Top 10 Productivity Apps for Writers to Beat Distractions and Save Time in 2025
As writers, maintaining productivity has always been a challenge. There’s always so much to balance—client deadlines, multiple projects with different requirements, and staying updated about the industry…And then, there’s the dreaded writer’s block to battle every now and then.
Not anymore—now, you can take the help of productivity apps that improve your focus and efficiency!
These tools help you be more efficient and organized and enhance creativity. However, with so many apps available in the market, it maybe difficult to choose the one that meets all your needs.
Hence, we have compiled a list of the top 10 productivity apps for writers that’ll empower you to write better, become efficient, and thrive in your craft.
Top 10 Productivity Apps for Writers to Beat Distractions and Save Time in 2024
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in Productivity Apps for Writers?
When choosing productivity tools, it’s crucial to explore features that help you streamline the writing process and get the job done with ease. Here’s what to look for:
- Streamlined workspace: Ensure the tool provides a centralized hub for all your documents, allowing easy access and organization
- Collaborative editing: Look for the best productivity tools that enable teamwork, including commenting, assigning tasks, and tracking changes
- Integration with tasks: Opt for writing apps that connect your documents with task management, allowing you to link projects and prioritize tasks efficiently
- Organization tools: Seek productivity apps with robust organization features, such as categorization, searchability, and customizable layouts, to keep your work structured and accessible
- Time-saving features: Explore productivity tools with built-in features like distraction-free writing modes, document templates, and rich formatting options to optimize your writing workflow
- Integration with other tools: Look for productivity apps that offer seamless integration with other project management tools (calendar app, time tracker, etc.) you use to help you save time from switching apps
- Grammar and plagiarism checker: The best productivity apps for writers will include robust features that check grammar and plagiarism to help maintain the quality and originality of your writing
With such capabilities, writers would be able to optimize their tasks and become better.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Productivity Apps for Writers to Use in 2024
Whether you’re working full-time for an agency or are part of a team of freelance writers, productivity apps are your essential guides for optimizing your work.
They simplify tasks, help you save time and reduce stress, and allow you to focus on the creative process without distraction.
From brainstorming ideas and researching facts to writing and publishing, these productivity apps for writers cover every aspect of creating content, freeing you from technical or administrative burdens.
However, choosing the right tool among many is crucial for success. Here is our list of the top 10 productivity apps for writers, meticulously chosen to enhance your efficiency in 2024:
1. ClickUp
ClickUp is a one-stop solution for all issues that hinder your productivity while working on a great piece. It offers many features for writers to supercharge their productivity, and ClickUp Docs is one of them.
It brings all your documents and tasks together in one convenient platform, streamlining your writing sessions without the hassle of switching between multiple tools.
With ClickUp Docs, effortlessly create documents and wikis tailored to your needs, complete with styling options and embedded bookmarks for easy navigation. Collaborate with writers in real time, make edits together, leave comments, and turn text into actionable tasks. A blog in Docs can become a task in your content publishing calendar, with just a single click.
It is a writer-favorite tool as it helps you boost your content creation productivity using artificial intelligence (AI)—ClickUp Brain. You can overcome writer’s block and generate content ideas while also running grammar and style checks to improve writing quality. This saves you significant time and effort in the writing process.
Keep your work organized by categorizing documents for quick access and searchability. With secure sharing options and customizable permissions, you are now geared up to confidently collaborate with colleagues while protecting sensitive information.
From distraction-free writing with Focus Mode to customizable templates and advanced settings, ClickUp Docs enables writers to stay focused, organized, and productive.
Apart from ClickUp Docs, let’s check out ClickUp’s other features that increase productivity for writers.
