150 Best Writing Tools and Resources [2024 Edition]

I can almost hear you thinking:

The list with tools. Again. How many more articles like this do we need to decide on the best resources for writers? Or is it going to be a list of writing tools for students?

Look:

Whether you write essays, business articles, or books, you should bookmark this page. Here I’ve gathered all the best tools for writers by categories and needs. Now you can find them in one place and save time on searching.

Table of Contents:
  1. Inspiration and idea organization
  2. Writing apps for planning: titles, theses, outlines
  3. Distraction-free online writing tools
  4. Essay writing tools for students
  5. Business writing tools and resources
  6. Creative writing tools
  7. Book writing tools and resources
  8. Best writing tools for proofreading and editing
  9. Checking for plagiarism and quality
  10. Tools for writers to cite sources

Inspiration and Idea Organization

These apps will come in handy for everyone working with text content. They help take notes, organize thoughts, and brainstorm ideas for your future content. College students can use them to craft to-do lists for their academic assignments.

Tool/ResourceDescription
TrelloUse it to manage projects. The tool is perfect for note-taking, assigning tasks, collaborating with editors, and more.
EvernoteCollect all ideas in one place. Brainstorm, structure articles, and share notes with others.
To DoistCreate lists of tasks, rank them, or assign tasks to others.
MilanoteOrganize your research, arguments, and content outlines in one place.
UlyssesFormat your long content and track your progress.
SimplenoteThis free cross-platform app will help you take and save notes.
SchooltraqIt’s an academic planner for students. It allows us to add assignments, track homework, and organize learning time.
Acuity SchedulingThis tool is for streamlining a calendar and creating appointments with editors.
AudibleListen to audiobooks to find new ideas, do research, or catch inspiration for future content assets.
CoggleIt’s a tool to brainstorm and mind-map ideas and organize them in related blocks.
Plain Text EditorNotepad or TextEdit are free to use on your computer. Why not consider them for idea organization?
ObsidianIt’s a note-taking app that allows you to visualize ideas in graphs.
GitMindUse this mind-mapping tool to brainstorm writing ideas. It’s great for collaborating with colleagues in real-time.
MindNodeOrganize ideas and structure outlines; keep track of your progress. Sync and share mind maps with others.

Writing Apps for Planning: Titles, Theses, Outlines

These tools are popular among bloggers and copywriters working with many articles daily. They help beginners plan tasks better. Feel free to use them for generating titles and outlines. If you’re at school or university, they help with research and essay writing.

Tool/ResourceDescription
Writing Your First SentenceGet examples of writing catchy opening lines that hook readers.
Headline AnalyzerUse this tool to check your titles for readability. Perfect for online content creators writing SEO titles.
Thesis Generator by EmpireLearn thesis statement types and generate strong arguments for your essays.
Blog Ideas GeneratorIf you don’t know what to write in your next article on the given keyword, try this tool to generate several title ideas.
Wix Title GeneratorGive it your keyword and get up to ten catchy title or headline ideas for your future article.
Headline GeneratorEnter the topic — and get headline ideas for blogs, YouTube videos, social media posts, etc.
HeydayThis tool is for research and saving handy resources you’ll use while writing.
LINERIt helps you summarize content, translate, and highlight core points when researching the info online.
Thesis GeneratorUse the resource to craft thesis statements for your articles.
DynalistThis app is perfect for outlining your work.
Copy.aiIt’s a free outline generator for your informative content assets.

Distraction-Free Online Writing Tools

Authors know how frustrating a writing process is when something disturbs you. These tools help overcome writer’s block, catch the muse by the tail, and write faster.

Tool/ResourceDescription
OmmwriterA distraction-free writer tool for Mac users
PomofocusA time management app prescribing 25 minutes for writing followed by a 5-minute break
Cold TurkeyTransform your computer into a typewriter to focus on the process.
NirvanaIt’s software to create projects and focus on one task at a time.
FreedomBlock all the notifications and websites when it’s time to write content.
NoisliUse it to block out distracting background noises. Create your soundscape for work.
Write MonkeyThis app strips down your user interface and lets you focus on your thoughts and words.
FocusWriterIt’s your clean sheet of paper with no formatting options and background noises.
Written? KittenGet motivation to write more: See a picture of a cute kitten once you reach a word count.
Calmly WriterIt’s your sheet to focus and avoid distractions for seamless content creation.
750 WordsDevelop a daily writing habit and practice your skills.
Write! ProFade out everything except for your writing document to focus on content creation. Editing is available.
IA WriterSync writing across all devices; use the tool to highlight what you write and fade out other details on the screen.
Daily PageGet a writing task every day to practice it in a distraction-free space.
CoffitivityThis resource recreates cafe sounds within your browser, thus influencing your writing flow.
WriteRoomIt’s an app for Mac users to write without distractions and focus on the process.

