Best book writing software: 15 picks from professional authors

Thinking about writing a book or sharing your experience in an e-guide? There’s a tool out there for you. Most book writing software share similar core features: they aim to be minimalistic, offer focus modes, include export options, and often support syncing with blog platforms so you can publish directly from the app.

But each book writing app has its own unique strengths. I’ve researched some of the most popular ones, and I’m here to share what I believe are the best writing apps on the market. Let’s dive in.

Top book writing apps for authors, students, and self-publishers

Depending on your writing flow and level of expertise, you probably have your own unique expectations. In this table, I’ve gathered the key highlights of each app I cover below. 

App	Best for	Price
Bike	Fast outlining and structured idea organization	Included in Setapp
Ulysses	Professional and amateur writers (fiction, nonfiction, poetry) and screenwriters	Included in Setapp
Paper	Writers seeking minimalism and first drafts (articles, blogs, books	Included in Setapp
MonsterWriter	Nonfiction and scientific/academic writers (theses, papers)	Included in Setapp
Google Docs	Short books, guides	Free
Atticus	All-in-one writing and formatting for print/eBook	$147/one-time
Focused	Writers wanting a distraction-free, typewriter-style writing experience	Included in Setapp
Microsoft Word	Traditional document creation	$179/one-time
Diarly	Personal writing, memoirs, and reflective storytelling	Included in Setapp
Plus	AI assistance for email, text improvement	Included in Setapp
Sudowrite	AI-powered creative fiction writing	From $10/month
Scrivener	Long-form projects with advanced organization	From $49/one-time
Elephas	AI writing assistant system-wide on Mac	Included in Setapp
SwiftPublisher	Desktop publishing with advanced layouts	Included in Setapp
Apple Pages	Native word processing for Mac	Free

Ulysses: Authors’ go-to book writing app

When writers start talking about apps for writing, Ulysses is always in the conversation. It’s one of the most popular tools out there — for both writing and Markdown editing. With its simple, sleek design, Ulysses gives you that Hemingway-like focus: just you and a clean, distraction-free page.

Sounds perfect? It gets better.

Of course, Ulysses has a built-in proofreader, grammar checker, tools for style, punctuation and spell checks. It can even detect redundancies in your text. But what really sets it apart are the features designed specifically for writers. You can set daily writing goals, track your progress, and get real-time stats on word count and time spent writing. 

 “Ulysses is such an elegant markdown editor and project manager. I’ve used it for my last 4 books, and I can’t imagine writing without it”, says Jon, a Setapp user.

Ulysses lets you export your text in popular formats like PDF, EPUB, HTML, and DOCX — and the result looks professional, like a real book. It also integrates with WordPress and Medium, so you can publish directly from the app without needing to reformat your post. Everything stays clean and intact. 

Users confirm this: 

 "I don’t remember when exactly I discovered Ulysses, but it has surely been 10 years or more that I’ve done nearly 100% of my work in it. I love its features, especially being able to publish directly to CMSes like WordPress and Ghost. The fact you’re working in Markdown means it’s easy to send your text to virtually any other app or service. Markdown rules."

Best features:

• Allows you to lock the app with a password for added privacy
• Lets you organize your writing into folders and easily rearrange chapters for better structure
• Allows you to add images and files as attachments for quick preview within your document
• Option to set targets (e.g., words, characters, sentences, pages) and even deadlines, and Ulysses will show your progress

Pros:

• Suitable for all kinds of writing projects, including screenplays, poetry and novel writing
• Built-in publishing integration
• The interface is minimalist and clean, no distractions

Cons: 

• No advanced AI features
• Limited collaboration options

Price: Available on  Setapp — a subscription platform with 250+ apps for MacBook, iPhone, and iPad. You can try it free for 7 days.

Bike: Book writing software for brainstorming

If you still keep your ideas for your book chaotically, Bike will be your solution. Setapp users consider this book writing app “excellent for brainstorming ideas and creating outlines”.

Unlike traditional word processors that force you to think linearly, Bike lets you capture thoughts as they come, organize them into hierarchies, and restructure them effortlessly as your book takes shape.

What makes Bike stand out is its performance. While other outliners slow down with large projects, Bike handles massive outlines without lag. You can scroll through thousands of nested rows, rearrange entire chapters, and navigate between sections instantly. For writers juggling multiple storylines, research notes, or complex non-fiction structures, this speed matters.