ClickUp best features
- Keep your work well organized: Plan, organize, and collaborate on writing projects effortlessly with customizable task management thanks to ClickUp Tasks. Tailor tasks to suit your specific writing needs using ClickApps
- Manage your to-dos efficiently: Simplify your writing process by breaking down complex projects into manageable subtasks or to-do lists. Create checklists within tasks with ClickUp Task Checklists to track everything from outlining to final editing
- Save hours each week: Streamline your writing workflow with over 100 automations using the ClickUp Automation feature. Whether it’s routine tasks or project handoffs, automate repetitive processes to save time and stay focused on your writing
- Set and track your writing goals: Set clear objectives and measurable targets with timelines with ClickUp Goals. Use the customizable ClickUp Dashboards to track your writing progress and stay motivated to achieve your writing goals. Visualize your writing progress with widgets for tasks, time tracking, and more
- Keep yourself accountable: Track your writing time automatically or manually and link it to tasks from any device with ClickUp’s global time-tracker. Stay productive throughout your writing process
- Brainstorm and collaborate: Collaborate visually with your writing team in real time using remote-friendly ClickUp Whiteboards. Bridge the gap between brainstorming and writing by linking ideas directly to tasks and documents
- Draw out your ideas: Visualize your writing ideas and plan projects with ClickUp Mind Maps. Map out workflows, draw connections between tasks, and let your creativity flow in the writing process
- Work smarter: Save time and ensure consistency in your writing projects by leveraging hundreds of templates. From outlining to formatting, find the perfect ClickUp Templates for your team’s needs
- Connect your tools: Integrate ClickUp with your favorite writing tools seamlessly, including calendars, messaging apps, and cloud storage, to keep all your writing resources in one place
ClickUp limitations
- Some users find the learning curve to be steep initially
- Occasional performance issues were reported during peak usage times
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp Brain: Add to any paid plan for $5 per member per month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (4000+ reviews)
2. Calmly Writer
Calmly Writer is your go-to solution if you’re looking for a writing tool that enhances productivity while minimizing distractions. It offers a free version with the option to download the Windows or iOS app.
You may adjust settings such as dark mode, font sizes, and colors in this tool to ensure a tailored and productive environment for your writing sessions.
Calmly Writer helps you overcome writer’s block and become more efficient with a distraction-free interface and the simplicity of Markdown. Additionally, it aids in tracking your word count goal.
This productivity app includes other essential features, such as a spelling and grammar checker. It also has a built-in plagiarism detector and smart punctuation features, ensuring your work is original and error-free.
Calmly Writer best features
- Use various screen sizes, types, and devices with its responsive design
- Enhance your writing experience with a dark mode option, ideal for users who prefer white text on a black screen
- Elevate your writing experience with an optional typewriter sound effect
Calmly Writer limitations
- Misses out on advanced features found in premium writing software
- Does not include collaboration features for working with others on writing projects
Calmly Writer pricing
- One-time payment: $14.99
Calmly Writer ratings and reviews
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: N/A
3. Hypotenuse AI
Hypotenuse AI is designed to help you start writing and overcome distractions. This app offers a solution to writer’s block by assisting with your initial drafts.
Have a topic in mind? Hypotenuse AI can create titles, outlines, and even fully-fledged paragraphs, saving you valuable time and energy. It simplifies the research process by suggesting relevant content ideas and keywords.
This cloud-based writing assistant software is tailored for writers, assisting in crafting various types of content, from blog articles to ad copy and product descriptions.. Using natural language processing (NLP), Hypotenuse AI lets you focus on expressing your ideas without getting bogged down in the details.
Hypotenuse AI best features
- Streamline content creation with bulk content workflows
- Tailor the writing style with a custom tone of voice settings feature
- Generate SEO-friendly content using NLP to generate suggestions
- Sync directly with Shopify and WordPress
Hypotenuse AI limitations
- Offers a 7-day free trial but with a limited number of credits
- Provides access to a limited number of templates or content frameworks for generating specific types of content
- SEO features are only available on the Enterprise plan
Hypotenuse AI pricing
- Individual: $29/month
- Teams: $59/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Hypotenuse AI ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (15 reviews)
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
4. Grammarly
Another one of the popular productivity tools that offers assistance to improve writing sessions is Grammarly. It identifies and corrects grammatical errors and is ideal for users wanting to write without distractions.
