Best Writing Apps for Mac in 2025: Top Picks for Every Writer

Writing is hard enough as it is so why not use a bit of extra help with a writing app? Whether you’re blogging, need help structuring your novel or just need reliable grammar checker, there’s a mac app out there for you!

But with so many options out there, how do you know which one is best for you? 

In this guide, I’ll explore the top writing apps for Mac in 2025, based on user reviews, expert recommendations and my personal experience with each app. Let’s find the best writing app for you that works seamlessly on your macbook.

What to Look for in the Best Writing Apps for Mac

Not all writing apps are created equal. Some have a lot of features but feel overwhelming, while others are so minimalistic they lack essential tools. So, how do you choose the right one? Here are a few things to look for:

• User-friendly interface and customisation – It should feel intuitive and not take ages to get the hang of. 
• Distraction-free writing modes – Full-screen and focus modes help eliminate distractions for better concentration.
• Cloud syncing and cross-device compatibility – Ensures work stays updated across Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
• Formatting and export options – Supports multiple file types like PDF, Markdown and Word for different writing needs.
• Compatibility with macOS features – Works smoothly with Dark Mode, Apple Pencil and macOS shortcuts.

Now, let’s explore the best writing apps for Mac in 2025, tailored to your different writing needs.

Best All Rounder Writing App – Ulysses

If you find yourself easily distracted, Ulysses might be your perfect writing companion. This app strips away unnecessary clutter, providing a minimalist, focused writing experience.

Ulysses Highlights

• Distraction-Free Writing – The minimal interface lets you focus completely on your words, with a smooth, markup-based text editor that makes formatting effortless.
  
• Built-In Proofreader & Writing Goals – Ulysses comes with an integrated proofreader that checks for grammar, style, and clarity in over 20 languages. You can also set deadlines, track progress, and monitor your writing habits to stay on top of your goals.
  
• Seamless Apple Integration – Designed exclusively for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, Ulysses syncs across all Apple devices with iCloud. No fuss, no file transfers, just open the app and pick up where you left off, whether you’re at your desk or on the go. These and more features make it an Apple Award Design Winner.
  
• Powerful Export & Publishing Options – When you’re ready to share your work, Ulysses makes it easy. You can turn your text into polished PDFs, Word documents, or even eBooks. Bloggers can publish directly to WordPress, Medium, Ghost, and Micro.blog without leaving the app.

Ulysses Limitations

• Subscription Model – Using this writing software costs at $39.99 per year. It’s not the most expensive app out there, but the ongoing cost might not be ideal if you prefer to pay once and own your software forever.
  
• Limited Formatting for Print – Ulysses is great for digital writing, but if you need precise control over formatting for a printed book, it’s not the best tool for the job. The export options are solid, but they don’t offer the same level of control as dedicated book formatting software.
  
• No Real-Time Collaboration – Like many other writing apps, Ulysses is built for solo work. If you’re co-writing a piece or need real-time feedback from an editor, you’ll have to export your work and collaborate elsewhere.

Best for Just Writing – Scrivener

Scrivener is the gold standard for the most comprehensive writing app. Unlike traditional word processors, Scrivener is designed to help you structure, organise and develop your work. Whether you’re working on a novel, screenplay, or research paper.

Scrivener Highlights

• Corkboard & Outliner: Break large projects into manageable sections, move ideas around freely, and get a visual overview of your entire work. Perfect for structuring complex stories, research-heavy writing, or detailed outlines.
  
• Binder for Each Project: Keep all of your chapters, notes, research and references organised in one place. No more juggling multiple documents or searching for lost files.
  
• Custom Templates: Ready-to-use templates for novels, screenplays, and academic papers save time and ensure proper formatting from the start, so you can focus on writing instead of setup.
  
• Integrated Research Tools: Store and access research materials within your project, use Split Screen to view notes alongside your writing, and quickly reference external files or web pages with the Bookmark feature.

Scrivener Limitations

• Steep Learning Curve: This is the biggest issue with for me. Scrivener is powerful but far from intuitive. Many users describe the experience as difficult and confusing, requiring lengthy tutorials just to get started.
  
• Frustrating Formatting & No Collaboration: Scrivener struggles with tables, often breaking them when pasted from Word or Excel. Formatting a book or eBook can also feel unnecessarily complicated. Plus, there’s no real-time collaboration, so co-writing means exporting and emailing files back and forth.
  
• No Technical Support: If you get stuck or find a bug, which does sometimes happen, there isn’t a dedicated Scrivener support team to turn to, so you’ll have to figure out yourself. 

Best Free Writing App – Notion

Notion isn’t just for writing but it allows you to plan content, save media, organise your projects and so much more. As a lover of this app for years, trust me when I say that if you need a free, flexible writing tool that goes beyond the minimalist writing process, this is for you. 

