Word processors for writers

Writing a book isn’t easy. It takes time, dedication, and consistency. Even the most prolific authors struggle now and then with writer’s block or another version of “life getting in the way.” Which is why, at one point or another, we’ve all had the same thought: “There must be a way to make this process easier.” And that’s how, sooner or later, writers end up going down a software rabbit hole, analyzing the tool that’s right in front of our faces for hours upon hours each day: our word processor.

So how do you choose the best word processor for writers?

First, a quick disclaimer. One of the perks of writing is its low barrier to entry. You have all the tools you need to do it, right now. Whether you have a desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or occasional access to a library computer, you have everything you need to start writing. Heck, a simple legal pad and pen will do the trick.

But some tools make writing more manageable than others. In this post, we’ll look at the most popular word processors for writers and break down the pros and cons of each.

Some cost money, and others are free. Some come with lots of bells and whistles, and others are bare-bones. Is paid software worth the investment, or should you use a free tool? 

Only you can decide which word processor will work best for you. And although some tools can make certain aspects of writing easier, full disclosure: writing will always be hard—at least for most of us. Even the best software in the world can’t create your magnum opus for you. But it can make the process a little easier.

Scrivener: $49

Scrivener is one of the best-known word processors on the market, at least among writers. Unlike more generic tools like MS Word, it was created specifically for writers. Other word processors like Word and Google Docs are used by everyone: students, lawyers, teachers, businesspeople, etc. But Scrivener was created with writers in mind.

So what can it do that other word processors can’t? 

• Helps with plotting
• Two outlining features: standard and corkboard
• Easy drag and drop to move sections around
• A collection of templates specific to writers (ex: character, setting, front matter, and back matter)
• A distraction-free full-screen mode
• A side panel to store notes, bookmarked websites, and documents related to your book

The organization is a significant selling point, too. Instead of keeping everything in one giant file (or lots of disjointed smaller files), Scrivener makes it easy to create multiple sub-files to organize and outline a writing project. On the corkboard, you can view chapters or scenes as index cards, making them easy to reorder by dragging and dropping.

Some writers swear Scrivener makes them more productive. (You can create word count goals and track your daily progress to stay on target.) Others simply enjoy transitioning to a tool they don’t use for any other type of work.

However, there are some cons—namely, the learning curve. Any software with a robust suite of tools must be learned, unlike the old standbys you can just pick up and use. If you enjoy learning new software, great! But if feeling your way around a tool will slow you down, Scrivener might be more trouble than it’s worth. 

Also, collaboration isn’t easy on Scrivener. Many writers with co-authors will write solo in Scrivener and then use Google Docs for the collaborative portion of a project.

Pros of Scrivener:

• Created for large book-writing projects
• Zoom out for a high-level view of your book’s structure
• Stay productive with project targets and built-in deadlines, plus a pared-down full-screen view for maximum focus

Cons of Scrivener:

• Steep learning curve
• Some features feel overly complicated
• Syncing is via Dropbox, which isn’t seamless
• Tricky to collaborate

Vellum: $199

Vellum is the priciest word processor on our list, but that’s because it functions more like a word processor and a service rolled into one. 

Exporting your word file into ePub format isn’t hard. Scrivener, Word, Pages, and even Google Docs can do it. The problem is, they probably won’t render very well in an e-reader without help. There’s an entire industry based on supporting authors trying to format their ebooks—that’s how difficult it can be to turn a text file into a professional-looking self-published book.

Enter Vellum, which makes beautiful books. 

In under an hour, you can get your book ready for the public eye. The previewer tool lets you see how each formatting change or edit will appear on any major e-reader: Kindle, Fire, iPhone, Nook, Kobo, etc. It also has stripped-down, option-based formatting—perfect for designing either ebooks or print books. (Print comes with an upgraded price tag, though.) 

Vellum is easy and intuitive to use, especially considering its range. It makes beautiful styling easy and could save you from hiring someone to format your book before publication.

