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I am asked one question more than anything, and it’s about the app I use to get my writing done. In asking this question, people often forget that writing is not one task. It comprises many tasks, and each task has a dedicated tool. For example, while writing a blog post like this, I need to research, take notes, create an outline, write the post, edit the post, and only then it’s ready for publishing. All these phases of writing happen inside different tools. Today, I will talk about one of those tools which is what everyone means when they ask about writing tools. It’s the writing app itself. Since I use a Mac, I will talk about the best writing apps for Mac. But, many of these apps are also available on Windows.
Best Writing Apps for Mac in 2020
Aug 13, 2018 Some apps are best suited for short-form writing while others focus more on the long-form content creation. Ulysses is the only app which is equally good at both of them. You can as easily write a novel on Ulysses as you can a blog post. Ulysses achieves this feat by creating a perfect amalgamation of features and usability. Dec 08, 2019 Since I use a Mac, I will talk about the best writing apps for Mac. But, many of these apps are also available on Windows. Best Writing Apps for Mac in 2020. Before we get into this article, there’s one thing that I want to make clear. There is no one best writing app. The best writing app for you may differ from the best writing app for me. The best writing software overall is: Scrivener Scrivener is packed with all the features a novelist needs, helping you track plot threads, store notes on characters and locations, structure your. Apr 07, 2017 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.
Before we get into this article, there’s one thing that I want to make clear. There is no one best writing app. The best writing app for you may differ from the best writing app for me. It not only depends on personal preferences but also upon the writing that you do. A good academic writing app will differ from a blog writing app. So, in this article, I have mentioned best apps (according to me) for different writing requirements along with some runner-ups. Remember, what is a runner-up in this list maybe the right app for you. So, don’t just read the article, check out the apps and decide for yourself. With all that said, let’s look at the best writing apps for Mac that you should use in 2020, shall we?
1. Ulysses - Best Overall Writing App
I have said repeatedly that Ulysses is my favorite writing tool and I love it to death. I have used Ulysses to write all the posts published on this website. I have published a long and in-depth tutorial review of Ulysses in an earlier blog post so I will not talk much about it here. However, I will give you a sneak peek into the software by mentioning the features I love the most. First, I love the user interface of the app. It brings a modern and clean writing interface, free of distraction, and makes writing enjoyable. Ulysses is not like your conventional text-editors and uses markdown which is a lightweight markup language used for formatting and enhancing the plain text.
The benefit of Markdown is that you can format the text without having to remove your fingers away from the keyboard. You can format text and export it in any format you desire including PDF, DOCX, rich-text, plain-text, HTML, and more. One of the biggest powers of Ulysses is its organizational prowess. You can create libraries, groups, sub-groups, sheets, and use keywords and tags to organize your writing. The best part is that since Ulysses gives you access to all your libraries in one place, everything you have written in the past is just a quick search away. Other awesome features include the ability to set goals, in-line images, quickly accessible notes, and more.
I use Ulysses for writing blog posts. But the software is powerful enough to handle long-form writing projects like a novel. That’s why I have given it the best overall writing app position. You can mold Ulysses to fit your writing needs. Its excellent organization structure paired with distraction-free writing style gives it an edge over other writing apps. From taking notes to writing short blog posts to writing a full novel, Ulysses can handle everything. Ulysses also lets you theme your editor to make it exactly the way you like it.
There is a dark mode along with several themes that you can install to give your text a unique look. If you like what you read here, you can give this app a chance. It comes with a 14-day free trial. The only caveat with Ulysses is that the app has switched to a subscription-based pricing model. I pay for it because I find it worth the money, but you might disagree with me. If that’s the case, look at the other apps on the list.
Get Ulysses:14-day free trial, ($4.99/month or $39.99/year - special student pricing available)
2. Scrivener - Best Novel Writing App
While Ulysses can handle your novel writing needs, there’s an app out there that is more suited for all the novel and book writers out there. Scrivener is the app I am talking about and it is by far the best novel writing software you can find. You can use Scrivener for any long-form writing project including books, novels, scripts, a business project, or even a dissertation. Scrivener makes it easier to tackle long writing projects by allowing users to break the project into smaller chunks.
In Scrivener, you start by creating a project. While creating a project, you can either choose from one of the many templates that come pre-installed (templates for novels, books, scripts, and more), or you can start with a blank project. Once you create the project, Scrivener will launch the project window which includes three main parts. The first is the binder which houses the main manuscript, research area, and everything else that you want to keep inside the project. The second part is the main editing window where you will write. Unlike Ulysses, Scrivener gives you a normal rich-text editor, something we are familiar with. Lastly, there’s the inspector where you can save the synopsis for each document, add notes, comments, metadata, and more.
The best part about Scrivener is that although you can break the project into smaller chunks which makes it easier to tackle, you can review the whole project at once. To help with that, Scrivener offers different viewing modes including Scrivenings view, Corkboard view, and Outline view. The Scrivenings view allows you to see your complete project in one place while the Corkboard and the Outline view allow you to get an overview of the project. My favorite viewing mode is the Corkboard view because it helps me in visualizing the whole project and understand if I need to add or delete something.
Other features include a different section for research, multiple export options (export as a manuscript, a hardcover novel, ePub for iBooks, or MOBI for Kindle), character research, exceptional search feature, and more. With the latest Scrivener 3 update, the app looks more modern and refined. Apart from improving all the existing features, Scrivener 3 also brings several new features including Writing Statistics that can help you in keeping track of your daily writing, the ability to export in Multi-markdown format, enhanced outlining feature, a new styles system for text system, and more.
I won’t deny that Scrivener is not as straightforward as Ulysses and you will need to invest a considerable amount of time to learn it. I wanted to create a tutorial for the app to help our readers, but the folks at Scrivener have already done a great job with the tutorials. You can also check out our Ulysses vs Scrivener article to find which one is best for you. If you are someone who tackles large writing projects on a regular basis, the time that you invest in Scrivener will surely pay its dividends in the long term.