Best features:

• Clean, native Mac design without unnecessary complexity
• Keyboard-driven workflow keeps you writing instead of clicking
• Open file formats (.bike, .opml, .txt) mean your content isn't locked in
• Deep links create instant navigation through complex manuscripts

Pros:

• Extremely fast, even with 10,000+ row outlines
• Simple interface focuses on writing, not features
• Excellent for brainstorming and restructuring content

Cons:

• Mac-only (no iOS, Windows, or web version)
• Narrow feature-set 

Price: Available on  Setapp — a subscription platform with 250+ apps for MacBook, iPhone, and iPad. You can try it free for 7 days.

Paper: Handy book writing app for minimalists

My introduction to this book writing software actually started with a joke I stumbled upon on Reddit. One guy said something like: “It’s hilarious when a developer says they’ve been building an app for nine years… and then shows a plain white sheet with a blinking cursor.” That’s when I got curious about Paper — a minimalistic book writing software.

I checked it out — and yes, you literally get a blank white space to write in.

However, that doesn't mean Paper’s feature set is poor. Not at all.

To explore all of Paper’s features, just click the menu in the upper-left corner of your Mac. There, you’ll discover all formatting options and that they can be done using keyboard shortcuts. You can also use those drop-down menus to make changes to your document — like switching views or adjusting formatting.

Among the coolest features is Focus Mode (yeah, you can get even more focus!). It dims everything on the page except the line you’re currently working on. There’s also a Typewriter Mode, where your current line stays centered, and the rest scrolls out of view above.

The developer himself says the app’s strength lies in helping writers get through the first draft — whether it’s an article, blog post, or book. Totally agree. 

 “Paper helps me stay fully focused when I’m drafting content — it’s my go-to Mac writing app. I love the built-in word count and reading time tracker, and exporting my work to PDF, HTML, or clipboard is quick and seamless”, says Lokesh Kapoor, digital content creator and founder of the DroidCrunch blog.

Best features:

• Provides built-in AI support
• Supports exporting directly to Medium, WordPress, Ghost, or Micro.blog
• Export options include PDF, HTML, RTF, RTFD, .docx, ePub, plain text, and even PNG
• Allows tracking writing or reading time, with different reading speed settings

Pros: 

• Extremely clean, elegant writing experience with zero clutter
• Fast and lightweight — ideal for short- and medium-form writing
• Cross-device support (macOS + iOS) fits well into Apple-only workflows

Cons:

• The Markdown editor has a bit of a learning curve
• Limited to the Apple devices (macOS and iOS only)
• The price can be high if purchased outside of Setapp

Price: Available on  Setapp — a subscription platform with 250+ apps for MacBook, iPhone, and iPad. You can try it free for 7 days.

MonsterWriter: Must-try for nonfiction and scientific writers

MonsterWriter is typically promoted as a tool for writing theses or other academic papers, but I can confidently say it’s also a great choice for anyone creating non-fiction or scientific content.

With MonsterWriter, you get a distraction-free interface that feels a bit like Google Docs — but much cleaner and more structured. 

The app is built to help you meet academic and scientific formatting requirements with ease. It supports automatic citations in APA, Harvard, MLA, and IEEE formats. Your work can be organized using tags, and you can insert tables, images, references, footnotes, and more to make your writing richer and more dynamic.

On the left side of the screen, you’ll find a to-do list. Yep, right within your writing space!

When it’s time to export, you can save your work as a PDF, Markdown, HTML, Microsoft Word document, or even publish it directly to a Ghost blog from within the app.

 “MonsterWriter helps me stay focused and organized while writing. I can outline, draft, and manage references without getting bogged down by formatting — it keeps my workflow clean and distraction-free”, says Stefan-Radu Gogolan, video editor, digital marketing specialist. 

Best features:

• Exported files — especially in PDF — look like professionally formatted books
• Built-in non-distracting to-do list keeps you focused
• You can concentrate on writing instead of formatting
• References and citations are handled beautifully and automatically

Pros:

• Rich formatting with a clean writing interface
• Excellent fit for long-form, structured documents
• Inline backup/auto-save tools 

Cons:

• No built-in AI assistant

Price: Available on  Setapp — a subscription platform with 250+ apps for MacBook, iPhone, and iPad. You can try it free for 7 days.

Google Docs: Smart choice for short books or guides 

Google Docs is the obvious choice if you are looking for a free book writing app. 

It's browser-based, requires zero installation, and anyone with a Google account can start writing immediately. For short books, guides, or collaborative projects, it works beautifully.

 “I wrote my entire 220 page book on Google Docs, no issues. You can even download the App and access your stuff from anywhere”, shares Reddit user. 

