29 Best Free Writing Software (With Quick Review)

Want the best free writing software for your writing projects? 

We’ve compiled an excellent list for you in this article!

Whether you are a newbie or professional writer, student, or novelist—The Exquisite Writer presents the most sought-after software to ace your writing. 

And guess what? You won’t spend a dime to get even the most powerful writing software mentioned in this article. 

Now, let’s start on a quick ride—examine the 29 best free writing software tools to get your writing faster and more efficiently!

29 Best Free Writing Software Tools (With Quick Overview)

Here are the best free writing software you can choose from:

1. Google Docs

Google Docs—a cloud-based word processor—is perfect for writing anywhere, anytime. 

Google Docs autosaves every keystroke, allowing multiple users to edit or comment on a document in real-time.

Unique Highlights

• It comes with Add-ons for AI writing, citation, and productivity (like EasyBib, Grammarly, or Word Tune).
• Voice typing is built-in for writers who love hands-free drafting.
• Offline mode that works perfectly with Chrome extension.

2. LibreOffice Writer

This free software brings the power of traditional desktop word processing at no cost. 

It processes everything from simple documents to complex formatting like footnotes, tables, and bibliographies.

Unique Highlights

• It supports export to PDF coupled with built-in options like watermarking.
• It can open legacy Microsoft Word formats (.doc, .docx, .rtf) without ruining the layout.
• It comes with templates for books, resumes, and reports.

3. Hemingway Editor

This excellent writing software lets you write with a punch and a clear purpose. 

Hemingway Editor doesn’t just fix grammar—it keeps your writing easier and bolder by flagging complexity and fluff. 

Unique Highlights

• Offers writers a readability grade level (ideal for marketers and bloggers).
• Suggests simple alternatives to overused or long words.
• The web version is free. 

4. FocusWriter

FocusWriter allows writers to write more by showing you less. 

It offers a spotless slate—no tabs or menus, just your words. 

It’s ideal for poets, authors, or anyone desiring to block distractions.

Unique Highlights

• You can track daily goals with time targets or word count.
• It comes with fully customizable themes (You can establish your cinematic or cozy vibe).
• A portable version is available. It can be run from a USB stick without installation.

5. Zettlr

Zettlr effortlessly combines writing, organization, and research into one open-source tool. 

It’s identical to Evernote and Scrivener—but faster, lighter, and free.

Unique Highlights

• You can enjoy seamless citations since they integrate with reference managers like Zotero. 
• Supports LaTeX for exporting to multiple formats and academic writing. 
• Comes with tagging and search tools that make managing large projects pretty cool.

6. Notion

Notion is a dynamic, all-in-one writing, organizing, and planning platform. 

Writers utilize this for everything—from drafting articles to handling editorial calendars. 

Its flexibility allows you to turn pages into outlines, databases, kanban boards, or to-do lists.

Unique Highlights

• Drag-and-drop writing blocks allow for the smooth organization of large projects.
• Packed with free community templates for blogging, novel plotting, and journaling.
• Shareable permissions and workspaces—perfect for co-writers and teams.

7. Manuskript

This software is an open-source tool that’s built explicitly for long-form storytellers and novelists. 

With this software, you can easily break your book into chapters, scenes, characters, and timelines—making it easy to structure complex stories.

Unique Highlights

• It comes with a snowflake outlining method. 
• Packed with detailed character profiles with some backstory fields.
• A distraction-free editor paired with a sidebar for easy scene navigation.

8. Grammarly

Grammarly is paid, right…So, why is it here, you might wonder? 

Well, it has a free version—rightly, it should be here! 

Grammarly is a reliable digital writing assistant that checks grammar, spelling, and basic clarity in real-time. 

It works well across Google Docs, most websites, and even emails.

Unique Highlights

• Detects tone—formal, friendly, or more to keep your audience in mind. 
• It suggests better punctuation and word choices.
• You will get weekly performance reports that will help you improve over time.

9. Reedsy Book Editor

The software is designed for authors seeking to export and format a professional-looking manuscript.

It’s intuitive, elegant, and entirely free.

Unique Highlights

• It has automatic chapter formatting, front matter, and table of contents.
• You can export to EPUB or get a PDF in a single click.
• You can enjoy collaborative editing with professional typesetting features.