Get Scrivener:$44.99
Novel Writing Apps for Mac - Runner-ups
1. Shaxpir 4
Shaxpir (pronounced as Shakespeare) is a writing app that focuses all its energy on novel writers. The dedication to novel writers makes it one of the best novel writing apps on the market. It comes with all the features that an author needs. It has separate spaces for writing your manuscript, doing research, and brainstorming ideas. The USP of Shaxpir is its world-building feature where you can create characters, places, themes, and more. It’s one of the most fleshed-out world-building tools on any writing app that I have encountered. Shaxpir not only allows you to brainstorm and create characters and places but also create connections between them.
Shaxpir’s writing environment is good too. The left panel is for a workspace. This is where your stories and ideas live. You can use it navigate between your world-building notes and manuscript. The actual editor is the rich-text editor that we are familiar with. Like Scrivener, Shaxpir also allows you to break your writing into chunks using sections and sub-sections. Shaxpir also tracks your progress. I love the fact that it opens with your writing history whenever you open the app. Other features of Shaxpir include margin comments, concept art, custom themes, cloud backup and sync, goal tracking, eBook, HTML, and DOCx publishing, and more.
Another great thing about Shaxpir is that it allows users to analyze their writing using its Prosecraft tool. It’s an AI-based linguistic tool that analyzes your writing and gives you a reliable measurement of the different aspects of your prose, like vividness, passive-voice, adverbs, and emotional story arc. It also lets you compare your prose with the writing of your favorite authors so you can find out where you stand. This is a good tool for writers who want to enhance their writing.
Shaxpir is available on both macOS and Windows operating systems. There’s also a web app so you can use it on any device as long as you remember your login ID and password. The best thing about Shaxpir is that all its basic and important features are free to use. The features that are behind paywall include the Prosecraft, multi-device sync, automatic pop-up thesaurus, version history, and more. So, you can see, all the writing and world-building tools are present as a part of the free plan. This is great for budding writers who cannot afford to spend money.
Get Shaxpir 4:Free, $7.99/month for Pro
2. Storyist
If you like the concept of Scrivener but don’t like the app itself, check out Storyist. There are so many similarities between Storyist and Scrivener that there’s no point in mentioning all that here again. Just understand that if Scrivener has a feature, Storyist probably has it too. Just look at the image below, even the UI looks eerily similar. Storyist offers a cleaner and flatter look than Scrivener. To me, it feels a little easier on the eyes.
Storyist is also more colorful which makes different parts like goal tracker, outliner, and more stand out. It also offers a better selection of themes. Other than that, if there are differences, they are so minute that it will be hard to figure them out. In my eyes, both Scrivener and Storyist are equally great apps. It’s just that I found Scrivener first and ended up using it. I can see a parallel dimension where Storyist is what I end up using. You should check it out before making your mind.
Get Storyist:$59
3. iA Writer - Best Clean Markdown Writing App
I have been using iA Writer for far too long to remember and it still is one of my favorite writing apps. The biggest benefit of using iA Writer is that you are getting a no-nonsense writing interface. When you launch the app, all you see is a big blank page and a blinking cursor. Just like Ulysses, iA Writer also uses markdown for formatting and allows you to export your files in various formats. Talking about the user interface, it offers one of the simplest and cleanest UI you can find on any writing app. There are three panes, navigator window, editor window, and the preview window.
You can either edit in the three-pane view or do what I do and hit the ⌘D keyboard shortcut to go into focus mode which not only closes the left and right pane and just shows you the editor window but also grays out all the other text other than the paragraph/sentence (can switch between the two options by going to app’s preferences) on which you are working on to give you a more immersive environment. While You are at it, you can also hit ⌘T shortcut to enter the typewriter mode which ensures that you are always writing in the middle of the page and all the written text moves up instead of your cursor moving down. Typewriter mode helps me focus as I don’t have to move my head and I can just keep banging on my keyboard.
I also love the Night mode on iA Writer which comes in handy in my night-long writing sessions. Also, one of the best features of iA Writer is the “Syntax Control”. The feature scans your document and highlights your adjectives, nouns, adverbs, verbs, prepositions, and conjunctions. Features aside, you know what the best part about iA Writer is? It’s the fact that you are getting all these features for making just a one-time payment of $29.99. If you love markdown and want something simple, intuitive, and productive try out iA Writer.
Get iA Writer:$29.99
Clean Markdown Writing Apps for Mac - Runner-ups
1. Byword
Byword is one of the oldest and most reliable markdown editors for Mac. The app is also available for iOS and iPadOS devices and offers online sync. The app is straightforward. You get an easy-to-use Markdown editor which offers a clean user interface. It has an ambient dark mode for late-night writing sessions. Like iA Writer, Byword also supports all the keyboard shortcuts which make text formatting easier.
Byword is a good option for web content writers as it allows you to publish articles directly from the app itself. You can publish to WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, Scriptogram blogs, and Evernote notebooks from Byword. Other features of the app include typewriter scrolling mode, word, and character counters, spelling and grammar checking, support for voice over API, iCloud sync, version history, and more.
![Best Macos Apps For Writers Best Macos Apps For Writers](/uploads/1/2/6/6/126634653/314057456.png)
Get Byword:$10.99
2. Typora
Another great markdown-based distraction-free writing app for Mac is Typora. What differentiates Typora from other markdown editors is its seamless experience for both writing and reading. It creates that experience by removing the need of a preview window and converting your Markdown text into rich-format as you type it. So, you get a live preview of how your text looks when you are using markdown. This feature is appreciable and users who fear markdown will like it more. Many of my friends use Typora over iA Writer, Ulysses, or Byword for this feature alone.
Typora is powerful. Apart from supporting simple text, it also supports images, tables, code fences, mathematical formulae, diagrams, inline styles, themes, and more. Other features include a good file organization structure, file import and export, outline panel, focus and typewriter viewing mode, auto-paring of brackets and quotes, and more. Typora is in beta on macOS and hence free to use. I am tracking this app for more than a year and it still is in beta despite offering more features than a paid app. So, you can enjoy it while the freebies last.
Get Typora:Free
4. Highland 2 - Best Screen Writing App
If there’s one kind of writing that needs specialized writing software it’s a screenwriting. Screenplays require a set formatting standard that is hard or at least time-taking to do in a normal word processor like Pages or Word. If you want to make your life easier, you need to choose a writing app that handles the formatting for you. And Highland 2 is probably the best app for that need. The app applies accurate formatting to text as you write. It automatically recognizes all the parameters like character name, scene, scene headers, dialogue, and more and formats them accurately.
