Whether for school, work, or your writing, chances are you've use Microsoft Word one time or another. Microsoft created the program to be one of the first word processors ever and it still remains extremely popular. However, it's certainly not for everyone. Whether it’s because of its hefty price tag, somewhat boring and confusing layout, or you’re simply looking for a change of pace, there are many alternatives to Microsoft Word. We’ve compiled a list of both paid and free options as well as our experiences with them.
Price: $49
Platforms: macOS, Windows, iOS
Scrivener is one of the most well known word processing programs in the writing community. Its company, Literature and Latte, often sponsors Nanowrimo and provides a discount code for Scrivener for participants and winners. Scrivener was made specifically for writing books. The program lets you directly export documents as an .epub or Kindle file-- amazingly useful for those self-publishing. It has many useful features for writers including a binder that lets you divide chapters into folders as well as a corkboard mode that lets you organize scenes, characters, and ideas with index cards that can be dragged around the screen. This was by far our favorite feature as it was visually useful to see our scenes and characters in this format. Another feature that we liked was the project targets, which lets writers set goals and deadlines for their work. Whether you set a goal to finish your manuscript by the end of the year or to write 10,000 words in a day, the project targets feature has you covered.
Price: Free
Platforms: web application
Google Docs is certainly one of the most easily accessible word processing programs out there. Not only is it free, but Google Docs can be accessed anywhere as long as you have an internet browser and a Google account. While it doesn't have as many features as the other options on this list, Google Docs provides a lot of something that is free. Our favorite feature is its sharing tool. Google Docs makes it incredibly easy to share your work with beta readers or writer friends. It even has a commenting and suggesting feature which lets viewers fix those pesky grammatical errors with a few clicks.
Price: Free
Platforms: macOS, iOS
Apple Pages is a great, free tool for writers on Apple products. It provides the essentials of a word processing program with some special tools specifically for writers. This includes book templates that includes layout, placeholder text, and free images. Apple Pages is also compatible with the Apple Pencil, which is handy for people that would like to handwrite annotations on their document. The program also lets writers save their documents as an .epub and even export directly to Apple Books.
Price: $5.99/month
Platforms: macOS, iOS
Ulysses is another app for Apple users. It has a minimalist and sleek design for those looking for a distraction free program. Ulysses is a program dedicated to writers and has the features to prove it. Ulysses automatically formats your work depending on what you're writing using markdown. If you don't know what Markdown is, Ulysses provides a cheat sheet and tutorial. Like Scrivener, it lets you sort chapters by tabs, make groups, and set goals. Ulysses also has a dark mode, distraction-free mode, and typewriter mode-- for those that want to pretend their a writer in the roaring 20's.
Price: Free Planform: Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X
Platforms: Focus Writer is a word program dedicated to giving writers a distraction-free environment. It has no frills, focusing on one task: writing. Those on a crunch-deadline will enjoy the timer and daily progress tracker.
Price: Free (personal)
Platform: macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS
Notion is one of the newer apps that has grown in popularity. Though it can be overwhelming, Notion is extremely useful. This app can do it all with templates for journal entries, tasks, books, and more. You could keep everything you need in this app from character sheets to a manuscript. Notion is also extremely versatile letting you format anything from blog posts to novels. Documents can be separated into files and tabs for organization. The program offers offline support but will sync your work once you're online letting you keep your manuscript up to date on all your devices.
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