Best Writing Apps in 2026
Updated
In short: Celtx is ranked #1 of 135 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of WriterDuet and Campfire. The best-ranked option with a free plan is WriterDuet. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Story Architect at $4.17/mo.
Choosing a writing app often comes down to how you draft, revise and handle finished work. Compare export formats and publishing tools, as well as version history and offline mode for managing your writing over time. Mobile apps may matter if you work across devices, while real-time collaboration can suit shared projects. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing offer cost details to weigh. Celtx, WriterDuet and Campfire are among the listed apps. Consider which of these features fit your writing process, whether you work independently or with others and how you want to share or publish your work.
135 writing apps ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
25 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CeltxWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone · Extension | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $11.24/mo | 8.3 | |
| 2 | WriterDuetWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 8.2 | |
| 3 | CampfireWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $19/mo | 8.0 | |
| 4 | LyXWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.9 | |
| 5 | SubstackWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.9 | |
| 6 | Story ArchitectWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $4.17/mo | 7.8 | |
| 7 | OverleafWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 7.7 | |
| 8 | Write.asSelf-hosted | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | $6/mo | 7.7 | |
| 9 | HackMDWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $5/mo | 7.7 | |
| 10 | HashnodeWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $4.17/mo | 7.7 | |
| 11 | HedgeDocWeb · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 7.7 | |
| 12 | TeXstudioWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.6 | |
| 13 | PendraicWeb · Windows · Mac | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $14.99/mo | 7.6 | |
| 14 | CurvenoteWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $9/mo | 7.6 | |
| 15 | NovlrWeb · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $8/mo | 7.6 | |
| 16 | Arc Studio ProWindows · Mac · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $5.75/mo | 7.5 | |
| 17 | DramaQueenWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $11.90/mo | 7.5 | |
| 18 | TypstWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $7.99/mo | 7.5 | |
| 19 | Tolstoy ComposeWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | £5/mo | 7.5 | |
| 20 | ButtondownWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $9/mo | 7.4 | |
| 21 | SquiblerWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $29.99/mo | 7.4 | |
| 22 | SciFlowWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 7.4 | |
| 23 | LastslateWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $10/mo | 7.4 | |
| 24 | LivingWriterWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 7.4 | |
| 25 | CalliopeWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | €8.25/mo | 7.3 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Publishing tools | Real-time collaboration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtx | 8.3 | Free plan | $11.24/mo | Yes | $11.24/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | WriterDuet | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Campfire | 8.0 | Free plan | $19/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | LyX | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | Substack | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | Story Architect | 7.8 | Free plan | $4.17/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | Overleaf | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | Write.as | 7.7 | Free plan | $6/mo | Yes | $6/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | HackMD | 7.7 | Free plan | $5/mo | Yes | $5/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | Hashnode | 7.7 | Free plan | $4.17/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 11 | HedgeDoc | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | TeXstudio | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | Pendraic | 7.6 | Free plan | $14.99/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 14 | Curvenote | 7.6 | Free plan | $9/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Novlr | 7.6 | Free plan | $8/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 16 | Arc Studio Pro | 7.5 | Free plan | $5.75/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | DramaQueen | 7.5 | Free plan | $11.90/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 18 | Typst | 7.5 | Free plan | $7.99/mo | Yes | $7.99/user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 19 | Tolstoy Compose | 7.5 | Free plan | £5/mo | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 20 | Buttondown | 7.4 | Free plan | $9/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | Squibler | 7.4 | Free plan | $29.99/mo | Yes | $29.99/user/mo | — | — |
| 22 | SciFlow | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 23 | Lastslate | 7.4 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | $15/user/mo | — | Yes |
| 24 | LivingWriter | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 25 | Calliope | 7.3 | Free plan | €8.25/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which writing app is ranked first on Freedom251?
Celtx is ranked #1 of 135 with a score of 8.3. WriterDuet is second and Campfire third.
How many of these have a free plan?
25 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Story Architect has the lowest first paid tier we found: $4.17/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.