The software is also very lightweight and can open even large documents in seconds. I also love the “Navigator” in Highland 2 which gives you a roadmap of sections, scenes, synopses, and notes. Another great feature is the revision mode that tracks changes in different colors. Apart from screenwriting, Highland 2 also supports automatic formatting for manuscripts and novels. That said, I find Scrivener to be a better novel-writing app.
Other features of Highland 2 include sprints and goals, writing history and stats, scratchpad, checklist, title page images, and more. Long-time screenplay writers will be happy to know that Highland 2 also supports FDX files from Final Draft which is the standard screenplay writing app used in the industry. The reason I prefer Highland 2 over Final Draft is that it’s both easier to use and easier on the pocket. That’s not surprising if you know that it’s made by Hollywood screenwriter and novelist, John August, writer of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, Aladdin, and the Arlo Finch book series. He is a writer himself so he knows the pain point of using costly and bloated software.
Get Highland 2:Free with watermark, $49.99
Best Screen Writing App for Mac - Runner-ups
1. FadeIn
Like Highland 2, FadeIn is also an easy to use and lightweight screenplay writing software. Unlike Highland 2 which is available only on Mac, FadeIn is available on Mac, Windows, and Linux. So, if you like Highland 2 but work across multiple operating systems, this is a better choice for you. To be fair, it’s not as good looking as Highland 2 and might turn some people off, however, the feature set is second to none. You get all the features you expect from a good screenwriting software such as automatic text formatting, autocomplete typing, collaboration, good organization and navigation, clean writing environment, revision support, and stats and writing session tracking among others.
If you write on the go, FadeIn can serve you better than Highland 2 as it offers mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Highland 2 doesn’t offer any mobile apps. If there’s one thing that I don’t like about FadeIn (apart from its aging look) it has to be it not going full screen on Mac. Maybe it’s a bug, but I could not get it to go full screen in one week of testing this app. Also, it’s a lot costlier than Highland 2 so there’s that.
Get FadeIn: $89.99
2. Final Draft 11
No screenwriting app list can be complete without mentioning Final Draft 11 as it’s the app that Hollywood screenwriters use. It’s the industry-standard and you will have to deal with it. Final Draft is used by 95% of the industry, so there’s no way to escape. While both Highland 2 and FadeIn support its file system, many people don’t want to deal with the hassle of managing different applications and hence use Final Draft. If you are looking to get a job in the industry, Final Draft is a software that you need to learn. And if you don’t want to deal with using multiple apps, maybe you should use Final Draft.
While I have made it sound like it’s a chore to use Final Draft, there’s a reason it’s the industry standard, and that’s its feature set. Final Draft is the most feature-rich screenwriting app that you can find. From normal features like automatic formatting and revisions to pro features like timeline management and advanced brainstorming tools (storyboards, story maps, beat board, and more), it packs in all. It also offers real-time collaboration that is useful for teams of writers who are working on a project. All these features, make Final Draft an indispensable tool for writers working in the industry.
I ranked Highland 2 above Final Draft because of two reasons. First, Highland 2 is cleaner and easier to learn. Final Draft 11 comes with a learning curve. Also, the software has become bloated with features that not everyone will use. Second is its pricing. Thanks to its prominence in the industry and big-feature set, Final Draft commands a high price. The regular version sells for $249.99 and every year they come with a new version with a few minor upgrades that command an upgrade price of $99. Yes, you can get it on discount several times during the year but even on the discount, it costs $159.99 which is more than thrice the price of Highland 2. It makes little sense to buy it unless your work requires it.
Get Final Draft 11:30-day free trial, $249.99
5. Manuscripts - Best Academic Writing App
Till now we have talked only about the creative writing software. But what about students or people who spent their life in academia? For them, none of the above apps will make sense as their needs are different. They have to deal with tables, equations, citations, figures, formatting and more, and frankly, none of the apps mentioned above can handle those requirements. To them, I suggest Manuscripts. It’s a writing app that is for students and scholars.
First, its editor is perfect for students. It not only allows you to enter text easily but also handles images, tables, and figures effortlessly. You can even create figures including graphs and pie-charts directly inside the editor. It also features an easy-to-use table editor which allows you to create beautiful tables. It supports LaTeX markup language allowing you to write complex equations. And, you can add citations with ease. It even supports the importing of citations from various reference libraries including Mendeley, Zotero, Papers 3, Bookends, and EndNote.
You can export your project into Microsoft Word, PDF, Markdown, HTML, and even LaTeX. There are so many features I have not discussed like an awesome navigator, powerful outliner, focus mode for writing, theme support, and more. The best part is that the app is free forever. There’s no subscription and no hidden charges. If you are a student, there’s no better writing app for you out there. So, just click on the link to download it and check it out right now.
Get Manuscripts:Free
Best Academic Writing App for Students - Runner-ups
1. Pages
Well, this will not surprise anyone. Pages is the built-in writing app for macOS that comes free with the Mac. Over the years, the iWork team at Apple has worked a lot and taken Pages to a new height. The app is powerful and supports all the features you expect from a powerful rich-text editor. Now, that it supports Apple Pencil on iPad, you can even create digital hand-drawn images to add flair to your academic writing projects. Another good new feature of pages is the collaboration feature. If you are working on a group project with multiple members, you can use a Pages document to collaborate effortlessly. You can track changes, add highlights, and have threaded conversations with your team.
Pages is also known for its awesome set of templates. There are beautiful templates that you can use as a starting point. Its stylizing tools are second-to-none. You can personalize text-styles, stylize fonts, add beautiful graphics, and more to make your project stand out. One lesser-known but one of my favorite features is the audio notes features. I frequently add audio notes to my writing when I am thinking out loud. There are tons of such hidden features in Pages. So, launch it and use it for your next project.
Comes Pre-installed (Mac App Store download link in case you deleted the app)
2. Microsoft Word
Whether or not you like it, Microsoft Word is considered as the standard word processor in academia. There are many reasons for it. First, it has been around for so long that people are just used to it. Second, it’s a powerful word processor so you will not find a missing feature. And finally, it works across platforms (it even has a web version now) so pretty much everyone can access it. If you are used to Microsoft Word and want to continue using it, there’s no harm in it. I also think it has been around for so long that everyone knows the basics of Microsoft Word so there’s no learning curve attached when getting started.
