a powerful writing tool for every writing style so whether you’re a novelist or blogger (or both) there’s a nifty app to help you stay productive and focused on your writing. Let’s get into it.

The Most Dangerous Writing App 

Ever tried to write a story in a sprint? Some of the best writing apps encourage you to write quickly by setting time challenges. The Most Dangerous Writing App is one such app. It may not inspire your best work but it will make you write.

You get a session length and it’ll even generate a prompt if you’re drawing a complete blank. All you have to do is keep writing, which is harder than it looks.  As the app’s subtitle says, “Don’t stop writing, or all progress will be lost”.  Sort of a metaphor for a writer’s life isn’t it? 

The 5-Minute Timer

So I had a little go with the 5-minute timer, I’ll spare you the whole thing, but here is an excerpt of my brilliance below:

“So the point of this app is to write anything, as much as you can, but if you stop it starts to delete it. I’m not sure how I feel about that. The thing is it doesn’t give you time to actually think. Then again it also helpfully highlights your faults. Like my use of the word ‘actually’ and all my conversational filler, like starting sentences with ‘the thing is’.

It’s absolutely perfect if all you’re after is a grammar-less free-write, in which case type away and maybe somewhere within that you might find the kernel of an idea that you can use later. The thing is (there it is again) it’s sort of perfect for me because I’m used to writing crap for extended periods so five minutes where I don’t take my fingers off the keys isn’t actually that demanding, oh I could change the setting and make it longer but I’d rather sit smugly in my success and go back to my blog post.

So it turns out 5 minutes is harder than it looks if you don’t stop at all, and I’m also wondering if it lets you keep the draft when you’re done, this is very stressful and it has the effect of making you write every thought that pops into your head, which as it turns out is not gold, but there you go. Ahhhh I’m now running out of things to say and I’m watching the neighbours cat who may or may not be about to jump on me and derail this whole thing anyway, bye bye draft good thing it wasn’t all that good to begin with, I’m not sure this was worth it also I’m hungry, I wonder if I…”

And the timer ran out so we’ll never know. Even allowing for writing style, that right there is not creative genius. 

Also, commas have been added for your convenience. Yoast and Grammarly got together and had a field day with my run-on sentence. It was carnage.

So. Not the best.

But I put some words on the page. Sort of.

If you know where you’re going with your writing and just need a push this might work. Me? I just needed a cup of tea and a nice sit-down afterwards. On the other hand, if stress produces flashes of brilliance for you, you can find it here.

Pomofocus Timer

There is an app for everything including the Pomodoro technique. I’m sure you’ve all heard of this by now but It’s worth mentioning again because it does actually seem to work.

The Pomodoro Technique is a time-management method that involves breaking your workday into 25-minute intervals, followed by a five-minute break. This timer app can help you stay focused and avoid distractions. You can also try a 50-minute hour with a 10-minute break for a longer session.

There’s something in knowing that your writing time is limited. In theory, you organise yourself quicker and get going without overthinking and procrastinating too much. I’ve got it on in the background and I’m already writing faster.  Also, the best part is that when time’s up I’m usually deep into it and ready to keep going. It may break the rules but I’d rather not break that precious flow state once I’m in it.

Pomofocus also keeps a record of your streaks, how many focused hours you worked and what you were working on. Great for keeping track of your habits as well as your projects. Find it here.

Grammarly

I think most writers, at least use the free version, right? For those not in the know, Grammarly is an online grammar checker. It also offers suggestions on word choice and sentence structure. Essentially, It underlines (I should change that to ’emphasises’ according to Grammarly) everything it doesn’t approve of, like your English teacher from primary school.

It’s only missing SEE ME in big red letters.

Some of its suggestions are behind a paywall though. So Grammarly is basically saying you’ve got like 20 errors here, but I won’t tell you what they are unless you pay me. And I’m all like, it’s my style Grammarly, it’s a mood. Grammarly disagrees with style.

This is probably the best app for the basics, but I find it tends to want to rid your writing of character. This makes Grammarly one of the best writing tools for sounding professional in passive-aggressive emails, not so good if you’re writing a rambly blog post.

Although maybe it has a point about the rambling. Still, you’re coming back for more, so I’ll stick with what’s working.  

Anyway, the free version will check your grammar, spelling and punctuation and the paid version has now expanded to include an AI-writing assistant if you want to keep up with the times, and a plagiarism checker among other things. Check it out here 

Evernote

Evernote was where I kept all my drafts, journals and blog notes but I’ve migrated over to Google Docs. Although I loved Evernote, I was using the free version which is now drastically reduced. The free version also had limited offline access compared to the premium plan, meaning you had to sync before disconnecting.

Easy enough.

However, I found that if the internet connection went down, the page would go blank mid-sentence.  As heart-stopping as that sounds, It did all come back when resyncing, but made it frustrating to work on the go. 

Despite all of that, Evernote has lots to love, If you sign up for the premium plan (for which there’s a free trial period) you can store as much as you like.