Notion Highlights

• Customisable writing and organisation: Notion is so much more than a text editor. You can structure your content with pages, databases, use toggles and insert media, making it perfect for everything from simple notes to more complicated projects.
  
• Build custom workspaces: Notion goes beyond writing by letting you create personalised project boards, habit trackers and calendars – it’s brilliant! The limitations of this are endless, whether you need a daily writing schedule or a content planning system, having this feature makes the app drastically more useful to writers. 
  
• Real-time collaboration: Unlike many writing apps, Notion lets you invite others to edit, comment, and review in real time. Whether you’re co-writing an article or working on a team project, everything stays synced and organised.
  
• 30,000+ ready-to-use templates: Instead of starting from scratch, Notion offers a huge collection of pre-built templates for project management, wikis, editorial calendars, and more. Just pick one, customise it, and get straight to writing.

Notion Limitations

• Offline Limitations: Need to write without an internet connection? Notion’s offline mode is unreliable, meaning you may find yourself unable to access your work when you need it most.
  
• Too Many Features Can Be Overwhelming: Notion’s flexibility is a double-edged sword. The endless customisation options can be distracting, and if you just want a simple writing tool, the learning curve might be frustrating.
  
• Advanced features cost extra: The free plan is great for personal use, but if you want unlimited file uploads, advanced collaboration, or extended page history, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid plan (£8.50 per month per user).

Best Writing App for Screenwriters – Final Draft

If you’re a screenwriter, Final Draft is the favourite app in the industry. It automates script formatting, helps structure your story and has lots of other useful features for both outlining and production. 

Final Draft Highlights

• Industry-standard formatting: Final Draft takes care of script formatting automatically, so you can focus on storytelling instead of margins and spacing. It ensures your screenplay meets professional standards used in Hollywood.
  
• Powerful structuring tools: Features like the Beat Board and Story Map help you plan and organize your script visually. You can move scenes around, track pacing, and refine your story structure without getting lost in a mess of notes.
  
• Collaboration-friendly: Whether you’re co-writing a script or getting feedback from a team, Final Draft offers collaboration features that make it easier to brainstorm, edit, and refine your work in real time.
  
• Templates for every format: From TV shows to feature films, Final Draft includes industry-standard templates to speed up your workflow. Whether you’re writing a sitcom or a graphic novel, there’s a template ready to go.

Final Draft Limitations

• Expensive compared to alternatives – At $199.99 for the personal version, Final Draft is one of the priciest writing tools on the market. There’s no subscription, but you’ll need to pay for upgrades every few years.
  
• Slow autosave – The best autosave option is every three minutes, which isn’t ideal if you’re prone to crashes or accidental shutdowns. Real-time autosave would be a huge improvement.
  
• Can feel outdated: Final Draft’s interface and features such as its formatting options need updating, plus reviewers report that it glitches now and then. 

Best Proofreading App – Grammarly

If you want to polish your writing and eliminate mistakes, Grammarly is the best proofreading tool available.

Grammarly Highlights

• Instant spelling and grammar checks: Grammarly catches typos and basic grammar mistakes before so you don’t have to worry about making obvious errors in your writing. 
  
• Style and clarity suggestions: It helps tighten up your writing by removing fluff and suggesting clearer phrasing, which is helpful to in creating clear, concise content. 
  
• Works everywhere: Whether you’re writing in Google Docs, Outlook, Pages or Microsoft Word, Grammarly is works in all forums so your writing is error-free everywhere. 
  
• Vocabulary enhancement: Grammarly suggests stronger, more precise word choices to improve your writing. It’s especially good at spotting overused words and suggesting sharper alternatives. 

Grammarly Limitations

• Rigid and sometimes wrong: It follows grammar rules like they’re written in stone, even when they don’t apply. If you like starting sentences with “And” or “But,” Grammarly will fight you on it.
  
• Lacks context: It doesn’t actually understand what you’re saying. Expect suggestions that make your sentences longer, more awkward, or just plain wrong.
  
• Free version is limited: The free version only covers basic spelling and grammar, while advanced features like tone adjustments, sentence rewrites, and plagiarism detection sit behind a pricey paywall.

Ready To Pick The Best Writing App For Macbooks?

Whether you’re continually shuffling writing projects, write academic essays, create screenplays or just need a place for note-taking, one of these 5 apps will drastically improve your writing process.

You might want distraction-free focus with Ulysses, a way to organise your novel with Scrivener, industry-standard formatting with Final Draft, or excellent proofreading from Grammarly. 

For me, Notion (the free version!) is my favourite writing app for macbooks. It makes my content planning seamless, allows me to easily organise my notes in a stylish structure and to keep all of my notes in one place. Plus it allows for lots of personalisation. 

But you’ll have different writing needs from me so which app is the best fit for you? So pick your favourite app and start writing!