The only major flaw of Microsoft Word is that you can no longer buy it. You have to get it as a part of Office 365 subscription which bundles six apps; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, OneNote, and Outlook. The whole bundle costs $69.99/year which is not cheap. Although, if you are a student, you can probably get it for free from your institute. Also, the slightly less powerful web app is free forever. If pricing is no concern for you, this is the standard word processor that you should get.
Get Microsoft Word: $69.99/year - (Mac App Store Link)
6. Diarly - Best Journal Writing App
Journal writing is personal in nature. And yes you can use any writing app for creating your daily journal. But I prefer to use a separate app that keeps all my journal entries secure. There are many powerful journal writing apps available for Mac and you can choose any of them. My favorite is Diarly. Diarly is a clean and simple journal-writing app for Mac. It allows me to enter journal entries and secure them behind a password. You can add daily entries with automatic date and time stamps. It syncs via iCloud so all your entries are safe in the cloud. It also has a companion iPhone app that comes in handy in many situations.
Many people prefer a much more powerful journal app called, DayOne, and it is our first runner-up choice. But for me, Diarly is better because it provides a cleaner writing environment which helps me jot down my thoughts. Also, it has just the necessary features so I am not bogged down by UI challenges. There’s support for themes, adding images, adding location, markdown formatting, and that’s about it. One of my favorite features of Diarly is that it allows me to create a template. So any time I start a new entry, my template is there for me. I like to start my entry with a few questions about my day and the template thing helps a lot.
Overall, I prefer Diarly because it’s the best replacement for a physical journal. It has all the benefits of a software journal and none of the shenanigans that might turn you off. You can get Diarly for free with limited features or pay $15.99/year to unlock everything. You can also get it as a part of the SetApp subscription that has been a great thing for me as I am a SetApp subscriber.
Get Diarly:Free, $15.99/Year
Best Journal Writing App for Mac - Runner-ups
1. Day One
Day One is an award-winning journal writing app for Mac. If you search for the best journal writing apps, this is what everyone will recommend. That’s because it has been around for a long time and it is powerful. You can add text entries, photo entries, and even record voice entries. It syncs everything across devices. There’s a nice “On this Day” feature that shows you the entry you made on the same date last year. If offers powerful rich-text formatting that people are familiar with and lets you password-protect your journals.
In every way, this is one of the best if not the best journal apps that you can get. That said, I don’t prefer it. There are many reasons for it. Foremost is the UI which I feel is a bit too crowded. I am always ready for extra features but journal writing is hard for me and I need a clean writing environment where my thoughts can flow. I also prefer markdown editing over the rich-text editor. And finally, it’s a bit too costly, coming at $3.99/month or $34.99/year. But if you want all the features like audio notes, book printing, flashbacks, streaks, shareable records, and more, and love the rich-text editor, check it out.
Get Day One:Free, $34.99/year
2. Journey
If you want a journal-writing app that is as powerful as Day One and also works on Windows and Android devices then Journey is the app for you. It even has a Linux and a web app so you can access your journals on any machine. When it comes to features, it has everything and I mean everything. It supports text, audio, and video notes, online sync, multiple journals, mood tracking, reminder, themes, throwback entries, various export options, and more. If features are what you want, look no further than Journey. It’s a powerful journal entry app that works everywhere.
The only thing that I hate about this app is its convoluted pricing system. It’s free with limited features on iOS, Android, and Web but costs $19.99 on the Mac App Store. Then there’s an additional $2.49/month (billed annually) charge if you want to unlock all the features on mobile apps and web and sync the journal across devices. In a way, it’s good that you can pay a onetime fee of $19.99 on Mac and use it forever. But then you will lose the important sync feature that might be a dealbreaker for some users.
Get Journey:$19.99, ($2.4/month - billed annually for sync)
7. Google Docs - Best Real-time Collaboration Writing App
Sometimes we work in an environment where we collaborate with others in real-time. And while both Apple Pages and Microsoft Word have introduced this feature, none work better than Google Docs. Sync on Google Docs is instantaneous, and it never feels that you are waiting for the other person’s work to finish uploading. Also, Google Docs is free to use which makes it great for people on a budget. Functionally, Google Docs nails all the basic features. You have comprehensive formatting options and it supports image and figure insertion.
That being said, it’s nowhere near as powerful as either Word or Pages. But then again, how many of us advanced features on Word and Pages. Most of us use the basic rich-text editing features and for that Google Doc is great. And it wins hands-down in online real-time collaboration. So, if real-time sync is what you need, Google Docs is the best option on the market right now.
Get Google Docs:Free (Login with Google Account required)
Best Real-time Collaboration Writing App for Mac - Runner-UP
Apart from trying out Apple Pages and Microsoft Word, there’s one more app that is quite good at real-time collaboration stuff and that’s Quip.
1. Quip
Quip is not just a writing app but an online document service that gives you access to docs, spreadsheets, slides, in-line chat, and more. In Quip, documents are fluid. For example, you can create a word document and then insert a spreadsheet inside that document. It’s also a hub for all your team communication. You can chat in real-time either by using separate messages or just in-line with documents. It’s a great app, and I have used a lot with my colleagues to collaborate on projects. If you don’t like Google Docs, Word, and Pages, you can try it. It offers a powerful free version so you won’t have to pay money at the start.
Get Quip:Free, starts at $10/month/user
8. Hemingway - Best Grammar Conscious Writing App
For many writers, English is not their first language so they might find it difficult to write good prose. Thankfully, there are several writing apps on the market that can help you improve your grammar. While there’s no substitution to learning the language, these apps can help you out when you are in a pickle. My favorite grammar conscious writing app is Hemingway. It can help you cut down the dead weight in your writing by identifying problems in your prose.
It highlights wordy sentences in yellow and more egregious ones in red. It also highlights adverbs, passive voice, and dull, complicated words. This will give you a chance to fix your writing before you hit that publish button. Talking about publishing, it allows you to publish articles to Medium and WordPress. You can also export to Microsoft Word or in text and PDF formats. You can test it for free on the web and if you like it, you can get it for $19.99.