One of Evernote’s best features is the Web Clipper. This is a great little tool that allows you to save articles, images, and research materials as you go along with a single click. There’s a mobile app so you can sync across all your devices, you can also record voice memos and use it to create to-do lists and reminders so nothing gets lost.

One of my favourite things about Evernote was being able to keep different blog categories in different notebooks. They’re all easy to access on the left-hand side of the screen, making it more cohesive than Gdocs.

It feels like writing for one complete project rather than several scattered documents that I’m notoriously bad at organising, so I may yet go back for the premium plan.

Check out Evernote here.

Google Docs

Google Docs is pretty much the go-to free option. Although it doesn’t have a desktop app, it’s a good alternative to Microsoft Word. However, if your project is an ever-growing single document it can cause significant lag.

Performance issues typically tend to arise when documents run longer than around 40 to 50 pages, especially if they’ve got a lot of references, images, or tables. 

So perhaps not the best free writing app. That said, it does have advanced features you may not be aware of, such as voice typing.

Google Docs Voice Typing

I’ve tried it and found it quite accurate, so if you’re an ideas-out-loud kind of person this might work for you. It’s also a good way of making quick notes if you’re not already using your phone recorder (iOS device or other). At least it saves transcription.

Personally I tend to think as I type, but I was impressed that it didn’t transcribe any ‘filler words’ (or noises). I had to say ‘um’ in a very deliberate way before it registered and then it corrected to ‘I’m’.

However, it depends on what you’re writing. Some people like their vocal disfluencies for the authenticity. Usually, I find, by the time I think to record something, my genius has already fled to someone with quicker reflexes, but if you want to try it for yourself, this is how you find voice typing:

1. Open a document in Google Docs 
2. Then click Tools > Voice typing 
3. A microphone box pops up 
4. Click to start speaking 
5. Add punctuation, by saying “Comma” or “full stop”, (Or period, my US friends)
6. Click the microphone again when you’re done 

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is not an industry standard for nothing. It’s probably the most popular word processor. Most job applications, essays, and manuscripts begin their lives here. Many professional writers, including Stephen King, also consider Word to be the best writing app.

Why? well, it’s reliable.

Word has a ton of useful features designed to enhance the writing process, including an editor that helps with grammar, style, and clarity. it’ll also provide suggestions to improve writing which are sometimes (but not always) helpful.

Like Google Drive, Microsoft Word also has a Dictate option. It’s considered pretty accurate, especially in its online version through Microsoft Office 365, and will also support voice commands for editing and formatting Word documents.

There’s also the Read Aloud option. This lets you listen to your text being read back, so you can at least get an idea of the flow and catch any errors in your blind spots.

Those who love to organise will appreciate the outlining and indexing features and there’s even a Bibliography Builder.

But let’s talk about the elephant in the room: price.

Microsoft Word isn’t free, and if you’re still in the early stages of writing, you may not want to invest in feature-heavy apps you might not need. If you want to check it out and see for yourself, you can find it here.

Scrivener

For those looking for writing apps to tackle major projects, Scrivener is ideal. You can manage everything in one place, from the birth of an idea to the final draft. This app lays everything out beautifully.  

Scrivener is perfect for those who love a good structure. Its user-friendly interface lets you compartmentalise chapters, scenes, and research for easy organization. If you’re naturally unable to keep your post-its in order like me, this is a Godsend; a tidy desk in virtual form. If only I could achieve this with the rest of my life.

With Scrivener, you can focus on writing without losing track of all the moving parts.

The Hemingway Editor

Things Hemingway said:

“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way”.

Also, “It’s none of their business that you have to learn how to write”.

That’s this app in a nutshell.

Hemingway Editor is all about pith (as in essence, not the white stuff on oranges). It’s an online writing tool that analyses your writing and highlights long, complex sentences, passive voice and more.

It then gives you a readability score that tells you how much of your masterpiece is “very difficult to read”. There’s also a Plus plan so AI can fix it all for you. If you’re aiming for that clean, straight-to-the-point style reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway, this tool could help.

That said, just for fun, copy in a passage from Hemingway himself, and it’ll go to town on that sucker.

Awkward.

But then, we can’t be right about everything. Find Hemingway here

750 Words

Back in 2010 when the internet was still a bit shiny, Instagram was new and people had Blackberries (a type of phone/pager, not the fruit, for the zoomers among us),  Buster and Kellianne, created 750 Words, one of the best apps for making writing a daily habit.

This website encourages you to write precisely 750 words each day. It’s not too little, not too much, but just enough to get you started and keep you going. It’s a great way of giving yourself a gentle nudge to stay consistent without feeling overwhelmed. It isn’t about perfection, it’s about getting something on the page every day.

So why not just use Microsoft Office or Gdocs you may ask?

Well, 750 Words has some very useful stats that analyse how you’re thinking and feeling and the themes of your writing. Being able to track such things is not only enlightening, it’s also therapeutic.

You also get words per minute, word count (obviously) and number of distractions which helps improve your focus even when paying attention feels like herding cats. Give it a try, you might find it surprisingly effective. The new version of 750 Words can be found here

Written? Kitten!

