Ulysses is a very useful writing app for Mac that you can download to get more out of your computer. If you need a clean and distraction free writing app to concentrate on your writing, Ulysses is probably the best option you can have. Cleaner is the #1 free Mac cleaning App around the world! It is the ONLY free App that offers Memory Optimization, Disk Cleaning and Big Files Scanner to help you free your hard disk and speed up your Mac.
The Mac is a great tool for writers, with a plethora of software available for any kind of writing. It doesn't matter if you're a student spending long nights on your big paper, a journalist writing up your latest scoop, or a novelist furiously typing away on your next opus — there's an app for you on the Mac.
Ulysses
Ulysses offers a full array of tools for writers of any kind. This app is easy to pick up and start using but offers a wide array of customization options for everything from writing to exporting. Choose to work in Markdown or create your own markup style. With Ulysses, you can also create your own writing environment with everything from background colors to fonts. When it comes time to publish, you can export your work in a variety of formats, including plain text, DOCX, and ePub. You can also publish your work to WordPress sites and Medium.
Your projects all sync with iCloud between Mac, iPhone, and iPad, with Dropbox support also available. The app also recently added support for Touch ID to keep your documents safe.
- $44.99 - Download Now
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- iPhone and iPad, $24.99 - Download Now
Byword
'Simple but effective' is the best way to describe Byword. With this Markdown-focused writing app, you start with a blank document and just write. It's a minimalist app with only a few settings to fuss with, and Byword really only cares about getting you writing. Your documents sync between Mac, iPhone, and iPad using iCloud Drive, though you can also store them in Dropbox.
When it comes to publishing, you've got options for PDF and HTML. You can also post what you've written to blogging services such as Medium, WordPress, Tumblr, and Blogger, or you could send your document to Evernote.
- $11.99 - Download Now
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- iPhone and iPad, $5.99 - Download Now
iA Writer
iA Writer's gone through quite a few changes over the years. Where the previous Pro app tried to break down your writing into a flow between notes and writing and editing, the modern iA Writer focuses on having your write in plain text, with full Markdown support. That's not to say that there aren't advanced features, however, as there are quite a few. Syntax Control breaks down your writing to show you the structure, highlighting adjectives, nouns, conjunctions, and more. Link to other documents in iA Writer to combine them into a single project, or link to images or spreadsheet files to see them in iA Writer's Preview screen in a number of different templates.
Like other apps on this list, iA Writer lets you publish to blogs, in this case, WordPress and Medium. You can also export your work in Markdown, PDF, HTML, and Microsoft Word.
- $9.99 - Download Now
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- iPhone and iPad, $3.99 - Download Now
Scrivener
Scrivener is nothing short of a full-featured suite of tools for writers. Novels, scripts, essays, research papers, it doesn't matter, because Scrivener supports all of them. Organize your ideas on digital notecards and lay them out on the corkboard to see how your work fits together. Import images, PDF and other media you've used as research to refer to it later. Keep your work segmented for easier organization and edition, while maintaining its structure with the Binder. And each part of the app can be customized to create the exact writing environment that you need. It's actually hard to encapsulate just how many options Scrivener gives you.
When you're done, compile your project into a single document, and export in formats like DOC, rich text, PDF, ePub, Kindle, and even export for other apps like Final Draft. Away from your Mac? You can also check out Scrivener for iPhone and iPad, which lets you work on your Scrivener projects no matter where you are.
- $44.99 - Download Now
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- iPhone and iPad, $19.99 - Download Now
Blogo
Blogo is a standout amongst our selections here because while many of these apps allow you to publish to the web, that's Blogo's explicit purpose. Open up Blogo and sign in to your WordPress, Blogger, or Medium account and start writing those hot takes. Manage everything from your post's title to its tags, preview your posts, and images. Write in Markdown or rich text, insert inline HTML and code blocks, and keep track of your writing goals. You can also perform some basic photo editing, cropping and resizing photos, and even adding effects and filters.
While Blogo is free up front, you can subscribe to Blogo Pro for $2.99 per month (or $24.99 for a year) to get access to more advanced features. You'll be able to add as many accounts as you want, get access to the Media Search feature to easily find videos, images, GIFs, and more, and on certain accounts, you can even moderate and reply to comments.
- Free - Download Now
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- iPhone and iPad, Free - Download Now
Bear
A relatively new app compared to the rest of the list, Bear might seem simple, but it offers a great deal of flexibility for handling text. It's true that Bear is good for both notes and todo checklists, but it's support for Markdown, a variety of themes, and simple organization makes it a great tool for many different kinds of writing. Add images, files, code blocks, and more to spice up your work and give it more context.