Get Hemingway:$19.99
Best Grammar Conscious Writing App for Mac - Runner-ups
1. Grammarly
Grammarly is a powerful digital writing tool that uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to parse your text to find grammatical errors. It’s much more powerful than Hemingway when it comes to detecting silly mistakes such as extra space, spelling errors, wrong use of the comma, and more. However, Hemingway is better at suggesting overall structural problems in your writing. You can get the paid version of Grammarly to test out its pro features which claim to identify structural mistakes but it’s too costly.
Pay $29.95/month or $139.95/year to get access to the pro version. To be fair, when you sign up to use the free service they do send you a 50% discount coupon and even three months of free premium from time to time. So you can check out the pro version before you have to pay for it.
Get Grammarly:Free, $29.95/month or $139.95/year
2. ProWritingAid
Another powerful and costly grammar checker is ProWritingAid. What I love about ProWritingAid is that it segments your error in different tabs allowing you to deal with them easily and learn to avoid those mistakes over time. It checks your style, grammar, readability, overused words, use of cliches, and more. I like ProWritingAid a lot. In some instances I prefer it over Grammarly. The reason it’s the second runner-up is two-fold. First and most important is the fact that it’s not a writing app. Yes, you can start your piece in the app but the editor is featureless and you will have a hard time writing in the app.
It is better suited as a grammar checker and not a writing app. Second, the app is costly and comes at $70/year or $240/lifetime. I believe that this app is great for checking grammar but I understand that not everyone can afford it. But if pricing is no concern for you and you already have a primary text-editor and just need a grammar checker, then it might fit your needs.
Get ProWritingAid:Free, $70/year or $240/lifetime
Best Writing Apps for Mac: Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, these are all tools in a writer’s arsenal. And it’s you who will get the writing done. That said, the right tools help a lot. I have created a list of the best writing apps and hope that there is one app for everyone here. If you are looking for specific types of writing apps that are not on the list, let me know by commenting below and I would love to help you out.
On this website, I have covered a ton of paid apps, and that’s because in general, paid apps tend to offer more when compared to free apps. However, that does not mean that there are no good free apps out there. In fact, there are a ton of them. That’s why it is going to be a long article as I am bringing a list of 35 best free apps you can get for your Mac right now. Some of the apps on this list are evergreen and you most probably already have them installed on your device. But some of them are entirely new. Well, at least they are new to me and that’s the beauty of it. No matter, how old an app is, it is new for somebody out there. That said, no matter how avid a Mac user you are, I can bet that you will find new Mac apps in this article that you have never heard of before. So, open your Macs and get ready to download these awesome free Mac apps.
Note: Be sure to read our must-have iPhone apps article to get the best apps for your iPhone in 2020.
Best Free Mac Apps You Should Install in 2020
While most of the apps in this list are free, some of them offer a paid option. That being said, when it comes to paid apps, I have only included those options that offer a generous free tier. I am using free versions of all the apps (that offer paid options) and find them suitable for most users. No app with a free trial or heavily restricted free tier has been included.
1. Audiobook Binder
While you can listen to books in MP3 format, I like the M4B format more as it supports chapters. M4B is also the native format that Apple Books support. If you want to keep your music library separate from the book library, this is the format to use. Audiobook Binder is an app that lets you convert MP3 files into M4B files. It also lets you bind multiple MP3 files into a single M4B file and converts those MP3 files into chapters. You can also add custom book cover and edit book’s metadata including name, author, and narrator. I have been using this app for the past year and a half to listen to public domain audiobooks and lectures and it has never failed me.
Install:Free
2. LastPass
Best Macos Apps For Writers For Kids
Password management is something people ignore. Since passwords are hard to remember and most third-party password managers charge a hefty monthly subscription fee, not everyone is aboard the strong and different password train. To those users, I suggest LastPass. LastPass offers a very generous free tier that allows you to use the software on two different machines. And if you want to use it on more, you can always use its web app that works everywhere. I have been using LastPass for the past two years to manage my passwords and I never had any problem.
Its apps are installed on my primary MacBook Pro (learn MacBook Pro tips and tricks) and my iPhone. Since it supports browser plugins and iPhone’s automatic password fill feature, I never have to type my password or remember them. All my passwords are secure, long, and use an alpha-numeric combination. If you are still using the same password everywhere or setting weak passwords, try out LastPass. It’s free for personal use and you have no excuses not to use it. Its one of the best free Mac apps that you can get.
Install:Free, $3/user/month
3. Brave
While I love Safari and use it for most of my tasks, it’s not perfect and I have to turn to other browsers from time to time. My biggest problem with Safari is its nescient extension library. Safari is also slow to adopt the latest web technologies. I know Apple does this to keep browsing private and secure, but sometimes it causes hindrance in my work. For a long time, I was using Chrome for this work but I hated two things about it. First, Google Chrome is a resource hog and decreases battery life, causes overheating, and several other problems. Second and more importantly, I don’t like sharing my data with Google more than I already do. It was one of the reasons why I switch from Android to iOS several years back.
The solution is the Brave browser. It’s a browser that is built on the same Chromium engine that Google Chrome uses, so you are getting all the features and extension support. But, since the creators focus on privacy, your data is always secure. It brings an automatic tracking blocker and even blocks most of the annoying ads. Since it blocks the most harmful scripts, you get to enjoy a faster internet. Also, in my testing, it’s far better than Google Chrome at handling resources. While it’s not as good as Safari, that’s a trade-off that I am ready to make. If you are also looking for a good Chrome alternative, you should try using the Brave browser.
Install:Free
4. CopyClip
CopyClip is a Mac utility that stores everything you copy in a clipboard. Copy-and-paste is so integral to our work that we cannot even imagine a time when this feature was not available. Still, Mac’s clipboard is probably the most neglected feature in the macOS. Even after so decades, you still cannot hold more than one entry in your clipboard. Enter, CopyClip. It’s a clipboard manager that saves entries into the clipboard. You can use a simple keyboard shortcut to easily copy any item and paste them anywhere you want. CopyClip not only saves text input but also preserves images and documents. While I use “Paste” for my clipboard management as it offers more features, for a free app, CopyClip works exceptionally well.