The free version allows you to check your writing task for basic grammatical and spelling mistakes, repeated words, etc. Writers may conveniently access Grammarly through various platforms, including Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and a desktop extension.
While the free version suffices for many, the premium upgrade provides additional advanced checks and features such as vocabulary enhancement, genre-specific writing checks, a plagiarism detector, and even passive voice checks. This is helpful for writers interested in making their work more professional.
Grammarly best features
- Detect plagiarism to ensure originality in your writing
- Select from various tone suggestions to enhance the overall tone of your text
- Improve the readability of complex sentences with full-sentence rewrites
Grammarly limitations
- Misses grammar and sentence structure errors occasionally, affecting overall editing accuracy
- Offers a high pricing range for its premium subscription that may not be accessible to a broad range of users
Grammarly pricing
- Free Forever
- Premium: $12/month
- Business: $15/month
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Grammarly ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (8,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.8/5 (7000+ reviews)
5. Focus Booster
If you need a tool to enhance productivity through simple and insightful time-tracking abilities, go for Focus Booster. It helps writers accomplish tasks on their to-do lists efficiently using the Pomodoro method.
The Pomodoro technique involves working on one task for 25 minutes, taking a break for another 20, and repeating it. Users may find this core feature helpful for limiting distractions and becoming more focused.
Focus Booster also presents a user-friendly dashboard for users to visualize and track progress. This benefits writers striving to be accountable and gain insights into their time management activities.
Focus Booster best features
- Focus better and reduce distractions using the Pomodoro technique
- Understand where your time goes, with dashboards and emailed reports
- Manage a portfolio of new clients or multiple projects efficiently, ensuring fair payment for your hard work with allocated billable hours
Focus Booster limitations
- Features are mostly limited to time-tracking
- App’s Pomodoro technique may not be suitable for everyone
Focus Booster pricing
- Free Forever
- Professional: $4.99/month
Focus Booster ratings and reviews
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: N/A
6. Scrivener
If you are writing a book, novel, or research article, give Scrivener a try. This app for long-form content creation lets you create content in multiple sections and rearrange them as needed using a drag-and-drop feature.
Scrivener is great for drafting your initial content and is praised for its organizational features. With Scrivener, you can organize all your ideas in one place and structure your writing effectively.
Its interface enables you to work in different modes, from editing specific sections to reviewing the entire content. This helps writers manage tasks efficiently throughout the writing process.
Another impressive capability is a note-taking feature and safe storage of your research. This ensures that all content or resources are conveniently accessible during your writing sessions. This makes it popular among productivity apps for writers in academia.
Scrivener best features
- Structure large documents effortlessly, ensuring clarity and organization throughout
- Incorporate bold, italics, and other formatting options to enhance readability and emphasis
- Import research or earlier work in Word or PDF documents, images, videos, etc.
Scrivener limitations
- Requires time to adapt due to a steeper learning curve compared to Microsoft Word
- Overwhelms users with its interface, featuring multiple panels and options, some of which may not relate to the project at hand
Scrivener pricing
- Standard license for macOS: $59.99 (one-time payment)
- Standard license for Windows: $51.95 (one-time payment)
- Standard license for iOS app: $23.99 (one-time payment)
Scrivener ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (80+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (190+ reviews)
7. Auto Text Expander
The Auto Text Expander app is a Google Chrome extension that, when integrated, simplifies typing for writers by helping them save time on their computers. With this tool, writers can create custom keyboard shortcuts using their preferred letters, numbers, and symbols.
For example, instead of typing out ‘Be right back’ on an article, they can simply use a shortcut like ‘BRB,’ and the complete phrase will appear on the blank screen. This tool allows writers to spend more time focused on their writing tasks and less time typing repetitive phrases.
Auto Text Expander best features
- Create your custom shortcuts for free
- Type faster with text shortcuts
Auto Text Expander limitations
- Experiences functionality issues on various platforms and web pages, as reported by numerous users
- Lags and malfunctions occur intermittently during use, disrupting workflow
Auto Text Expander pricing
- Free Forever
Auto Text Expander ratings and reviews
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: N/A
8. Hemingway Editor
Hemingway Editor is another popular productivity tool that can help speed up your writing sessions with its advanced AI capabilities.. It highlights complex sentences and passive voice that may impact the reader’s experience..