10. JotterPad

Want a beautifully minimalist writing app for your Android phone? 

Go the JotterPad route! 

This free software for writers supports dark mode, Markdown, and cloud syncing—features that let you write on the go without distractions.

Unique Highlights

• It has a built-in thesaurus and a search tool for creative writing.
• It works offline and can be synchronized later via Dropbox or Google Drive. 
• You can enjoy custom fonts for a clean, focused feel.

11. Scribus

It’s a free desktop publishing tool that allows writers to design print-ready materials such as magazines, books, flyers, and brochures. 

It offers professional layout control for people needing more than just text.

Unique Highlights

• It supports blend marks for print publishers, PDF/X-3 export, CMYK colors, and bleed marks for print publishers.
• It offers image frames, text styles, and specific typography tools.
• Great for self-publishers who want to design book covers and interiors.

12. Calmly Writer

The name fits it! Calmly Writer is designed to focus—stay calm. 

It hides formatting tools until needed, keeping your screen distraction-free and clean. 

Unique Highlights

• Comes with a “Focus Mode” that highlights just the page you’re working on.
• Comes with auto-saving and cloud backup via Google Drive.
• It’s lightweight and runs smoothly even on older browsers and computers.

13. Typora

This is a sleek markdown editor designed with a live preview.

It combines the simplicity of plain text with the impressive power of formatting. 

It’s ideal for developers, bloggers, and writers who appreciate clean, fast interfaces.

Unique Highlights

• Live preview saves you the stress of separate writing/editing windows.
• Comes with code blocks, table creation, math (LaTeX), and footnotes.
• Custom CSS and themes for personalized writing aesthetics.

14. yWriter

Writer is designed to help you break your novel into chapters and scenes so you can rewrite, organize, and track progress.

Unique Highlights

• Easily drag and drop scenes between chapters as your plot expands and evolves.
• It keeps character goals, notes, and settings organized in tabs.
• It has project stats to track daily pacing and word count.

15. Trelby

Trelby is an open-source screenwriting software. 

It is automatically designed to format your script to meet the industry’s standards. 

Its clean speed and layout make it a favorite among many screenwriters.

Unique Highlights

• Allows auto-completion of scene settings and character names.
• It comes with a built-in screenplay comparison tool that excels for draft revisions.
• Exports to Fountain, PDF, and Final draft formats. 

16. Draft

Draft stands as a minimalist, cloud-based writing tool! It’s effective for collaboration. 

Draft can come in handy if you desire clean formatting and the ability to keep track of every change across drafts—now that sounds sweet! 

Unique Highlights

• It has a built-in version history that allows you to reject/accept edits like Git for writing.
• You can collaborate with other writers or editors without overwriting your original draft.
• It’s packed with Ask a Professional Editor and Hemingway Mode and integrates with Evernote, Dropbox, and Google Drive.

17. WriteMonkey

This software is a full-screen writing app for Windows. 

It smartly strips away everything but keeps your words. 

It is designed for focused, distraction-free writing. 

It also supports custom plug-ins and Markdown. 

Unique Highlights

• It has progress bars and a Pomodoro timer for focused writing sessions.
• Themes, customizable sounds, and typewriter scrolling.
• It’s lightweight and runs entirely from a USB stick. 

18. Bear 

Bear is another win for Apple users! 

It’s a beautifully designed note-taking and writing app tailored to Apple users. 

With cross-note linking and elegant markdown support, Bear can help with journaling, building content systems, and note-taking.

Unique Highlights

• It comes with nested tags and Hashtags for easy organization.
• You can export to DOCX, PDF, HTML, and lots more.
• It has a gorgeous UI and a library of custom themes, and it syncs across Apple devices via iCloud.

19. Quoll Writer

This distraction-free fiction writing tool is designed for novelists. 

This tool’s beauty organizes your writing into chapters, scenes, locations, and characters.

That way, it makes complex storylines easier and smoother to manage.

Unique Highlights

• You can track characters, develop arcs in real time, and plot threads.
• It comes with readability scores, writing statistics, and word usage analysis.
• You can autosave locally and get password protection for sensitive projects.

20. SmartEdit Writer

As the name implies, this is an innovative editing tool built into a traditional word processor. 

