Best writing apps

Best Novel Writing Software

Planning, drafting, formatting and AI-assisted tools for novelists, compared on platforms, price and who each one suits.

All apps Novel writing Essays and long-form non-fiction Markdown and minimal Editing and proofreading Blogging and articles Mac list
Disclosure.

I built Writing Desk because I was frustrated with apps that were too complicated, too busy, or without the features I needed entirely. I built it for novels, but now use it for everything.

That said, some writing apps are better at certain jobs than others, and whilst I obviously think Writing Desk is the best of the best, I have tried to be impartial in my assessments.

Last updated 11 October 2026. Prices and verdicts reviewed quarterly.

My pick

Writing Desk (on Mac, iPhone and iPad)

I built Writing Desk, so weigh my pick with that in mind. It is a Mac app, with a mobile app for iPhone and iPad, that keeps your manuscript on your machine, with planning, a Resource Hub and editing tools built in. It is flexible too: it opens, drafts and edits Markdown and Word files, so it works for short stories, blogs and essays as well as novels.

  • Story Plotter with 11 structure templates
  • Story Board and Timeline to see the whole book at once
  • Resource Hub for characters, locations, lore and factions
  • Proofreader and Prose Analysis that run locally
  • AI for developmental feedback, which never writes prose for you

Pick something else if you want…

  • Windows: Scrivener, with a deep binder, a powerful Compile system and a one-off price
  • A friendly cloud app: Dabble, with a Plot Grid and co-authoring
  • Wiki-style world notes and a choice of AI models: Novelcrafter and its Codex
  • The most AI drafting: Sudowrite
  • To turn a finished manuscript into a book: Atticus for a lifetime licence, Vellum for Mac-only polish, or Reedsy Studio as a free browser tool

Each app is checked against its own pages for platforms, price and AI stance, and prices carry the date I checked them. I have used Google Docs, Word, Scrivener, Ulysses and Obsidian for my own writing; the rest are assessed from vendor pages and published reviews.

The apps

Novelists planning, drafting, formatting and revising a book-length manuscript.

Writing DeskMade by us

Novel writing · Documents · Markdown · Editing and analysis · Formatting and publishing

A native Mac app, with a mobile app for iPhone and iPad, for writing a novel from first idea to finished book, with planning, editing and book formatting in one project. Markdown and Word files open and save as they are.

Best for: Novelists on Mac, iPhone and iPad who want planning, editing and formatting in one app

MaciOSAI: assistive
Pricing Free plan; Premium from £8/mo billed annually (£10 monthly) or $10/mo USD billed annually ($12 monthly) Checked 6 Oct 2026 · Free plan, plus a 30-day Premium trial
Model Freemium + subscription (credit-metered AI)
  • Plotting and outlining
  • Worldbuilding
  • Markdown
  • Export to EPUB, PDF or DOCX
  • Grammar and style checks
  • Collaboration (partial)
  • Works offline

Choose it if

you write on a Mac, want your book on your iPhone and iPad as well, and want the plan, the draft and the editing tools in one project with AI that gives feedback and leaves the prose to you

Skip it if

you need Windows, Linux or a browser version, want real-time co-authoring, or want AI to draft prose for you

Download Writing Desk free See how Writing Desk plots a novel →

Free plan, with 30 days of Premium included. Mac, iPhone and iPad.

Scrivener

Novel writing

The long-standing manuscript tool with a binder, corkboard, outliner and a powerful Compile export.

Best for: Long, research-heavy manuscripts

MacWindowsiOSNo AI
Pricing £55 one-time per desktop platform; £88 multi-device bundle; iOS $23.99 (USD) Checked 6 Oct 2026 · Trial (30 days)
Model One-time licence
  • Plotting and outlining
  • Worldbuilding (partial)
  • Export to EPUB, PDF or DOCX
  • Works offline

Choose it if

you write on Windows as well as Mac, want a one-off purchase, or enjoy tuning every compile setting

Skip it if

you want to start writing straight away, because setup takes time and deeper prose feedback means another tool

Read the full comparison with Writing Desk →

Dabble

Novel writing

A cloud writing app for novelists with a Plot Grid, goals and a friendly interface.

Best for: Beginners and plotters who want a simple, finish-the-draft tool

MacBrowserWindowsiOSAndroidNo AI
Pricing From $19/mo (USD); up to $49/mo Checked 6 Oct 2026 · Trial (14 days)
Model Subscription
  • Plotting and outlining
  • Worldbuilding (partial)
  • Export to EPUB, PDF or DOCX (partial)
  • Grammar and style checks
  • Collaboration

Choose it if

you write on Windows as well as Mac, prefer a grid view of plot threads, or want to co-author in the same project

Skip it if

you want a one-off purchase, a free plan or local storage, because Dabble is subscription-only and cloud-based

Read the full comparison with Writing Desk →

Novelcrafter

AI-assisted

A browser-based writing studio with a wiki-style Codex, scene beats and a choice of AI models.

