Best Writing Software with a Free Trial of 2025

Plottr allows you to easily arrange (and rearrange!) your scenes, plots, character arcs, and plots. This makes it easy to find your way to the end of any story. Plottr automatically creates a clear outline of your story that you can review, edit, then export as a base for your manuscript. You don't need to start from scratch. Plottr has over a dozen templates (and growing) that are based on proven storytelling techniques to help you move your story from concept to execution. The fun doesn't stop there. Plottr makes it simple to begin writing once you have completed your story outline. Simply export your files to Plottr and let your creative muscles go to work!

Canva is an all-in-one design solution, empowering anyone—from students and non-profit organizations to businesses of any size—to design anything they can imagine. Think of all the ways you can use Canva and the versatility it will provide you in day-to-day life, education, or the office. Use the whiteboard feature to flesh out new ideas and keep track of your notes—Edit photos or videos for any occasion. Elevate your resume by building it with a template, or take it further and create a website dedicated to your accomplishments! Companies can develop marketing campaigns and social media advertising with ease. Canva Teams offers real-time collaboration on the same project, helping you create content faster, improve collaboration, and help scale your brand. Try premium features with Canva Pro for free for 30 days, and try exclusive features like background remover, instant animations, scheduling campaigns, brand kits, and resizing formatting options. Canva also has a feature called Magic Write. Magic Write in Canva Docs is an AI text generator to help you write stories, copy, blogs, articles, lyrics and more using AI content generation.

Work seamlessly with others while remaining within your document, or quickly jot down thoughts using your digital pen. If you need to share a newsletter or document, you can effortlessly convert your Word file into a webpage. Collaborate with team members from around the world and easily translate your documents into your preferred language with just a click. Unleash your creativity by adding 3D models directly into your work. With Learning Tools, you can listen to your content being read back to you, making it simple to identify and correct errors. Discovering valuable sources has never been easier; utilize Researcher to read articles in the task pane, allowing you to maintain focus on your writing. Additionally, when refining your document, having an overview is beneficial. The Editor Overview Pane allows you to pinpoint and resolve any proofing issues efficiently, ensuring a polished final product. This comprehensive set of tools enhances your writing experience, making collaboration and innovation more accessible than ever.

Typewriter. Ring-binder. Scrapbook. With Scrivener, all the essential tools for crafting your first draft are at your fingertips, guiding you from the initial concept to the final punctuation. This powerful application serves as a favorite among writers across various domains, including best-selling authors, screenwriters, and researchers, as well as students, lawyers, journalists, and translators who utilize it daily. Rather than dictating your writing style, Scrivener equips you with everything necessary to begin and sustain your writing journey. Designed specifically for extensive writing endeavors, it alleviates the anxiety of a blank page by allowing you to organize your text in any sequence, whether in extensive sections or bite-sized pieces. Have an inspiring thought but unsure of its placement? You can jot it down whenever creativity strikes and determine its position later. Develop your manuscript organically, building it idea by idea, and whether you prefer a meticulous approach or an exploratory one, Scrivener adapts to your process: you can outline every detail before writing a single word or draft freely and adjust your structure afterward. Alternatively, you can blend these approaches to find what works best for you, ensuring that your writing experience is as fluid and adaptable as your imagination.

Chapterly offers everything necessary for you to craft and release your narrative seamlessly. Developed by successful authors, this specialized authoring application aims to be the ultimate tool for aspiring writers seeking publication. With user-friendly features that allow you to write like a professional, it includes a spelling and grammar checker, a distraction-free environment, goal setting, and much more. You can effortlessly share your work with editors, beta readers, and co-authors, managing their access levels while keeping track of revisions and collaborating effectively. Create stunning, professional covers for ebooks, paperbacks, and hardbacks using its intuitive design tools and a vast library of royalty-free images. You can meticulously plot your story with visual outlining boards, organize your notes, plan your chapters, and unleash your creativity as your narrative unfolds. When you're ready to publish, you can generate beautifully formatted files for both ebook and print, with all the necessary file types, sizes, and personalization options available, including unlimited exports. Additionally, you'll find tried-and-true story templates and outlines designed to help you write swiftly and efficiently, ensuring that your story comes to life exactly as you envision it.