Install:Free
5. BBEdit
For a long time, it was hard to recommend a good free text editor on Mac. All the good ones were paid, and the free ones were just not up to the mark. Well, after a long hiatus, BBEdit, one of the most exemplary text editors, is back on the Mac App Store. For the past 20 years, BBEdit has been the text editor to beat and now that it’s back on the App Store with a freemium model, you can use it for free. Only the advanced features of BBEdit are hidden behind a paywall and 90% of regular users will not need those features.
Whether you want to write a long blog post, edit snippets of code, design website or web apps, BBEdit is the text editor to use. The best thing about BBEdit is how fast it works. It opens text files with hundreds of thousands of words in seconds and never falters. In my years of using this app, I have not lost even a single line of text. It has a powerful search that lets you locate and find keywords across files. There’s no free text editor out there that can match its prowess.
Install:Free, $49.99
6. NetNewsWire
The death of Google Reader placed a dark cloud over the future of RSS readers. But, if anything, RSS is showing a sign of resurgence in the past year or so. From the launch of acclaimed RSS reader app Reeder 4 to the rebirth of NetNewsWire, RSS readers are becoming popular again. And if you are looking to create a personal news feed, there’s no better app to do it with than NetNewsWire. Built on-top of free and open source reader named Evergreen, NetNewsWire is an excellent feed reader for Mac.
The app makes it easy to subscribe to RSS feeds and brings excellent search capabilities. It also brings a beautiful design and I adore its dark mode. It also supports online feed syncing services such as Feedbin. I still prefer Reeder 4 as it brings more features, but seeing how NetNewsWire is still young and free to use, I cannot fault it. If you are looking for a free RSS reader, you should try NetNewsWire.
Install:Free
7. DaVinci Resolve
While Macs come with a basic video editor for free (iMovie), anyone who is serious about video editing will have to go for the pro video editing apps. The problem with apps like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro is that they cost a lot. If you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars, and still want to use a full-fledged video editor, DaVinci Resolve is the best option for you. Even when I am writing this, I cannot believe that such a capable video editor is free to use.
The latest version of the software, DaVinci Resolve 16 combines professional 8K editing, color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production all in one software tool. Color correction tools of DaVinci Resolve are better than most paid video editors including FCP and Premiere Pro. From custom timeline settings to facial recognition to keyframe editing, it brings all features that you require from a professional video editor. It is one of the best free Mac software that you can install. Free Mac apps don’t get better than this.
Install:Free
8. Folx
Folx is a powerful native download manager for Mac that not only works great but also looks cool. It features a true Mac-style interface and supports both direct and torrent downloads. The app also offers extensions for Safari, Chrome, Opera, and Firefox. The extensions help Folx in catching downloads and thus ensure that you are not using the crappy download manager of your browser. Folx can split downloads into multiple threads resulting in faster downloads and also support download pause and restart. The free version of the app is enough for most users. I was using it for years without any complaints. I only bought the paid version to support the developers. The extra features are nice to have but they have not drastically affected by usage.
Install:Free, $19.99
9. NightOwl
Best Macos Email Clients
macOS Mojave introduced dark mode to our favorite desktop operating system. The dark mode on macOS Mojave is not half-cooked as it is on windows. When you turn on the dark mode on your Mac, not only it turns the system UI but also the stock apps. Not only that, apps that support automatic dark mode also adhere to the same guideline. Once you turn it on, they automatically default to dark mode.
While that's great in most situation, I wish Apple included a way to create a whitelist for apps that are not functional in dark mode. The default Mail app and the Evernote app are a few examples of an app that still work best in light mode. That's where NightOwl comes in. It's a menu bar app that allows you to create a whitelist of apps that you don't want to use in dark mode. Not only that, but it also allows you to quickly switch between dark and light mode with a simple click at its icon. You can read more about the app in our article here. The app is completely free to download and use with a voluntary donation.
Install:NightOwl
10. Unsplash Wallpapers
I want to start this article with an app which I have discovered just a couple of months back and have fallen in love. As its name suggests, Unsplash Wallpapers is a wallpaper app for Mac which gives you access to unlimited ultra-high resolution wallpapers for your Macs. One of the things that I love most about MacBooks is its display. Apple packs phenomenal displays on the Macs. Stop me if it’s just me, but I enjoy changing the wallpapers on a regular basis just because they look so damn beautiful on my Mac’s display.
Before I discovered Unsplash Wallpapers, it used to be a chore to change wallpapers. First, I had to find good wallpapers, then I had to download them, and only then I could use them. With Unsplash Wallpapers app, you can change the wallpaper just with one click. If you like a wallpaper, you can even download it. If you love wallpapers, you are going to love this free Mac app.
Install:Unsplash Wallpapers
11. The Unarchiver
This is one of the first free Mac apps that I download whenever I move on to a new Mac. The app is basically the best unarchiving app you can get for your Mac, free or otherwise. The Unarchiver cannot only unarchive common formats such as Zip, RAR (including v5), 7-zip, Tar, Gzip, and Bzip2, but it can also open formats such as StuffIt, DiskDoubler, LZH, ARJ, ARC, ISO and BIN disc images, Windows.EXE installers and more. Basically, it’s a one-stop solution for all your unarchiving needs.
Install:The Unarchiver
12. Amphetamine
We all know that Macs bring a long battery life and while some of it has to do with Apple’s excellent hardware, most of it is because of how macOS efficiently manages battery. One of the things that macOS does to preserve the battery life on your computer is to put it to sleep whenever you don’t interact with your Mac for a set period of time. While this is really good, sometimes you need to keep your Mac running even if you are not interacting with it. One of the examples that come to mind is when you are downloading a large file. If your Mac falls asleep during the download, it will stop it, and depending on the software that you are using to download the file, you might have to restart the download from the beginning.
Amphetamine solves this problem by allowing users to keep their Macs awake even when they are not doing anything. The app is powerful and allows users to keep their Macs awake for how much ever long they want. Not only that, users can also set triggers to keep their Macs awake. For example, you can tell Amphetamine to not put your Mac to sleep whenever a certain app is running. Lastly, it allows you to easily access all these features as it lives right there in your Mac’s menu bar. It’s one of the most useful apps for Macs and I love it.