On the con side, there’s the price. Vellum isn’t for the faint of heart. Also, there are limited styles available, so you’re subject to their styling options.

Pros of Vellum:

• Makes formatting and styling easy
• Exports to MOBI

Cons of Vellum:

• Expensive
• Lacks some in-built writing features that authors expect, like a collaboration tool 

Microsoft Word: $160 flat fee, or $70/year for Microsoft 365 

MS Word is world-famous. You’ve probably used it many times, and if you don’t love it, you likely know it well enough to accept its flaws. 

Word boasts many capabilities modern humans have come to rely upon, like a built-in grammar and spell-checker as well as a multitude of formatting and file transfer options. It’s even branched into cloud-based collaboration capabilities to keep pace with Google Docs, though the process doesn’t work nearly as smoothly. Word is the go-to word processor for many of us—and while it isn’t free, it probably came stock with your operating system if you’re on a PC.

However, Word is also the preferred word processor of the business world. Meaning that most of us have used it in our day jobs, or use it today to do non-creative work. Opening up the same tool to work on your novel could make it tough to transition your headspace, as our own Kevin Tumlinson has pointed out. He prefers Scrivener over Word, not because of Word’s functionality, but because it’s so ubiquitous that he finds it hard to get into a writerly frame of mind when he’s using it.

One complaint many authors share is that Word has more features than it needs. It can be tricky to hunt down a relatively simple function, which is why some writers prefer Google Docs, which offers pared-down functionality.

Another con of Word is online use. There is a web-based version and an app, but the lack of functionality in these versions gets frustrating quickly. And if you stick to the desktop version, files can become slow to load as your book grows. Word wasn’t designed for large book projects, either, so you’ll need to develop a naming hierarchy and organizational system on your own.

Pros of Microsoft Word:

• Ubiquitous enough that you probably already know how to use it
• Full-featured Word processor

Cons of Microsoft Word:

• Collaboration tools aren’t as robust as others
• Online and app-based user experience is very limited
• Too full-featured for many

Pages: Free (for iOS users)

Pages is Mac’s answer to Word. Like most Mac software, it’s better than its MS counterpart from a visual standpoint. The templates are prettier and more intuitive to use, the design is simple, and syncing across devices within iCloud is easy. 

Feature-wise, Pages sits somewhere on the spectrum between Word and Google Docs. It isn’t quite as robust as Word, but some would call that a good thing. It does more than Google Docs and has similar collaborative functionality. It’s also very ebook friendly, as it comes pre-loaded with artfully designed templates specifically for ebooks and can export to the Apple iPub format (and ePub too, of course).

If you like features but also enjoy writing on an iPad, Pages is probably your best bet. You don’t lose any functionality on the Pages app for iPad the way you do with Word. Pages integrates seamlessly with iCloud and syncs between devices without effort.

Pros of Pages:

• Beautiful templates
• Export directly to iPub
• Great collaboration tool
• Excellent in-app user experience

Cons of Pages:

• Not very accessible to PC users
• Not available on Android
• Exporting to Word can disrupt formatting 

Google Docs: Free and device-agnostic

There’s a lot to be said for Google Docs. It’s free, browser-based, and extremely easy to use. The functionality is simple, so don’t look to Google Docs for anything fancy. That said, it has everything you need to simply sit down and write. And because your work is stored exclusively in the cloud (without requiring you to adjust any settings), you never need to worry about losing your writing if your computer is stolen or your hard drive crashes.

But Google Docs is most famous for its online collaboration functionality. Multiple people can work on a document simultaneously, seeing each other’s changes in real time. Google Docs works offline, too, so you can still work on an airplane or anywhere else without connectivity. Next time you’re online, your doc will automatically sync to Google Drive. (Note that collaboration does require an internet connection.)

Another perk of Google Docs is that it works the same on any device: desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, so you don’t need to relearn where features live—or do without—when you’re traveling.

The limited functionality of Google Docs becomes a con when it’s time to manage formatting, however. There are limited formatting options, none of which are particularly friendly for self-publishing, so you’ll likely need to use another tool before your book is ready to publish (though you can export in ePub format).