SymWriter 2 is a versatile symbol word processor that caters to writers of all skill levels, allowing them to visualize the meanings of words as they compose or utilize content from grids, thus facilitating access to unfamiliar or advanced vocabulary. By downloading this tool, you can join thousands of educators and professionals who utilize SymWriter 2 to eliminate literacy challenges and enhance their students' writing skills. Designed with ease of use in mind, this symbol word processor is an ideal resource for both emerging and hesitant writers. It features hundreds of customizable, ready-to-use environments that aid in recording communication and showcasing learning. Additionally, options like switch access ensure that writing becomes feasible for students who struggle with traditional keyboard input. With its document creation capabilities and interactive grids, SymWriter 2 supports and nurtures the writing development of students across various proficiency levels. Moreover, its on-screen grid systems are specifically designed to make writing more accessible for individuals who may face keyboard challenges, creating an inclusive environment for all learners.

SmartEdit Writer is a free application designed for both novelists and short story creators. This software enables authors to organize their novels, manage research materials, and write their stories scene by scene while providing a user experience reminiscent of Microsoft Word. It features a convenient research area where users can store images and website links, making it easier to reference information as they write. As you develop your narrative, you can create detailed character profiles, outlines, and notes to streamline your writing process. Say goodbye to cumbersome 100,000-word documents; with SmartEdit, you can craft your novel in manageable scenes or chapters. The drag-and-drop functionality allows for easy rearrangement of scenes within your document to achieve the perfect flow. Additionally, SmartEdit’s editor toolbar helps identify the overuse of words and phrases, monitors adverb and cliché usage, and enhances sentence structure and punctuation. This tool also enables you to consolidate your ongoing projects and any relevant research into a single cohesive unit, allowing for organized folders, scenes, and notes within your document tree for enhanced productivity.

Campfire Blaze is the ultimate software that countless writers rely on to organize and craft their narratives. With it, you can design your universe, structure your storyline, and pen your tale using our comprehensive web platform. Whether you wish to create characters, devise plots, or enhance your world, Campfire Blaze provides everything you need in one place. We offer a free version, a subscription model, and a lifetime purchase option for those who prefer to avoid ongoing payments. Our commitment to improvement is evident as we release bi-monthly updates packed with new features, and we are also in the process of developing desktop and mobile applications set to launch in 2021. In our latest update, we have implemented numerous enhancements that significantly improve the user experience across the board. We are excited for you to discover how much more user-friendly and consistent Blaze has become as we strive to establish it as the premier writing software available. Our passion lies in reimagining narratives; the thrill of transforming familiar tales into fresh interpretations brings us immense joy, despite the occasional criticism that retellings may face when held up against the original material. By embracing creativity, we hope to inspire others to explore their own unique storytelling journeys.

Draftsmith will help you transform your first draft into the best possible work. You can get inspiration, ideas and improvements without leaving Microsoft Word. Save time by avoiding endless rounds of revisions. A writing refiner with AI that allows you to control every change. Editing, reviewing and revising are the keys to great content. Editing is what matters, whether you use AI or write a first draft yourself. You stand out in a world of bland AI-generated texts when you use your own voice to deliver your best work. Staring at an uninspired, jargon-filled sentence? Draftsmith provides suggestions and ideas to help you produce better text in less than half the time. Draftsmith uses AI to make suggestions. You're in control. You decide what suggestions to use, what to change, and which to ignore.

Bear is an elegant and adaptable writing application designed for composing notes and prose. It seamlessly operates on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, allowing users to jot down their thoughts whenever creativity hits. Stay organized with todos that sync across all your devices. You can create connections between notes to develop a comprehensive collection of ideas. Utilizing hashtags enables you to categorize your thoughts effectively. For added security, Face/Touch ID safeguards your private notes. Bear caters to a range of writing needs, from brief reminders to extensive essays. A dedicated focus mode enhances concentration, while sophisticated markup features make it a valuable tool for online writers. Furthermore, the app supports in-line images, enriching your writing experience and engagement. This versatility makes Bear a top choice for anyone looking to elevate their writing process.

Top Screenwriting Tools. Squibler simplifies the process of crafting your screenplay. Transition from your initial draft to a polished, production-ready script more swiftly than ever. Utilize one of the various screenplay templates to outline your ideas in mere seconds, ensuring you always feel ahead of the game. Squibler allows you to engage in full-screen mode, Dark Mode, Focus Mode, and even offers a split-screen option for a fully personalized screenwriting journey. It also facilitates collaboration, enabling you to share your projects with fellow writers, editors, and proofreaders seamlessly. Understanding that completing a screenplay often involves teamwork, we designed Squibler to streamline this process. Count on Squibler as your trusty screenwriting companion; it organizes your projects and tailors the interface to suit your writing preferences. This way, you can concentrate on your passion—screenwriting. Furthermore, you can effortlessly sync your work with Google Drive, Dropbox, and your desktop, ensuring your writing is always accessible. With the added benefit of version control, rest assured that your creations remain safe, even if your laptop faces an unexpected mishap. Ultimately, Squibler is designed to enhance your writing workflow while keeping your creative ideas secure.