Speaking of cats, Written? Kitten! is a writing tool that rewards you with a cute kitten picture every time you write a certain number of words. Your writing can be saved if you close the page and you can set a kitten, puppy or bunny picture to pop up. It’s a cute form of positive reinforcement and you can choose how many words you want to write.

Having tested it out, I doubt I’ll be writing a novel on it, but the distraction-free writing environment it provides (excluding pets) is quite a relief. It also doesn’t use too many resources so that’s something. If writing apps with surprise kittens doesn’t help motivate you, well.

I don’t know what to tell you.

Check it out here

Focus Writer

If all you want is a distraction-free writing app then FocusWriter is worth a look. Created by open-source programmer, Graeme Gott, FocusWriter is a downloadable word processor that hides all the screen clutter. It’s great for immersing yourself in your writing and ignoring all your notifications; the digital equivalent of retreating to a quiet cabin in the woods.

The distraction-free interface is not all it has to offer though. You can tailor FocusWriter to your liking with different themes and it’ll pick up where you left off as soon as you open it up.

You also get daily goals, stats and a streak counter among other things. It is free, but there’s an option to give a well-deserved tip as well. Download (and donate) here

Notion

Notion is one of the best and most versatile apps for taking notes and managing writing projects. It lets you track tasks, brainstorm ideas, and even collaborate with others if needed, allowing you to create a database of all your ideas and drafts.

It also allows you to filter and sort your content and manage it visually through calendar, gallery and Kanban board views – a great help if you’re doing anything with deadlines. You get a range of templates tailored for different writing needs, including fiction, non-fiction, and blogging as well.

Notion now comes with an AI assistant – useful for summarizing notes and idea generation in the face of writer’s block. If you want to test it out, you can find it here 

The Less Obvious Apps to Enhance Your Writing

The next few aren’t technically writing apps, but if you’re just trying to get the best out of a writing session surrounded by distractions, these might help you create the right environment for some deep work. 

Noisli

Whenever I’ve taken my writing to a coffee shop the words have just flowed. It doesn’t work for everybody, but something about that ambient hum of conversation with a little jazz in the background seems to aid concentration. The Noisli app aims to recreate that experience with a range of background sounds that you can craft into your own soundscapes.

I tried the free version, randomly generating calming waves, birds chirping in a forest, and a bit of thunder and rain. Very peaceful and perfect for those moments when you want to be inspired by nature, but it doesn’t have wifi.

Or more realistically you need to block out the sound of traffic/barking dogs/the neighbour’s leafblower (what even is the point?) – delete as appropriate. The Chrome extension may soon become unavailable but you can find the site here

Focus@Will

Focus@Will is a subscription-based music service designed to enhance focus and productivity. It plays music scientifically designed to engage the brain without causing distractions. Perfect if you’re constantly getting up to put the kettle on.

You can choose from various genres and tempos, tailoring your listening experience to match your writing style or the specific demands of your project. All you have to do is set a timer, choose the type of music you want and when you’re done, the app will give you stats on your productivity.

If you have no idea what’ll make you more productive there’s also a short neuroscience-based quiz to help define your channel recommendations. My algorithm predicted that I’d like a bit of Alpha Chill, Atmosphere, and Edwardian Classical piano among others. It already knows me so well.

You can find Focus@Will here.

These apps might not be the first ones you think of when it comes to writing, but anything that might enhance your creative process is worth giving a shot. Have a play around and see what works for you.

Apps That Will Force You to Focus

Sometimes, getting something written can feel next to impossible. There will always be distractions guaranteed to help you procrastinate. Fortunately, there are some good apps designed to keep your mind from wandering away from your writing. 

Cold Turkey Writer

Cold Turkey Writer markets itself as ‘Probably the most stubborn text editor ever made’. That’s because it locks your computer until you either hit your word count or the duration of time you’ve set is up.

Now, despite my initial reaction to that being terror,  preventing ‘multitasking’ (watching YouTube), does sometimes require drastic action. When writing is the only thing you’re allowing yourself to do, it forces you to confront it and take yourself seriously as a writer.

If you don’t have any other research to do, and you just want to get some words on the page, Cold Turkey Writer may be worth a look. Check it out here

Freedom App Blocker

The Freedom app blocker works along the same lines as Cold Turkey Writer. Procrastination often starts with just one innocent click, but with this app, those clicks won’t lead anywhere distracting. You can schedule recurring writing sessions, and block the websites that usually derail you.

Sometimes all you need to be productive in your writing workflow is a block on the social media rabbit hole. Find it here

Conclusion

The best writing apps help you towards productivity. The perfect tool can be a lifeline if you’re struggling with procrastination. Whether you’re looking for seamless organisation, a distraction-free layout or a total lockdown on the laptop, just the act of trying something new can spark the creative process.

Each of these writing apps offers unique features to suit different types of writing and styles. So if you find any of them clunky, uninspiring CPU hogs, then try a different one. Experimentation is key.

If all else fails there’s always pen and paper or a vintage typewriter.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading (truly). And if you have any writing tips or app recommendations, share them in the comments below. Your feedback might just inspire a fellow writer.

Thanks for reading!