Pros of Google Docs:

• The price—it’s free!
• Real-time collaboration
• Suggestion mode

Cons of Google Docs:

• No native functionality for large documents
• Documents can lag as file size grows
• Many features require an internet connection
• Formatting likely requires another tool

That’s it for our rundown of the best word processors for writers. So tell us—what do you use, and why? Do you use a tool that isn’t on the list? Comment below!

There are lots of free Microsoft Word alternatives.

I’m sure you don’t prepare business plans with charts and graphs. You don’t use online collaboration tools or schedule meetings for a group of directors.

I doubt you would ever need to create business presentations with 100 slides.

You write your words for blog posts, content articles, guest posts, and short stories, and maybe publish poems. So why do you pay for MS Office to do these simple writing tasks?

You don’t need to pay for a word processor

Whichever option or version of Word you choose, you pay.

The Office suite is a bundled application of many programs that writers will never need.

Even with the basic personal Office 365 subscription and Microsoft Onedrive, you pay for Excel, Outlook, and Powerpoint just to get MS Word.

It might be a good deal for a small business, but you only want to write, create, and edit text.

Why pay for all the stuff you will never use to write in Word documents?

You can use Word online as part of Office Online, but you still need to pay.

If you only need to write, many free Microsoft Word alternatives will do the job perfectly for you.

I was a Word user for years, like all of us. But I can’t remember the last time I used it.

Sure, I have lots of old files in Word document format.

But I can open and edit almost any file format with a completely free Word alternative.

A word of warning for authors. Word processors are not the best programs for writing a book.

Long manuscripts can cause a lot of problems with any word processor, including Word.

You need to use software designed to handle the big job of writing a novel or a book.

Read our article that lists the best free and paid book writing software choices for you if you plan on writing a book.

Free alternatives to Microsoft Word – You have lots of choices

Nowadays, you have so many options for free writing programs like Word.

You can download free word processor software, or you can use web-based and cloud-based applications.

All you need is a blank document.

Then write your words. Add a little formatting and save your work.

Almost any free version word processor can do this.

Changing word processors is also a great way to view your writing in a different way.

Do you want to move away from using Word?

Try some of these free Microsoft Word alternatives to see if one is right for you and your writing needs.

To get you started, here are ten free word processors to choose from.

1. Google Docs

Google Docs is a free office tool suite. The big contrast to MS Office, of course, is that Google Docs is free.

If you know how to use MS Word, you will adapt to Docs in no time at all.

The user interface, menus, and formatting options are almost the same.

Docs has a word counter, so it’s easy to keep track of your writing goals.

Many writers, including content article writers, use Google Docs due to the ease of sharing documents and collaborating.

It is also fully compatible with importing and exporting docx documents.

Writing projects are stored and saved to Google Drive. You get 5 gigabytes for free, which is usually enough storage space for most writers.

Another advantage is that you can also set up Docs to work offline if you prefer.

2. Apple Pages

You are a Mac user, and all you need is a free word processor; it’s easy. Apple Pages can do everything you need to do.

The page layout view is extremely easy to work with. All the fonts, text formatting, and editing tools are easy to find.

It has a decent spell checker, word and page count, and track changes with a comments option.

Pages also has a great real-time auto-save function. It saves your work automatically to your computer or your iCloud drive when you are online.

There is a duplicate file function too. It allows you a lot of control over your edits and revisions.

Almost all of the common features in Word are available in Pages documents.

One area where Pages shines over Word is that you have much more control over any images you use.

Another is that you can format an ebook for publishing and export it to an epub file.

3. Libre Office

I used Apache OpenOffice for many years. It is an open-source project and is still a great option.

However, there is another very similar free office suite. Libre Office is a favorite for a lot of writers.

The two office suites came from the same basic development, so they share a lot of things in common.

Working with Writer, the word processor, is easy. It has clear traditional menus, icons, and toolbars. So it doesn’t have the sometimes confusing ribbon found in Word.