All you need to do is start your book. You can also plot your book and write it. Drag and drop organization of all your chapters, subchapters, and elements. LivingWriter stores your story elements, and suggests them to you as you write. Use the time-tested outline design of best-selling authors to organize your story. Spend less time planning and organizing. Spend more time converting your ideas into books. You can easily reorder and reorder chapters and story elements without having to copy and paste. You can quickly jot down your chapter notes on the sidebar. You can see everything on one screen so you don't have to leave your story. We don't believe it's necessary to reinvent the wheel, but we do like to greasing it a little. LivingWriter allows you to use the same outlines as in famous movies and stories. With detailed guidance, we'll guide you through each step. You won't find a better writing app.

Concentrate on your writing. iA Writer, with its award-winning design, provides a fundamental writing experience that stands out. Embraced by over half a million users globally, this streamlined interface is specifically designed to eliminate distractions. You'll find just yourself, your ideas, and the words filling the page, devoid of rulers or formatting tools. iA Writer creates a clear, organized space essential for effective writing, enhanced by subtle yet powerful features like content blocks and syntax highlighting. The importance of focus in writing is paramount, and it is the foundational philosophy of iA Writer. With intuitive shortcuts and straightforward settings, you can maintain your typing flow while remaining immersed in your text. We believe that every writer deserves to possess their own tools, which is why when you choose to download iA Writer, it is yours to keep. There are no obligatory subscriptions, hidden charges, or issues with compatibility, making it solely about your work, your files, and your chosen application. Ultimately, this approach empowers writers to fully engage with their craft without unnecessary interruptions.

Crafting a novel can feel overwhelming, yet the right resources can ease the journey of completing your manuscript and sharing your narrative with an audience. When you carve out precious time to write, the last thing you want is to squander it searching for those fleeting notes from your creative sessions. Did that brilliant concept from yesterday end up in a random notebook? Perhaps it was typed into a notes application, but which one? Staying organized is crucial for maintaining focus, as it's the writers who can concentrate that ultimately see their novels through to completion. This is precisely where The Novel Factory writing software becomes invaluable. With Novel Factory, you'll never have to scavenge for that forgotten piece of paper again, allowing you to develop your novel from a simple idea to a fully-fledged manuscript all in one streamlined and user-friendly environment. Additionally, this tool offers much more than just a digital filing system; it provides a comprehensive platform to nurture your creativity and enhance your writing process.

Effie is a lightweight, yet powerful, mind mapping and writing program for Windows, iOS, and Mac. Features: All your work is accessible and in one place. There's no need to manage multiple files. Autosave allows you to sync all of your work in the cloud so that you can access it from anywhere. You will be able to focus on your writing without distractions. One tap and you can convert an unorganized list into a mindmap, or vice versa. Edits to the unordered list can be synced with an app-specific mind map, which will save you from jumping through hoops from one application to the next. Exportable to a PDF or DOCX file, Markdown, EffieSheet, Markdown, EffieSheet and JPEG. Simplified markup language makes it easy to finish your writing without having to move your fingers from the keyboard. The Markup Insight panel is woken by a "/", which makes it easier to use the markup language. You can choose to write in a dark or light theme depending on what inspires you and your productivity. There are many styles available to help you create your mind maps. Built with native code

Novel Goggles, a web-based application, allows writers to plan and analyse their writing projects, including fiction short stories, novels, or book series. It includes the structure of the novel, character descriptions and development, world building and tension, story arcs, and the timeline. Novel Goggles offers a broader perspective on the creative writing projects of users than the competition. This is achieved by giving the user a full view of their world-building and character development, as well as a technical overview of their novel. The narrative timeline will be integrated into this perspective to give the user a complete view of both the creative and technical aspects. The user is given a view which combines the creative and analytical aspects of their novel, and shows how they evolve over the timeline.