Best for: Plotters who want AI drafting under their control

BrowserAI: generative
Pricing From $4/mo (USD); up to $20/mo Checked 6 Oct 2026 · Trial (21 days)
Model Subscription + bring-your-own AI key
  • Plotting and outlining
  • Worldbuilding
  • Export to EPUB, PDF or DOCX (partial)
  • Collaboration (partial)

Choose it if

you plan scene by scene, want a Codex that links as you write, and like choosing your own AI models

Skip it if

you want a Mac app that keeps your manuscript on your own machine, or one predictable price, because AI usage is billed by your provider

Read the full comparison with Writing Desk →

Reedsy Studio

Formatting and publishing

A free browser-based editor with typeset-quality EPUB and print PDF export, plus a marketplace for hiring editors and designers.

Best for: First-time authors who want free formatting

BrowserNo AI
Pricing Free; paid plans up to $10.99/mo (USD) Checked 6 Oct 2026 · Yes
Model Free (marketplace funded)
  • Plotting and outlining
  • Export to EPUB, PDF or DOCX
  • Collaboration

Choose it if

you write on Windows or a Chromebook, want free exports with no limit, or plan to hire professionals

Skip it if

you need to work offline, because it is web-only

Read the full comparison with Writing Desk →

Atticus

Formatting and publishing

A writing and formatting app for self-publishers, with print and EPUB templates and a lighter writing toolkit.

Best for: Self-publishers who want writing and formatting in one tool

MacBrowserWindowsLinuxNo AI
Pricing From $147 one-time (USD) Checked 6 Oct 2026 · No (30-day money-back guarantee)
Model One-time licence
  • Export to EPUB, PDF or DOCX

Choose it if

you write on Windows, Mac or Linux, want a one-off lifetime purchase, or need layout options beyond a single trim size

Skip it if

you want built-in planning, editorial feedback or AI, because the formatting is stronger than the writing tools

Read the full comparison with Writing Desk →

Vellum

Formatting and publishing

A Mac app that formats ebooks and print books with polished book styles.

Best for: Mac-based self-publishers

MacNo AI
Pricing From $199.99 one-time (USD) Checked 10 Oct 2026 · Free to download and preview; pay when ready to publish
Model One-time licence
  • Export to EPUB, PDF or DOCX

Choose it if

you want polished ebook and print interiors from a finished manuscript

Skip it if

you need Windows or an app to write in, because it formats rather than drafts

Plottr

Plotting · Worldbuilding

A visual planning tool for plotting novels and series, with timelines and a template library.

Best for: Plotters and series planners

MacBrowserWindowsiOS(limited)Android(limited)No AI
Pricing From $60/yr (USD) or $649 one-time Checked 10 Oct 2026 · Trial (30 days)
Model Annual subscription or lifetime licence
  • Plotting and outlining
  • Worldbuilding (partial)
  • Collaboration (partial)
  • Works offline (partial)

Choose it if

you want visual timelines and series planning alongside Scrivener or Word

Skip it if

you want to write in the same app, because it is a planning tool

Sudowrite

AI writes prose

A browser-based AI writing partner for fiction that drafts, rewrites and expands prose.

Best for: Writers who want AI to propose prose

BrowserAI: generative
Pricing From $10/mo (USD); up to $59/mo Checked 6 Oct 2026 · Small trial (length not stated)
Model Subscription with credits
  • Plotting and outlining
  • Worldbuilding
  • Export to EPUB, PDF or DOCX (partial)

Choose it if

you want AI to draft and rewrite alongside you, or you write on Windows or Linux

Skip it if

you want to write every line yourself, work offline, or avoid credit-metered pricing

Read the full comparison with Writing Desk →

Also worth a look

LivingWriter

Novel writing

BrowseriOSAndroidAI: assistive

Plotters who like beat-sheet templates

Free; paid plans up to $29.99/mo (USD)Checked 10 Oct 2026

The Novel Factory

Novel writing

BrowserNo AI

Beginners who want a guided process

From $8.25/mo (USD) or $649 one-timeChecked 10 Oct 2026

Noveling

AI-assisted

MacWindowsLinuxiOSAndroid(limited)AI: generative

Novelists who want a free editor with optional AI

FreeChecked 10 Oct 2026

Plotten

Native app (under-marketed)

MaciOSNo AI

Apple users who want one app from plot to export

From $1.99/mo (USD) or $17.99/yrChecked 10 Oct 2026

bibisco

Free / open source

MacWindowsLinuxiOS(limited)Android(limited)No AI

Planners who like to build characters and structure first

Free; paid plans up to $69 one-time (USD)Checked 10 Oct 2026

yWriter

Free / open source

Mac(limited)WindowsLinux(limited)iOS(limited)Android(limited)No AI

Windows writers who want free scene-based organisation

FreePrice not yet checked