This might be a useful feature for you. It lets you get on with writing instead of endlessly searching ribbons for the right buttons.

If all you need is a functional word processor, Writer in OpenOffice or Libre Office might be sound choices for you.

4. WPS Office

If you are familiar with Google Docs or Microsoft Word, you will be able to work with WPS Office straight away.

WPS is in the same vein as other free word processors. It has all the standard features you expect, and it works with most standard word processing file extensions.

But one of its best features is that it gives you the facility to drag and drop paragraphs. It is a very practical idea.

Another great feature of WPS is that it has tabbed documents. No need to keep hunting for open windows.

WPS also comes with a complimentary cloud storage service that gives you 1G free space for PC and iOS.

5. Calmly Writer

Calmly Writer lets you one thing well. Write.

When you start typing, all of the distracting options disappear away from the interface. All you see are your words.

Calmly also includes a focus mode tool. When you activate it, it highlights only the paragraph you are working on at the time.

If you are a writing minimalist and hate distractions when you write, it could be a good choice for you.

Calmly Writer is a browser-based app, and there is a Chrome extension available.

6. Zoho Writer

Zoho Writer is a great free alternative to Word. It is packed with a lot of features.

You can sync between your PC or Mac, iPhone, Android, or iPad.

Almost everything you do in Word, you can do with this word processor. There are even collaboration tools.

It also has Zia, a writing assistant, to help with contextual grammar, readability, and style suggestions.

You can import your existing Word documents and get to work. There is also a plugin to link your Zoho documents to Word.

It’s not a bad deal at all for a free online writing tool.

7. Focus Writer

FocusWriter is another one of the minimalist distraction-free text editors.

It uses a full-screen hide-away interface, but you can access the menus by moving your mouse to the edges of the screen.

This option allows the program to have a familiar look and feel about it. But you can get all the clutter out of the way so that you can immerse yourself in your work.

It’s available for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X.

8. iA Writer

If you are looking for a clean, no-fuss writing web app, then iA Writer might be right for you.

Forget about all the fancy keyboard shortcuts and lists of menu options.

All you can do with this great little app is write.

The NYT says this about iA Writer. “It creates a clean, simple, and distraction-free writing environment for when you really need to focus on your words. It’s delightful to use.”

For article and blog post writing, it is one of the top free word processors out there and will suit most writing styles.

It is available for Windows, Mac, and apps for Android and iOS.

9. Softmaker Free Office

Free Office gets a mention because it can do one thing some other word processors can’t do.

It can export directly to .epub. It’s a very handy feature for self-publishers.

FreeOffice is a complete Office suite with a word processor, a spreadsheet application, and a presentation program.

All of these are compatible with their counterparts in Microsoft Office.

TextMaker is the free word processor in this office suite.

It comes with advanced formatting options, the ability to create databases for bibliographies and footnotes, as well as track change.

It is available as a free download for both Mac and PC.

10. Scribus

Scribus is a free program for desktop publishing.

It gets a mention here because it is free, of course. But also because it is such a feature-rich cross-platform program.

As long as you are familiar with using text boxes, you can use this program to design flyers, brochures, and newsletters.

Scribus is a page layout and desktop publishing program.

It works with Linux, FreeBSD, PC-BSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, OpenIndiana, Debian GNU/Hurd, Mac OS X, OS/2 Warp 4, eComStation, Haiku, and Windows.

So, well, that says you can use it on any operating system under the sun.

Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as CMYK colors, spot colors, ICC color management, and PDF creation.

Perhaps it is not a perfect choice for most writers and bloggers. But you might have a desktop publishing job you need to do one day.

Summary

No, you don’t need to pay a cent for a reliable and fully functional word processor.

There are a lot of free Microsoft Word alternatives.

Many of the programs listed above are complete office suites. So you get a bonus with all the extras that come with them.

You definitely have plenty to choose from. So make your choices and save yourself a lot of money.

Related reading: Choose Your Writing Apps For iPad To Write Anywhere Anytime