The Ultimate Writing Application for Mac, iPad, and iPhone offers a seamless and focused writing environment that blends efficient document management with quick syncing and versatile export options, establishing Ulysses as a top pick for various types of writers. Users often commend how Ulysses fosters an immersive experience with their text, noting significant boosts in their productivity as a result. While it serves as a comprehensive writing tool, Ulysses adeptly maintains a low profile, allowing it to compete with any distraction-free writing software. Its integrated library conveniently houses all of your written works and is designed to accommodate projects of any scale or ambition. Whether you’re crafting heartfelt letters, jotting down simple notes, composing blog entries, or even tackling your literary masterpiece, Ulysses ensures your writing remains expertly managed. Consequently, you can dedicate your energy to simply putting words on the page. This tool empowers you to create anywhere—from the comfort of your couch to a bustling café or while waiting for public transport—ensuring that inspiration can be captured at any moment. Embrace the freedom to write on your terms, no matter where life takes you.

Typora offers a fluid experience for users, serving effectively as both a writing and reading tool. It eliminates the need for a preview window, mode switcher, or any markdown syntax symbols, thereby cutting out unnecessary distractions. Instead, it features a live preview option that allows you to focus solely on your content. The software also facilitates file management with an easily accessible file tree panel and an article list panel, enabling you to organize your files according to your preferences, including integration with sync services such as Dropbox or iCloud. You can effortlessly view the outline structure of your documents in the outline panel, making navigation throughout the document quick and intuitive, as you can jump to any section with just one click. Additionally, Typora allows you to export your work to PDF complete with bookmarks. You can further enhance your productivity by importing and exporting various other formats, such as docx, OpenOffice, LaTeX, MediaWiki, and Epub. To top it off, you can track your document’s length in terms of words, characters, lines, or estimated reading time, providing you with valuable insights into your writing. This comprehensive functionality makes Typora a powerful tool for anyone involved in writing or content creation.

Dabble is a user-friendly online writing platform filled with features designed to assist both novice writers and seasoned authors in crafting compelling narratives. It helps to efficiently manage your manuscript, story notes, and plot elements. By streamlining the storytelling process, Dabble frees up mental space for creativity—truly the essence of writing. If you’re frustrated with traditional methods like sticky notes, paper plotting, or basic word processors, Dabble is the perfect solution for you. The platform was developed with two core principles in mind: ease of use and effective organization. Many existing tools tend to be overly complex, often requiring extensive tutorials to navigate, while others fall short by lacking essential features and organizational capabilities. This is precisely where Dabble excels! With Dabble’s innovative plotting tool, you can outline your story like a pro—think along the lines of J.K. Rowling. It offers a comprehensive plot grid, along with the ability to create plot lines (subplots) and plot points (key events within those subplots), greatly enhancing your plotting experience. In essence, Dabble empowers writers to shape their stories with confidence and clarity.

The New WritePro® represents a significant upgrade from the original WritePro®, which has garnered a loyal following of over 100,000 users across 38 nations. This enhanced version incorporates two decades' worth of insights from its creator, Sol Stein, as well as advancements made possible by modern programming languages such as Java®. Thanks to Java, the program remains compact, ensuring it is easily transportable and accessible online while guaranteeing compatibility with all contemporary PCs. We have designed WritePro to be user-friendly, allowing anyone to take advantage of its exceptional guidance. This tool equips writers with the knowledge needed to refine their editing skills and deepen their understanding of the writing process. The original WritePro® continues to be effectively utilized by countless writers throughout all 50 states and across 38 countries, demonstrating its widespread appeal and effectiveness. With these advancements, new users can look forward to an even more enriching experience as they embark on their writing journeys.

Maintain an ongoing project-based library for your research and notes, utilizing a kanban board to categorize your information into distinct sections. Each section can be exported as an individual document, allowing you to seamlessly transform your research into cohesive writing by integrating notes into a structured document or outline. While every exceptional writing endeavor is sparked by inspiration, the actual writing journey often begins with a daunting blank page. Rather than struggling against it, consider organizing your research snippets to populate that empty space. By filling the page with your thoughts, data, and sources of inspiration, you can create a high-quality piece backed by properly cited research. Assign cards to specific projects within your entire library, and simply click the checkmark on a card to incorporate it into your document. Additionally, you can enhance your document's organization by adding new tabs, similar to the functionality found in spreadsheets, allowing for multiple sections within a single document to be created in a streamlined manner. This approach not only simplifies the writing process but also fosters a more productive and creative environment for your work.