Our team uses Google Docs for all our blog content. When three people need to work on the same article simultaneously nothing beats it. But here's the honest truth: Google Docs struggles with long manuscripts. As Reddit user admit: “Google docs is fine until you write something over 200k words, and then it craps out at little over a milion characters”.

Best features:

• Real-time collaboration with multiple writers simultaneously
• Automatic saving and complete revision history
• Accessible on any device with a browser
• Built-in Heading structure creates navigable table of contents

Pros:

• It’s free
• Works on any device, any operating system
• Simple interface 
• Perfect for short-form texts 

Cons:

• Grammar checking is basic 
• Requires internet connection for full functionality
• Not designed for complex manuscript structures

Price: Free

Atticus: All-in-one writing and book formatting software 

Unlike most authoring tools, Atticus offers not only writing but also book formatting. You don't need to use (and pay for) several different software . For a one-time fee of $147, you get an all-in-one powerhouse.

However, users still tend to use Atticus more as book formatting software and complain about its functionality for writing texts. 

 “Overall, Atticus is great for formatting - the output looks professional, and thanks to the master page structure, updating previous books is easy. Writing in Atticus is a pain - you need a constant internet connection, if it goes down you can't save it. The output to word, e.g. for your editor, comes out as a spew of unformatted text, so I spent maybe 30 mins sorting that. And needing to have external spell checkers like Grammarly is also a ball ache..”, says Reddit user. 

Best features:

• Professional formatting templates for both print and eBook
• Live preview across multiple device types
• Import from Word, Scrivener, and other formats
• Goal tracking and writing statistics built-in

Pros:

• One-time purchase includes all future updates
• Clean interface with minimal learning curve
• Combines writing and formatting workflows

Cons:

• Writing and editing tools are limited
• Requires internet access for full use
• No free version

Price: $147 one-time purchase

Focused: For a distraction-free writing process in typewriter-style

Sometimes, all you need is a distraction-free environment that brings back the old-school typewriter vibe. That’s where I’d recommend using Focused. It gives you a minimalist space where your current line stays locked in the center, and previous lines blur and scroll upward — just like on a typewriter. 

For even more focus, try Zen mode. It plays ambient sounds and expands the page to full screen, so all you see is your writing.

 “Pop-up notifications used to completely derail my focus — one reply and I’d lose half an hour. Now, when I need to write without distractions, I turn on Focused’s Zen mode. It fills the screen with a blank page, plays calming music, and helps me get into deep writing flow”, says Lokesh Kapoor, digital content creator and founder of the DroidCrunch blog.

Best features:

• Shows word and character counts as you write
• Has auto-save, along with the ability to recover previous edits
• Integrates AI tools (powered by Apple Intelligence) for rewriting, summarizing, changing tone, and more

Pros:

• Truly distraction-free interface
• Fast and lightweight
• Great for writers who love Markdown

Cons:

• Export options are limited to HTML, RTF, and PDF Limited to macOS, no mobile app available

Price: Available on Setapp — a subscription platform with 250+ apps for MacBook, iPhone, and iPad. You can try it free for 7 days.

Read more: 

• Best writing apps for Mac
• Best script writing software for Mac
• Al writing assistant software for Mac for your creative work
• How Setapp streamlines workflows for writers and bloggers

Microsoft Word: The traditional book writing software

Yes, I'm including Word in a list of book writing software. Why? Because despite all the new minimalist apps and specialized tools, millions of authors still write their books in Word. And honestly, for certain workflows, it makes perfect sense.

Word offers something most writing apps don't: universal compatibility. Every editor, publisher, and collaborator can open your .docx file. The learning curve for basic writing is zero — everyone knows Word. 

One of the major advantages and arguments for paying $179 for the software as a one-time purchase is the chance to use Copilot as a smart AI assistant for writing a book. For example, you can ask it to generate first drafts or scene sketches, summarize chapters, or suggest improvements, synthesize info, and draft sections.

Best features:

• Industry-standard formatting tools
• Cross-platform (Mac, Windows, web, mobile)
• Robust commenting system for feedback
• Ability to use Copilot - AI-assistant

Pros:

• Universal file format accepted everywhere
• Powerful grammar and spell checking
• Excellent for collaboration with editors
• Deep feature set for complex formatting needs

Cons:

• Can feel cluttered compared to minimalist apps
• Not designed specifically for creative writing workflows

Price: $179 one-time purchase or $9.99/month with Microsoft 365 Personal.

