In history, man has had different ways of storing information. From scribbling hieroglyphics on cave walls to writing with a pen and paper to modern writing apps on computers and smartphones, writing has been a part of human culture for a long time.
There are several writing apps and tools in the market to help writers put form to their ideas. Word processor apps are for putting words to ideas and organizational tools to organize your thoughts into well-written work. These writing apps and tools help accelerate the writing process, rid your document of typos and grammatical errors, and keep your focus on your writing.
Microsoft Word is the most popular word processor app, but it is only available on an Office 365 subscription. Windows Notepad comes pre-installed on Windows Operating systems if you need a free word processor app to put words to your ideas.
After forming your ideas into words, there are editing apps to help you spot typos and grammatical errors in your text. These apps weigh how readable your writing is, spot typos and grammatical errors, offer you an alternate structure for hard-to-read sentences, and a lot more.
There are also productivity tools to keep you focused on your writing and organizational tools to guarantee that your thoughts are in order.
In this article, we will outline the 10 best online writing apps and tools in different categories (word processing, editing, organizational, and productivity) that writers can use to write and improve their writing.
Writing Apps (Word Processor)
As we stated earlier, Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing app, so we won’t spend time reviewing it. Here are three other word processors you can give a try.
1. Google Docs
There have been many improvements and growth in Google’s suite of Office software over the last few years. Google Docs is a browser-based word processor that is easy to use, clean, strong, and multifaceted.
You can use the app to write, draft, and edit your text. There is a vast array of fonts. As well as features to control the heading and style like MS Word.
Google Docs provides everything you expect a word processing app to have. The fact Google Docs is web-based, enables you to write your work from anywhere, so long as you have internet access. Its “Full Screen” mode ensures you stay focused on your writing by minimizing the toolbar.
The best thing about Google Docs is that it is entirely free. Meaning you can write your text with the web-based word processor and edit your content with the help of as many people as you’ve shared the link with.
2. LibreOffice
LibreOffice is an open-source (a software built on code that anyone can inspect and modify) suite of office apps for writers to unleash their creativity. It is a feature-rich utility that sports a clean user interface to help you produce professional-looking documents.
You can use LibreOffice to craft letters, financial reports, marketing presentations, diagrams, brochures, and technical drawings. Its support for multiple document formats like MS Word’s .doc and .docx, MS Excel’s .xls, and .xlsx, and MS PowerPoint’s .ppt, and .pptx makes it a good choice for drafting different types of documents.
Another good reason to use LibreOffice is that it’s free.
3. WPS Office
WPS is an acronym for Writer, Presentation, and Spreadsheets. It is an office suite developed by Kingsoft for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS platforms.
WPS Writer is an easy to use word processor with a similar interface as MS Word. WPS Office supports all types of Microsoft document formats and other Kingsoft formats.
There is a free personal basic edition, as well as a paid professional-grade version.
Editing Apps
If you earn a living from writing, your work must look thoroughly edited. Investing in a professional editor is something you need to give a serious thought. Here are some of the best editing apps in the market.
4. Grammarly
Grammarly is an editing app that checks your writing for typos, spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, etc. There is a premium version that helps you improve your writing skills by providing recommendations like avoiding passive voice usage, other words for using a broader vocabulary, punctuation, and so on.
Content writers on writing review websites like Online Writers Rating use Grammarly to check for errors in their articles before turning them in. It is an excellent solution for editing your copy quickly, and a valuable educational tool to help students perfect their writing skills and grammar.
It has a “Tone” feature that allows you to set goals about the style, intent, emotion, and audience of the text. This feature measures how well the document meets the set goals.
5. Hemingway Editor
Hemingway Editor is an easy to use tool designed for writers to proofread their text. It is a web-based app that you can access with internet access. There is also a desktop version of the app to help writers create simple, clear, and persuasive texts.
The app uses colour codes to highlight grammatical errors and other issues in the text. It detects unnecessary use of adverbs, hard to read sentences, complicated phrases and words, and use of passive voice within the document.
Best Writers Online writers use this free app to improve their article’s readability.
6. ProWritingAid
In a matter of seconds, ProWritingAid looks through your document to check for redundant words and other grammar errors. ProWritingAid is a proofreader and spell checker to help you improve your writing tone and compose a well-written copy.
It offers suggestions that enhance your overall language, not just grammatical technicalities. ProWritingAid offers a free plug-in for Google Chrome that checks for spelling errors without suggesting edits. Unlike Grammarly, which is best suited for articles and essays, ProWritingAid is tailored towards authors.
7. Cliche Finder
This app does what it is named to do. Find cliches in your document so you can remove them. Cliche Finder is one of the best writing apps to improve your communication and writing skills.
It identifies stale and overused words, expressions, and phrases and removes them. Cliche Finder gets its result using a unique algorithm and overused phrases dictionary. It is free to use.
Productivity and Organizational Tools
8. Ulysses
Ulysses offers a complete range of organizational tools to help you take notes, write novels, and any other form of writing. There’s a single library for all texts. Its hierarchic groups allow you to organize your writing project into sub-groups and sub-sub-groups as you choose.
Ulysses, in essence, let us organize ideas into a cohesive piece of writing. You can also share your document to Medium and WordPress from within the app.
9. Scrivener
Scrivener is a writing tool that helps you compose voluminous texts with a complex structure. It enables you to divide your piece into chapters and create drafts. The app is suited for putting comments and thoughts you intend to return to later.
Scrivener costs $45 for an unlimited license, as well as a 30-day free trial.
10. Marinara Timer
According to the Pomodoro technique for improving productivity, you should work for 25 minutes, then take a 5 minutes rest, then work for another 25 minutes and take a 5-minute rest and so on.
Marinara Timer is a free productivity tool that alerts you every time your work session and break time is up. You can customize the timer to any duration that works best for you.
Bottom Line
There are many writing apps and tools to help solve specific writing problems. Your focus should be on your craft, as these tools are available to ensure your text is well written and organized.
Author Bio
Ana Mayer is a freelance writer who is a qualified specialist in the field of digital marketing. She writes for different news portals and thematic blogs that helps her stay at the heart of the programming and technology news. Such work gives her the opportunity to write articles on the most relevant topics of today.
