No matter what type of writing or content marketing you’re trying to accomplish, there’s a Mac writing app for that!
Perhaps you need help generating an outline, or you’re looking for a better word processor. You might need a grammar checker or more comprehensive content marketing software for your writing project.
There’s just one problem: So many options are available that choosing the best writing app for macOS can be difficult. That’s where we want to help.
If the Apple ecosystem is your primary working platform, you’re in luck. Consider this your comprehensive guide on the best Mac writing apps in 2024!
10 Best Writing Apps for Mac Users in 2024
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in the Best Writing Apps for Mac?
The best writing apps, for Mac users or otherwise, have to simplify the writing software. Helping with content creation or technical writing might be part of the simplification. Beyond the basics, the best Mac apps for writers tend to share the following characteristics:
- An intuitive interface that lets you write and optimize your writing in a format you feel comfortable
- User-friendliness that helps you start with little to no onboarding
- Low cost. After all, the best writing software makes subtle improvements to your daily workflow, and you shouldn’t need to pay excessively for it
- Integrations with your other writing apps, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word
You might also want to look for some advanced features. For example, writing assistant software increasingly incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) to improve your content and speed up the content creation process.
Don’t underestimate the importance of the best writing tools. If you can’t decide between two or more options, test each to see which writing app best fits your situation and needs.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Writing Apps for Managing Writing Projects in 2024
There are plenty of options available, but we feature only the best. Consider this our definite list of the best writing apps in 2024. These apps aim to help Mac users improve and optimize their content creation and note-taking.
1. ClickUp
It’s impossible to talk about writing tools, especially AI-enabled writing tools, without mentioning ClickUp. If your writing connects to larger projects within your organization, the writing tools within this productivity software are second to none.
There’s a reason that ClickUp is not just a project management system but also a popular alternative for established note-taking tools like Notability. With features like cloud-based document creation and whiteboards, this tool is in the top position as the best writing app for Mac users.
ClickUp best features
- ClickUp AI is a digital assistant that can summarize meeting notes, write emails and blog posts, and edit and format your copy
- ClickUp Docs is a dynamic document tool offering real-time collaboration, file management, and wiki creation
- There is a built-in version history, so you can always reconcile or move back from incorrect or irrelevant changes
- A direct connection between your writing efforts and their corresponding larger projects, including the ability to turn meeting notes and summaries into easy action items
ClickUp limitations
- It’s not a pure writing tool, leading to an increased learning curve and making its usage more difficult for users looking only for writing help
- It has limited mobile app functionality, reserving the best writing features for Mac desktop users
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp AI: Available on all paid plans for $5/Workspace member/month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (8,700+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,800+ reviews)
2. Notability
Gone are the days of using simple word-processing software for your note-taking. Notability is a writing app that allows you to take notes, add audio recordings, annotate notes, and present your work to others in your organization.
Notability best features
- You can combine note-taking and freeform drawing to create a comprehensive picture of the content and ideas you’re looking to capture
- The simple design is easy to learn and a perfect aesthetic match for Apple’s products and software
- It has direct integrations between multiple screens, including iPhones, iPads, and computers, to transfer project notes and drawings
- There is seamless integration between different note types, including typed notes, handwritten notes, audio notes, and more
Notability limitations
- Copying handwritten text into digital notes can be occasionally inaccurate
- The limited version comes with a strict editing limit that may make the native Mac app more difficult to use full-time
Notability pricing
- Notability Starter: Free
- Notability Plus: Contact for pricing
Notability ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (40+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (30+ reviews)
3. Journey
Journaling can be therapeutic or mind-jogging, both professionally and personally. With Journey, you can ensure one more thing: it will be easy and intuitive, meaning you can reap all its rewards. After all, this is a dedicated journal and diary app that aims to capture all your thoughts.
Journey best features
- Create photo, video, audio, or written journal entries depending on your preference and the subject matter
- It offers a calendar-based view, allowing you to browse past journal entries on all your devices
- The Atlas function allows you to tag your location with each entry so you can track the physical places of your life and professional writing journey
- Its mood-tracking functionality records and analyzes your sentiments in each journal entry
Journey limitations
- It has a singular focus, making it difficult to use the same Mac app for multiple different topics or other complex types of note-taking
- The first journal entries can take significant time while figuring out the initial configuration of your journal
Journey pricing
- Free Forever
- Membership: $4.17/month
Journey ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.9/5 (140+ reviews)
- Capterra: No reviews to date
4. Bear
No list of the best writing tools would be complete without mentioning Bear. This writing software is so popular that many of Bear’s alternatives aim to emulate its feature set.
Bear best features
- It’s a minimalist writing app with hotkey markdowns for easy note formatting
- Native encryption keeps your notes and any information in them private
- It has full cross-device integration for Mac users, including iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch
- Extensive note export options are available for various file types, including PDF, MD, DOCX, JPG, HTML, RTF, and more
Bear limitations
- Copy and pasting into the app can sometimes lead to formatting challenges
- Notes are only available through the app, with no web browser integration
Bear pricing
- Free Forever
- Bear Pro: $2.99/month
Bear ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (40+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (5+ reviews)
5. Ulysses
Ulysses is unique among this list as a writing app specifically (and exclusively) for Apple devices. More than a note-taking app, its platform aims to help with all writing project types, such as blog posts and novels.