Diarly: For memoirs and reflective storytelling

If your creative writing leans toward soft, warm, and sentimental — think stories, memoirs, or blog-style reflections — I can totally see you working in Diarly. It’s technically a journaling app, but thanks to its export options, you can easily use it to write a book.

The two things I love most about it are the beautiful appearance and the tools it offers for overcoming writer’s block.

First, the app is honestly gorgeous. You can color your text and backgrounds — light green, pink, you name it — use elegant typefaces, add images, and more. Second is the daily prompts. When you open a new entry, you'll see a list of thoughtful questions to spark your writing. Things like: What act of kindness did I do today? or I want to share this with someone… or even If today were the last day of my life, what would I want to do?

You’ll also get a daily affirmation or a sweet piece of advice. They’re so kind and uplifting, I can’t help but smile every time I see one.

So if your writing style involves diving deep into your thoughts, emotions, and reflections, I think Diarly is one of the best book writing app you could choose to pour your heart out.

Best features:

• Beautiful color themes like light green, sulfur pool, light blue, pink, and more
• Word count and entry statistics
• Export options: Markdown, PDF, or RTF
• Password protection
• Built-in AI assistant

Pros:

• Perfect for reflective, personal writing
• Stunning interface that makes journaling enjoyable
• Strong privacy and encryption features
• Syncs across Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Cons:

• Designed for daily entries, not long-form manuscripts

Price: Available on Setapp — a subscription platform with 250+ apps for MacBook, iPhone, and iPad. You can try it free for 7 days.

Plus: AI-assistant for book authors 

Want to check the grammar in your text or improve your writing style? Instead of copying the text, pasting it into ChatGPT, and writing prompts, try Plus. This book-writing software makes every tool you already use smarter. Highlight any text on your Mac, press Option-Space, and Plus appears with AI-powered assistance.

You can get AI help with rewrites, grammar fixes, or idea generation without leaving your main writing app. 

 “Plus fits right into my writing flow — I just hit Option + Space in any app and get instant AI help. Whether I’m summarizing research, proofreading drafts, or using my own prompts, it saves time without breaking focus”, shares Lokesh Kapoor, digital content creator and founder of the DroidCrunch blog.

Best features:

• Works in any app with a simple Option-Space hotkey
• Multiple AI commands (improve, summarize, translate, explain)
• Personalized prompts you can save and reuse
• Fast and lightweight — doesn't slow down your Mac

Pros:

• Saves time 
• Customizable for your needs
• No need to switch apps or copy-paste text

Cons:

• Limited compared to dedicated AI writing apps

Price: Available on Setapp — a subscription platform with 250+ apps for MacBook, iPhone, and iPad. You can try it free for 7 days.

Sudowrite: AI co-author for fiction writers

Sudowrite is a book writing software specifically for fiction. It understands story structure, character development, plot pacing. Stuck on how to start a chapter? The "Write" feature generates options based on your style. Need to describe a Victorian parlor? "Describe" expands sparse details into vivid imagery. Written yourself into a corner? "Brainstorm" suggests ways forward that fit your story.

The tool that helps authors most often is “Rewrite.” Just quickly draft a scene, paying attention to the right rhythm, but leave the text flat for now. Sudowrite rewrites it in different styles — more emotional, more action-packed, more literary—and lets you choose the version that works best. It's like having a co-author who never judges your first drafts.

Here’s what a Reddit user says about his experience with Sudowrite:

 “Sudowrite helped me fix my plot and now I'm writing it on my own at the same rapid pace I wrote the first book in the series. It was absolutely worth the cost for the help alone”.

Best features:

• Brainstorm generates plot ideas that fit your narrative
• Describe expands sparse descriptions with vivid details
• Rewrite offers multiple style variations of your prose
• Feedback mode provides constructive writing suggestions
• Beats feature helps outline scenes and chapters

Pros:

• Purpose-built for fiction writing
• Learns your writing style over time
• Helps overcome writer's block productively
• Supports both outlining and drafting

Cons:

• Subscription required (no one-time purchase)
• AI output quality varies — needs editing
• Learning curve to use features effectively

Price: From $10/month 

Scrivener: The gold standard for long-form projects

Scrivener has been the go-to book writing software for best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators, and more. It’s not just a word processor — it's a complete manuscript management system.

The user interface may seem intimidating to beginners at first. But once you understand the structure, your work gets easier and faster. You can see your entire book at a glance, rearrange chapters by dragging cards, jump between scenes without having to scroll through a lengthy document, and save all your research in the same project file.