Additionally, it flags potential spelling or punctuation errors and helps rewrite complicated text (in the paid version). It also keeps track of the desired word count, including letters, characters, paragraphs, sentences, etc.
Hemingway Editor suggests simplified phrases to improve your copy and make it concise.. This tool is particularly useful for academic writing tasks as it provides detailed feedback to improve content quality. With color-coded indicators for every issue, writers can quickly identify and address improvement areas.
Hemingway Editor best features
- Get color-coded suggestions to improve sentence structure
- Improve readability by using the grade-level system
- Use it’s AI writing tool to improve your writing
Hemingway Editor limitations
- Edits and suggestions may not align with a writer’s personal style
- AI suggestions are only available in the paid version of the app
- Lacks in-depth grammar checks
Hemingway Editor pricing
- Free Forever
- Individual 5K: $10/month
- Individual 10K: $15/month
- Teams 10K: $15(per user)/month
Hemingway Editor ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (47 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (11 review)
9. Ulysses
In search of a writing tool that offers a distraction-free environment? If so, Ulysses can prove to be an excellent choice. This app for iOS users is great for writers working on shorter forms of writing like blogs or website content writing.
Its minimalist design and interface make for productive writing sessions. More than just simplicity, Ulysses offers strong organizational features such as project folders and export options, including Google Drive, e-mail, iBooks, and other third-party apps.
Ulysses also helps publish content to WordPress and Medium. Users can write freely in 20 languages while the built-in proofreader and grammar tool ensure polished content.
Ulysses best features
- Proofread and grammar-check content professionally
- Visualize your content before publication with its live preview feature, saving time in making last-minute corrections and formatting
- Save every word you type for future prompting and optimize device storage by managing multiple files
Ulysses limitations
- Loss of data or misplacement has been noted by users while transferring files
- Unavailable for Windows and Android users
Ulysses pricing
- Individual: $5.99/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Ulysses ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (24 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (12 review)
10. Wordtune
The last one to join the list of the best productivity apps for writers is Wordtune. It is an AI-powered software that helps speed up the writing process by refining content. Using AI, it corrects grammar and spelling errors, suggests sentence improvements, and offers multiple options to change the tone of your writing.
Underlined sentences in red indicate grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes, while purple highlights suggest fluency, vocabulary, or clarity improvement. Users, too, can highlight and rewrite sentences as needed, with customizable options like Casual, Formal, Shorten, and Expand.
Additionally, Wordtune can summarize long text documents and help you save time. It can also provide unique responses to questions by leveraging its AI capabilities.
Wordtune best features
- Improve writing with its recommended alternative wording, sentence structures, and tone adjustments
- Correct your grammar and spelling errors quickly
- Translate sentences or words easily, while premium Wordtune users can translate entire paragraphs
Wordtune limitations
- Performs grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks but may not be as comprehensive as other tools
- Offers rewrite options for complicated text, but the accuracy of these options may be lower
- The free version only includes 3 AI prompts and summaries per day
Wordtune pricing
- Forever Free
- Plus: $9.99/month
- Unlimited: $14.99/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Wordtune ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (77 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (177 review)
Related: Building a strong work ethic
Summarize this article for me pleaseTime to Beat Distractions with ClickUp!
We bet our list of productivity apps for writers, discussed in detail, is sure to help you find the solution you’re looking for. We have detailed their core features and even limitations to help you choose wisely.
In case you still can’t make up your mind then no worries. You can, without a second guess, go for ClickUp. It’s a versatile, all-in-one solution that can help you stay on track, beat distractions, and stay productive all the while.
With features like AI-powered writing, task management, checklists, dashboards, and more, we help you achieve your writing goals efficiently.
So what are you waiting for? Hurry up and sign up on ClickUp for free!
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