In terms of options, you've got few. Choose how to sort your documents, pick a theme, pick your font, and even control fine-grain details such as font size, line height and width, and paragraph spacing. Subscribe to Bear Pro for $1.49 per month in order to sync your documents between Bear for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
- Free - Download Now
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- iPhone and iPad, Free - Download Now
Pages
Apple's own writing app, Pages lets you create all sorts of documents. There are more than 60 templates in Pages, covering just about every kind of writing, from short essays to research papers. There are even templates for items like business cards and flyers. You can add images and shapes, layout your documents in different styles, and more. You can also secure documents with Touch ID if you have one of Apple's 2016 MacBook Pros with Touch Bar.
Pages also makes it easy to collaborate with other people. Multiple people, whether they're on macOS, iOS, or even Windows thanks to iCloud.com, can collaborate on a document at the same time. You can share collaborative documents publicly or with specific users, see who is in the document at any given time, and follow their cursors as they edit the project.
- Free ($19.99 for pre-October 2014 Macs) - Download Now
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- iPhone and iPad, Free ($9.99 for pre-September 2014 iOS devices) - Download Now
Free Writing Software For Mac
Your favorites?
What is your writing app of choice on your Mac? Do you use one of these or something else? Let us know in the comments.
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Create and collaborate on documents that are beautiful beyond words.
Pages is a powerful word processor that lets you create stunning documents. You can even use Apple Pencil on your iPad to add comments and illustrations by hand. And with real-time collaboration, your team can work together, whether they’re on Mac, iPad, or iPhone, or using a PC.
Download Pages for Mac from the Mac App StoreDownload Pages for iOS from the iOS App StorePreview Pages for iOS in the iOS App StorePreview Pages for Mac in the Mac App StoreStart using Pages at iCloud.com
A canvas
for creativity.
From the start, Pages places you in the perfect creative environment. It puts all the right tools in all the right places, so it’s easy to choose a look, customize fonts, personalize text styles, and add beautiful graphics. And everyone collaborating on a document has access to the same powerful features.
Start with a great‑looking template.
Choose from over 70 beautiful Apple‑designed templates, and customize your document any way you like.
See your progress.
Track changes, add highlights, and have threaded conversations with your team. Your edits are saved automatically.
Find and organize chapters easily.
Pages automatically creates a table of contents for you based on paragraph styles and updates it as you make edits. Just tap or click to find the content you want.
Communicate beautifully.
Liven up your text by filling it with color gradients or images. And take the entire page to the next level by adding photos, galleries, math equations, charts, or more than 700 customizable shapes.
Record and edit audio clips.
Add and adjust narration, notes, and sounds for people to play in your documents on iOS and Mac.
Create a book.
From travel books to fairy tales, it’s easy to make beautiful, interactive books with image galleries, audio clips, and videos right inside Pages. Built‑in tools let you copy and paste into different projects, create links to jump to other pages, and collaborate with friends, editors, colleagues, or classmates. And when you’re done, easily share them with others or publish them to Apple Books for download or purchase.
Turn your device into a teleprompter.
Now public speaking is nothing to be afraid of. With Presenter Mode, Pages turns your document into a ready-to-read speech with just a tap. You can then set it to scroll automatically at your pace.
Pages and
Apple Pencil.
Book Writing App For Mac Free
Sketch, illustrate, and create documents to express your ideas with Apple Pencil on your iPad.
Draw and modify
Sketch your idea, then press play to watch each stroke animate onto the page.
BetaEdits that stick.
With Smart Annotation, your edits stay with the marked-up text, making it easy for you and your team to incorporate changes.
Collaborate with anyone.
Anywhere.
Work together in the same document, from across town or across the world. You can see your team’s edits as they make them — and they can watch as you make yours, too. Just select a name on the collaborator list to jump to anyone’s cursor.
Best Mac For Writers
Work on any document. On any device.
You don’t work in one place on just one device. The same goes for Pages. So the documents your team creates using a Mac or iPad look the same on an iPhone or web browser — and vice versa.
Work together in real time on documents stored on iCloud or Box.
Everyone can collaborate — whether they’re on Mac, iPad, iPhone, or a PC web browser.
Unlock documents with a touch or a glance.
Open password-protected files in a snap with Touch ID or Face ID on compatible devices.
Microsoft Word friendly.
Teaming up with someone who uses Microsoft Word? Pages makes it simple. You can save Pages documents as Word files. Or import and edit Word documents right in Pages. Most popular Word features are supported, too. Now it’s no problem to work on the same project. Even if you use different apps.
Learn more about Microsoft Word compatibilityLearn more about Microsoft Word compatibility
More ways to do stunning work.
Numbers
Create great-looking spreadsheets. Together.
Keynote
Easily build stunning, memorable presentations.