Install:Amphetamine
13. GIPHY Capture
Gifs are all the rage today. More and more users are creating and sharing their own gifs. And if you want to be one of them then this is the tool you need. GIPHY Capture is an app that lets you capture and create gifs. Once you launch the app it will create a translucent green window with a capture button at the bottom. All you need to do is to drop the window on top of the video you want to capture and click on the capture button. Once you are done with the recording, click on the record button again to stop the recording. It is probably the easiest way to create gifs on your Mac.
Install:GIPHY Capture
14. Spectacle
Spectacle is one of the apps that I install instantly on a new Mac. Macs are good at many things but one thing that still eludes it is a good window management feature. Apple has not solved the window management problem in the latest macOS Catalina so I guess, we have to wait for one more year. In fact, the window management problem has become even worse in macOS Catalina in my opinion. If you are also fed up of Apple's native approach towards window management, you should Install Spectacle.
This is a simple menu bar app that allows you to easily resize and place windows with keyboard commands. I can easily set a window to either half of the display both vertically and horizontally, make it go full screen, snap it to the center, and more. Once you install this app, your window management workflow will become ten times faster.
Install:Spectacle
15. ImageOptim
ImageOptim is one of the most used free Mac apps on my MacBook Pro. In my line of work, I have to attach a ton of screenshots (like in this article). And before I upload any picture on my website, I pass it through ImageOptim. The app deletes all the unnecessary metadata such as GPS position and camera's serial number and compresses the image. This allows me to upload the image on the web without any privacy hazards and ensures that the file sizes are low.
The app is pretty easy to use. You just drag and drop images into its window and then click on the button at the bottom-right corner. If you share a ton of images on the web (whether on your blog or social media websites like Twitter and Facebook), it will be good for you to pass it through ImageOptim first. I have used paid image compression apps but nothing has been as good and as easy to use as ImageOptim.
Install:ImageOptim
16. Alfred 4
Alfred is an all-purpose tool for your Mac which can boost your productivity ten folds if you learn how to use it. Of course, there’s a learning curve to this app, but if you invest in it, it will pay you back. Alfred allows you to quickly launch apps, use text expansion snippets, search on the Mac and web, use hotkeys and keywords, and much more. Alfred used to be a paid app, but the developers were kind enough to release the app for free. There are add-on power packs that you can buy, to use cool features like Alfred workflows. But, for most normal users, the free app itself is enough to boost their productivity.
Install:Alfred 4
17. Pocket
Pocket is a popular read it later service which allows you to save articles offline so that you can read them later. I mostly browse for articles on my Mac and whenever I find something that I would want to read, I just save it in Pocket. Pocket has an excellent Safari extension that allows me to save articles and read them later. Since Pocket syncs across devices, all my saved articles are automatically synced to my iPhone where I can read them at my will. Recently, I have also started using Pocket as a research tool. Since Pocket allows me to organize saved articles using tags, I just tag the items I am using for research so that I can find them easily later.
Install:Pocket
18. Spark
Spark is my most favorite free app on Mac. For those who don’t know, Spark is an email client for Mac. I love spark because it intelligently categorizes all the emails that I receive into different categories, giving me access to the most important emails first. It also has a very robust set of features. I can easily snooze, archive, delete, and tag emails. I also love the fact that it allows me easily search for emails using natural language search. I can also search for emails based on attachments, and more. Lastly, Spark also has apps for both iOS and watchOS so no matter which device I am on, I can user Sparks to get through all my emails.
Install:Spark
19. GIMP
GIMP or GNU Image Manipulation Program is an open source photo editor for Mac which packs so many features that you won’t be able to discover all of them in your lifetime. It is basically Photoshop but free. You can use GIMP to perform any kind of image manipulation that you can think of. That said, since it packs so many features, GIMP also has a pretty steep learning curve. Also, being a free an open-source project, its user interface is not very intuitive and feels archaic. That’s why I recommend GIMP only to those users who need a robust photo editing software but cannot afford to buy one.
Install:GIMP
20. DarkTable
As per the description of the app on its website, 'DarkTable is an open source photography workflow application and raw developer. A virtual light-table and darkroom for photographers. It manages your digital negatives in a database, lets you view them through a zoomable light-table, and enables you to develop raw images and enhance them'.
Basically, it is super powerful photo editing app for Mac that allows you to use pro-level photo editing features for free. You are required to learn the app as it has a steep learning curve but once you get used to it, you won't go back to even the best-paid photo editing apps on the market. This one is definitely one of the free Mac apps that you can download in 2019.
Install:DarkTable
21. Simplenote
Simplenote is one of the best designed free Mac apps you can find. As its name suggests, Simplenote is an easy note taking app which allows you to easily jot down notes. What I love about this app is that even though it is completely free, your notes are synced across devices. Apart from its online sync features, I am also a fan of its clean user interface. Simplenote is also a really good app for someone who is looking for a clean app to write long-form content. You can use tags to organize notes easily and search for them using either their title, content, or tags. I have been using this app for quite a few years and I still don’t understand how it’s free. If you love writing, you will love Simplenote.
Install:Simplenote
22. Itsycal
Itsycal is an open source small menu bar calendar application for Mac. If you like Fantastical 2 for Mac, but hate that it’s priced so high, Itsycal is for you. Although Itsycal is nowhere as powerful as Fantastical 2, it brings all the basic features that you would want from a menu bar based calendar app. It shows you month view of your calendar, your upcoming events, and also allows you to create or delete events. I also love the fact that I can configure Itsycal to show not only the date but also the month and the day in the menu bar icon itself. It’s a good menu bar application and a must have for anyone who schedules everything on their calendar.
Install:Itsycal
23. Audacity
Audacity is one of those free Mac apps that is even better than most of the paid apps out there. For those who don’t know, Audacity is an audio editor app for your Mac (available for Windows PC too). If you are someone who deals with a ton of audio, you must have already heard about this software. If you have not, you probably don’t need it. Still, it’s such a good app that I couldn’t keep it away from the list. Just remember that if you ever need to edit an audio file to make it better, Audacity is the tool to do it.