Source: Scrivener

Best features:

• Ability to improve your writing with a feedback option
• Assistance in brainstorming plot ideas
• Canvas suggests alternate plot points, character secrets, and plot twists with you
• Muse - AI assistant for fiction

Pros:

• Handles complex projects with hundreds of scenes
• Research and writing in one place

Cons:

• Interface feels dated compared to modern apps
• Takes time to set up projects properly

Price: From $10/month.

Elephas: AI-powered knowledge assistant 

For writers who create guides or non-fiction books, Elephas will become a reliable AI co-author and research assistant. Its “Super Brain” feature stores and analyzes documents from PDFs, Word files, documents, web pages, audio recordings, and more. Then you can get insights from them in seconds, indicating the source from which this book writing app took the information.

You don't have to constantly switch between apps. Elephas sits discreetly in your menu bar and works with every software on your Mac. Writing an email in Mail? Elephas is there. Creating a draft in Pages? Elephas helps you. The Super Command Bar (accessed via a keyboard shortcut) gives you instant access to AI features: adjust tone, correct grammar, summarize text, generate ideas, translate languages. All without leaving your current application or interrupting your workflow.

Best features:

• Super Brain creates personalized knowledge bases from your documents
• Works system-wide across all Mac applications
• Super-Command Bar for instant AI assistance
• Content rewrite modes for different purposes
• Supports offline mode for privacy

Pros:

• Truly system-wide — works everywhere you type
• Learns from your own writing and documents
• Privacy-focused with offline capability
• One tool replaces multiple AI subscriptions

Cons:

• Learning curve for Super Brain setup

Price: Available on Setapp — a subscription platform with 250+ apps for MacBook, iPhone, and iPad. You can try it free for 7 days.

SwiftPublisher: Desktop publishing for book designers

Most writing apps focus on words. SwiftPublisher focuses on making those words look beautiful on the page. If you're creating workbooks, illustrated guides, or any project where design matters as much as content, SwiftPublisher is your tool.

Professionals often use Adobe InDesign or other advanced tools to design book layouts, but those can be really intimidating if you’re a beginner or have no experience with design software. Swift Publisher is built for people who need to create print-ready layouts without the steep learning curve or specialized skills.

Your job is basically to paste your text into a template and then adjust things like alignment, spacing, and margins.

Best features:

• Professional page layout templates
• Advanced typography controls
• Image editing and placement tools
• Master pages for consistent design
• Print-ready PDF export 
• Support for various page sizes and formats

Pros:

• Professional results 
• Perfect for illustrated or heavily designed books
• Handles technical print requirements automatically

Cons:

• Designed for layout, not long-form writing

Price: Available on Setapp — a subscription platform with 250+ apps for MacBook, iPhone, and iPad. You can try it free for 7 days.

Apple Pages: Free pre-installed writing app for authors

Before you spend money on writing software, try Pages. It's free on every Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and it's better than most people think. Apple designed Pages to be simple enough for anyone to use while powerful enough for real book projects.

The template library is excellent. Choose a book template and you get proper chapter formatting, running headers, page numbers, and section breaks already configured. 

This book writing software is not as advanced as dedicated tools, but for many writers — especially those writing shorter books or getting started — Pages is all you need.

Best features:

• Beautiful built-in book templates
• Real-time collaboration via iCloud
• Exports to PDF, Word, ePub formats
• Syncs seamlessly across Apple devices

Pros:

• Completely free (no subscriptions or purchases)
• Easy to learn and use immediately
• Clean, intuitive interface

Cons:

• Less powerful than dedicated book software
• Limited advanced formatting options
• Not designed for complex manuscripts

Price: Free 

Final thoughts: What book writing app to choose

The right software depends on your writing style, project type, and personal workflow preferences. You can start with free book writing software like Pages or Google Docs for simple, short storytelling. If you need more advanced tools, Scrivener and Sudowrite are suitable for fiction management, while Ulysses, Paper, and Focused from the Setapp collection are ideal for focused and structured writing.

If you need both writing and formatting, Atticus delivers professional results in one app. For brainstorming, try Bike, and with Plus and Elephas, you can polish your text with AI assistance. For a stylish layout of a guide or booklet, SwiftPublisher is a good choice.

Most successful authors I know use several tools at once — for finding ideas, writing drafts, editing, formatting, and more. Setapp has all the book writing apps you need in one subscription. Start with a 7-day free trial and test Ulysses, Paper, MonsterWriter, and other writing apps without committing to individual subscriptions.