It’s best for fiction writers who wish to fine-tune their manuscripts using real data. 

Unique Highlights

• Finds repeated clichés, words, adverbs, and dialogue tags.
• You can enjoy side-by-side editing of chapters and scenes.
• It combines writing, editing, and organizing under one roof—no need to export any part. 

21. Evernote (Free Plan)

This is undoubtedly a free note-taking powerhouse that helps writers collect outlines, ideas, and research in one place. 

You can organize a content plan by jotting down story prompts. It’s accessible across all your devices.

Unique Highlights

• Web Clipper allows you to save images, articles, and PDFs directly from the browser.
• It has a powerful search, allowing you to find text inside scanned notes and images. 
• It comes with tags and notebooks that make organizing long-term writing projects smooth.

22. Zoho Writer

Zoho Writer is a cloud-based word processor with real-time collaboration and AI-powered writing tools.

It is sleek and offers online and offline modes and supports Word files seamlessly.

Unique Highlights

• Helps with style, grammar, and readability.
• It comes with built-in e-signing and publishing features perfect for professional documents.
• You can work offline and sync later—It’s great for poor connections and travel writing. 

23. Bibisco

Bibisco’s Free Plan is a fiction writing program that enables deep focus on plot structure and characters. 

Designed for novelists, it’s great for shaping detailed settings, believable characters, and strong story arcs.

Unique Highlights

• It’s packed with chapter-by-chapter goal setting and conflict tracking.
• Exports to DOCX and PDF, and can generate printable manuscripts.

24. Ink Editor

This AI-powered writing assistant is designed to improve clarity, grammar, and tone. 

It’s perfect for marketers, blog writers, and professionals who want a clean, polished copy.

Unique Highlights

• Advanced tone scoring and readability.
• SEO writing suggestions (excellent for content creators).
• Desktop web and app versions available for flexibility.

25. OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook great for outlining, brainstorming, and organizing big writing projects. 

With OneNote you can clip ideas from the web, sketch story maps, or record voice notes—all in one place.

Unique Highlights

• It comes with page templates for planning, research, or character profiles.
• It has handwriting recognition for touchscreen or stylus users.
• Cross-platform sync across Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and the web.

26. Atom + Markdown Plugins

Atom is a hackable text editor designed by GitHub. 

With its Markdown plugins, Atom has become a powerful hybrid space for coding and writing. 

This software is ideal for dev bloggers, technical writers, or writers who love working in plain text.

Unique Highlights

• Syntax highlighting and live preview for Markdown.
• Comes with extensions like markdown-writer and more to enhance workflow.
• Collaborative editing via Teletype.

27. Wattpad (Writer Studio)

This web-based platform allows writers to write, edit, and publish content for a global audience. 

It’s famous among young adults, sci-fi writers, and romance writers looking to build an online fanbase.

Unique Highlights

• Built-in audience tools: Comments, likes, and reader feedback.
• It’s mobile-friendly for writing and publishing on the move.
• You can get noticed for Wattpad’s Paid Stories or film/TV adaptation programs.

28. Milanote

Milanote is a visual writing and brainstorming board.

It blends images, links, text, and lists in one flexible space. 

It is excellent for screenplays, planning books, or complex content strategies.

Unique Highlights

It has drag-and-drop cards for characters, scenes, research, and inspiration.

You can upload images and videos directly into your planning board.

It is perfect for writers or visual thinkers who storyboard their ideas.

29. ZenPen

ZenPen is renowned as an ultra-minimal online writing tool 

It opens in browsers and lets writers focus solely on writing. 

There is no cutter or log-in—just clean space and words.

Unique Highlights

• With one click, it has toggle light/dark mode, fullscreen, and word count.
• It supports basic formatting like italic, bold, and blockquote.
• It is perfect for quick journaling, idea dumps, or distraction-free writing.

Final Thoughts

There you go with the best free writing software. 

An exciting thing about these writing softwares is that they have features that make writing easy for both skilled and newbie writers.

After these quick reviews, which comes first on your list? Which of these writing apps are you willing to try? 

Let’s know in the comment section. 

Excitedly, you’d be surprised to find that one of the team members at The Exquisite Writers uses a similar app with you!