Install:Audacity
24. Lightworks
Lightworks is a full-fledged video editing app which gives you access to all the tools that you will need to get your video editing on. To be fair, Lightworks also sell a Pro version of the app, however, the free version is powerful enough to handle most of the tasks. Whether you are a budding YouTuber or someone who just want to give an edge to their homemade videos, Lightworks is the right tool for you. What I love most about this app is that the website gives you ample tutorial videos to get you started. If by any chance you were looking for a free video editing software, look no further and download Lightworks.
Install:Lightworks
25. HiddenMe
HiddenMe is a small menu bar app which comes in very handy at times when you want to show a clean desktop without having to organize your stuff. The app lives in your menu bar and allows you to do one thing and one thing only, and that’s hiding everything on your desktop. With a click of the button, everything that’s on your desktop is hidden, giving you access to a clean desktop. I constantly use this app whenever I am giving a presentation or taking screenshots of my desktop for an article. This small application has saved me from embarrassing myself a number of times and it can do that for you too.
Install:HiddenMe
26. AppCleaner
Do you know that whenever you delete an app on your Mac, it leaves behind a ton of residual files which does nothing but eating up storage on your Mac? Well, it’s true and if you install and uninstall a ton of apps, you might have lost gigabytes of storage already. While there’s another app on this list which (Onyx) which can help you recover that storage, AppCleaner is an app which makes sure that the apps you delete don’t leave any residual files. Just launch the app and drag and drop the apps that you want to uninstall and it will take care of the rest. It is a must-have utility tool for any Mac user who wants to keep their Mac clean.
Install:AppCleaner
27. LiteIcon
LiteIcon is the app from the same developers who made the AppCleaner. It is a simple app which allows you to change your system icons quickly and easily. Simply drag an icon onto the one you want to change, and click the Apply Changes button. That's all you need to do. If you want your older icon back, just drag out the new icon. If you like to customize how your icons look on Mac, try out LiteIcon.
Install:LiteIcon
28. GrandPerspective
I have written about GrandPerspective a couple of times on this website and you might be familiar with it by now. For those who are new to our website, it’s an app which allows you to visualize storage on your Mac. Using GrandPerspective you can easily find out which files are using how much storage and find and delete the files which are not necessary. GrandPerspective is a very nice app for anyone who doesn’t have any idea as to where all his/her Mac’s storage went.
Install:GrandPerspective
29. Manuscript
Manuscript is a free Mac writing app for students which makes writing school assignments including dissertation easier. Manuscript is a powerful writing app which allows students to complete their assignments right from the planning stage to completing it. It lets students easily insert citations, figures, tables, mathematical equations, and more. The app also allows for importation of citations from various tools including Mendeley, Zotero, Papers 3, Bookends, and EndNote. If you are a student who is looking for a good writing app, you don’t have to look any farther than Manuscript.
Install:Manuscript
30. IINA
IINA is an open-source video player for your Mac which offers one of the best amalgamations of features and user interface. The app looks extremely beautiful and supports all the modern features including force touch, picture-in-picture, and even offers Touch-bar controls for the latest MacBook Pros. IINA also supports almost all the video formats that you can think of, including the ability to play even GIFs. The app also comes with theming capabilities allowing you to use either light or dark themes. I have discovered this app just a few weeks back and I am already in love with it. If you consume a ton of media on your MacBook Pro, this is the right app for you.
Install:IINA
31. OnyX
OnyX is your one-stop solution for all your Mac’s maintenance needs. In fact, I cannot describe the app better and more succinctly than what’s written on its website. OnyX is a multifunction utility that you can use to verify the structure of the system files, to run miscellaneous maintenance and cleaning tasks, to configure parameters in the Finder, Dock, Safari, and some of Apple's applications, to delete caches, to remove certain problematic folders and files, to rebuild various databases and indexes, and more. However, do remember that it is an advanced tool and hence before you do anything, make sure that you get familiar with the app as you don’t want to delete files which can corrupt your entire system.
Install:Onyx
32. SpotMenu
The last app on our list the SpotMenu app which is a nifty little menu bar application. The app basically allows you to control your iTunes and Spotify music player from the menu bar giving you access to controls such as play, pause, forward, and rewind. It’s a pretty basic application, however, it does come in handy. One thing that I like about the app is that it shows the name of the song that is currently playing right on your Mac’s menu bar. When you click on the icon, the drop-down window which harbors all the features also showcase the album art of the song that you are playing.
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Install:SpotMenu
33. White Noise Lite
White Noise Lite is an app that helps you sleep better. If you are a light sleeper who wakes up multiple times in the night without any apparent reason then this app can help you sleep better. It brings fifty different HD quality ambient environment noises to help you sleep. The app brings a beautiful cover flow design which lets you easily swipe between cards to select different tasks. Although the app markets itself as a sleep enhancer, I mostly use to provide background music when I am working as it helps me concentrate. You should download this app right now and see if it helps you sleep better or work better. Whatever the result, you will be better off with this one in your arsenal.
Install:White Noise Lite
34. Shazam
Shazam is an app that needs no introduction. The app helps you discover songs by identifying whatever song is playing in the background. I personally use Shazam more as a tool to keep the list of songs that I have discovered. Suppose I am listening to a song and YouTube and want to save it. I just click on the menu bar icon of Shazam and it identifies the song and saves it on the list. I don't have to write it down anywhere. Later I can see the list and add to my Apple Music Playlist at my convenience. Shazam is a great app for discovering and keeping track of music that you like.
Install:Shazam
Best Macos Software
35. Muzzy
You know how when you accidentally yank headphones out of your iPhone, the music suddenly stops, well, Muzzy brings that functionality to your Mac. The app also does a lot of other things like allowing users to play, pause, and change the music from its menu bar app, integrates with Last.fm, shows songs lyrics, and more. However, I don’t care for any other features and I just use this app to stop music whenever I accidentally yank my headphones out. Sadly, the app only works if you are playing music through iTunes.
Install:Muzzy
Best Free macOS Apps: Final Thoughts
I hope that you found some apps which are useful to you. Do let me know which of these were your favorite and which ones you discovered. Also, if you know free apps that deserve to be on the list but aren’t, drop their names in the comments section. That’s all I have for this article. If you liked this article, share this on your social media profiles because we need your help to get the word out. As always, drop your opinions and suggestions in the comments section down below. We love to hear from our readers and your comments are always welcome.