Ulysses best features
- It has a built-in proofreader and editing assistant for your final draft that functions in 20 languages and can make basic grammar and advanced readability suggestions
- Extensive export options allow you to lay out and turn your text into PDFs, eBook formats, content management system blog posts, and more
- Tags, groups, and type organization can create a comprehensive library and archive of all your writing projects
- Deadlines and daily goals help you monitor your writing process and productivity
Ulysses limitations
- Transferring documents can lead to data loss for some users
- There is currently no AI integration to streamline or speed up content creation
Ulysses pricing
- Individual plan: $5.99/month
- Businesses and organizations: Contact for pricing
Ulysses ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (20+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (10+ reviews)
6. Drafts
Where most writing apps try to help you organize your projects, Drafts turns the process around with a philosophy of “write first, organize later.” That process works surprisingly well, allowing you to easily capture text before determining how to format, organize, and publish it through its many integrations.
Drafts best features
- Its intuitive dictation feature allows for integration with Siri and hands-free note-taking
- It streamlines workflows so you can tag the new notes in your inbox and organize them in your library
- Its active writer community offers a constant stream of best practices, tips, and tricks to maximize app usage
- Various app integrations, such as Twitter and Google, help move your notes from a draft into a final product
Drafts limitations
- There are no advanced text editing features
- Although it’s available for all Mac devices, it offers limited functionality on non-desktop devices
Drafts pricing
- Free Forever
- Drafts Pro: $1.99/month
Drafts ratings and reviews
- G2: No reviews to date
- Capterra: No reviews to date
7. iA Writer
Imagine a word editor so stripped down to its basics that you can’t help but focus on the text. That’s the premise of this writing app, a Mac-based platform aiming to improve your writing and editing process.
iA Writer best features
- The Focus Mode feature highlights the active part of your sentence to create a distraction-free interface
- The Syntax Highlight feature emphasizes weak verbs, filler words, and other clutter that could otherwise weaken your writing
- You can connect your notes and documents through a simple, integrated wiki structure
- The template library helps you transform plain text into beautiful books, chapters, and articles
iA Writer limitations
- The markdown coding can be difficult to learn at first, especially for users more familiar with a traditional “what you see is what you get” editor
- Different export options can change the format. A PDF-exported document may look different from its Microsoft Word-exported counterpart
iA Writer pricing
- Mac: $49.99 (one-time purchase)
- iPad and iPhone: $49.99 (one-time purchase)
- Windows: $29.99 (one-time purchase)
- Android: $0.99/month
iA Writer ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (20+ reviews)
- Capterra: No reviews to date
8. Scrivener
Scrivener might be the most comprehensive writing app on this list, ready to help with various user needs, including content outlining, research, and the writing process. Available for Mac and PC, it’s at or near the top of the list for the most comprehensive book-writing apps. Academics, journalists, students, and authors can all benefit from its extensive feature set.
Scrivener best features
- Its non-linear organization helps you review and organize paragraphs without losing oversight of the larger structure
- Commenting and annotation features allow you and others to review your work without changing the written text
- Its integrated research tools help you locate supporting documents intuitively without leaving the app
- It provides a corkboard view to help you plan and concept out your writing projects with a virtual Post-it layout
Scrivener limitations
- It has a potentially significant learning curve thanks to its many writing, outlining, planning, and publishing features
- Its formatting options can be more fickle than the other writing apps on this list
Scrivener pricing
- Mac: $49 (one-time purchase)
- iOS: $19.99 (one-time purchase)
- Windows: $29.99 (one-time purchase)
- Mac/Windows Bundle: $80 (one-time purchase)
Scrivener ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (80+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (190+ reviews)
9. LightPaper
LightPaper makes it easy to keep notes and write texts on your Mac. As its name suggests, this writing app is intentionally light—keeping things simple in a linear folder structure to help you save, find, and take action from your notes as quickly and efficiently as possible.
LightPaper best features
- Tab-based navigation allows you to seamlessly move through multiple notes and writing projects without losing track of them
- Its editor outline view helps you jump through sections of larger documents without reading all the text
- It has customizable markdown options that can adjust to your familiarity with the editing type
- The Quick Open feature finds and re-opens past documents when you can’t remember their names
LightPaper limitations
- It has limited export abilities for blog posts and websites, often restricting to web-based options
- Its rendering support can break down occasionally for more complex documents
LightPaper pricing
- $14.99 (one-time purchase)
LightPaper ratings and reviews
- G2: No reviews to date
- Capterra: No reviews to date
10. ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid is a real-time editing tool for the entire writing process, from the first draft to the final copy. Whether you write emails or web pages, this writing software provides a constant stream of suggestions on how to make your content more active, engaging, and smooth.
ProWritingAid best features
- Its advanced, AI-enabled grammar check suggests comprehensive writing improvements in real-time
- It has real-time readability scoring to improve your writing over time
- It directly integrates with most content-writing locations, including browsers, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, email clients, social media, Salesforce, and more
- It provides integrated human feedback, including tips and masterclasses, to improve your writing over time
ProWritingAid limitations
- The automated suggestions are sometimes wrong or misleading, meaning you will still need a human to review your work
- There is a 500-word trial limitation on the free version, which won’t be enough to edit your writing on an ongoing basis
ProWritingAid pricing
- Free Forever
- Premium: $10/month
ProWritingAid ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (40+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (400+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseUse ClickUp on All Your Apple Devices
Even if you love writing, chances are you don’t have the time or space to make every content piece, email, or technical instruction you put out perfect. Getting every piece right can be even more difficult if you don’t love writing.
Fortunately, you’re not on your own. The right app can make all the difference, whether the annoyance is with the time available or the writing process.
The ultimate writing app is ClickUp, thanks to its advanced AI writing capabilities and intuitive, collaborative Docs creation and organization. Create a free ClickUp account and use the Docs and Notepad features for your next writing project!
Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.