Essay Writing Tools for Students

College students often struggle with essay writing. No wonder: Too many rules to know and too many details to remember. These resources will assist with every step of academic paper creation.

Tool/ResourceDescription
Sudo WriteIt’s an assistant for generating texts and analyzing content and tone of voice.
Writing a Personal StatementLearn the details behind personal statement writing to win the application process.
500 Essay TopicsIt’s a massive list of essay topics for inspiration and ideas generation.
Writing-HelpThis resource is here to provide students with academic help from professional writers.
The Basics of Essay WritingFor beginners, this resource reveals the basic steps in writing an A-worthy essay.
Understanding AssignmentsRead this resource to learn how to deliver what a prompt or a teacher wants from you.
Study SmartIt’s a portal by Maastricht University to help students become better learners.
Strategies for Essay WritingThis resource provides detailed information on how to write and organize college essays.
DiaroUse it to organize essay topic ideas and save handy resources you find while web surfing.
Essay SamplesIt’s a collection of essays for informative and educational purposes. Check them to get a better idea of how to organize college papers.
WriteToLearnIt’s a tool to build essay writing skills and develop reading comprehension. Login for free and start investigating.
OpendemiaGenerate outlines, keep the sources organized, and get help throughout your paper.
StorybirdThis AI platform helps practice storytelling and craft reflective papers
BoomWriterA student resource to write and publish works, grow skills, and collaborate with peers
Whooo’s ReadingIt’s a resource for school students to get engaged in reading to create argumentative papers in the future.
ScribusA free desktop publishing software to create professional-looking documents 
Writer PlusA handy writer app to create essays and other texts with no distractions
Plagiarism GuideLearn the types of plagiarism to understand how to avoid copyright violation.
ByWordThis app is for Mac users, and it helps to write texts in a plain editor with no distractions.
Essay TitlesIt shows how to write essay titles and understand the principles of their creation.
MellelThis word processor is the ultimate writing tool for students, scholars, and academics.
ManuscriptsIt’s a tool for creating advanced documents; it helps with the process, from outlining to editing.

Business Writing Tools and Resources

Whether you write emails, business essays in school, or business articles, check these resources. Here are glossaries, samples, and other handy information on business content creation.

Tool/ResourceDescription
Business Terms GlossaryThe list of terms to know and use in business texts so it sounds professional
Write for Business TemplatesUse these templates to format your documents the way it should look.
Business Memo WritingThe detailed guide on writing effective business memos
Write Business LettersLearn how to structure and format business letters for better results.
MailMentorIt’s an AI toolset for business email writing.
Sample Business School EssaysHere, you’ll find the business school essay samples to master the art of writing this content type.
Business WritingIt’s your guide on business writing, its purpose, audience, and style to use for client engagement.

Creative Writing Tools

These tools are great supplies for writers of creative content. They’ll help generate ideas, craft drafts, and write engaging assets for different audiences.

Tool/ResourceDescription
DraftA free word processor to track your progress
WriterDuetSoftware for writing and editing screenplays
LibreOfficeIt’s a Microsoft Word competitor, a free tool to write drafts and save documents on your device. It works best for Linux users but is also available for Windows and Mac.
Chat GPTA popular AI tool to generate ideas, short texts, and Wikipedia-like answers. Perfect for research, monotonous tasks, and saving time on content creation
Zoho WriterUse this platform to create documents and collaborate with others on writing projects.
ArticleForgeAn AI content generator to craft SEO-optimized 1,500-word assets on different topics
AutoCritThis tool is for self-editing fiction and nonfiction stories.
Koala WriterIt’s an AI writer and chatbot creating high-quality articles in real time.
Day OneOvercome writer’s block and generate a short entry every day. It helps to brainstorm new ideas and improve writing skills.
Google DocsA cloud-based app for everyone working with texts
DraftinIt’s a simpler version of Google Docs to craft drafts, sync documents, and publish content.
CopywritingAll-in-one resource with materials on effective text content creation
NotionThis tool offers many instruments. Take notes, manage tasks, craft to-do lists, and track your project.

Book Writing Tools and Resources

Consider these apps and tools for creating characters and organizing book plots. They’ll help you remember the storytelling principles and overcome writer’s block. Some are book writing software to save your whole story in one place.

Tool/ResourceDescription
PlottrOutline and plan your story; build narrative arcs and scenes.
Final DraftThis software is for screenwriters and those working with different long-form content.
ReedsyIt’s the best tool for creating publish-ready manuscripts.
PacemakerA goal planner for authors, writers, and editors, helping manage many deadlines
ScrivenerIdeal for organizing long-form writing projects
Marlowe ProAn AI editor providing in-depth feedback on your novel. It analyzes a plot, story beats, readability, etc.
NovlrUse it to organize long-form texts, fix grammar, and improve your style.
CampfireIt’s story planning software for fiction writers to structure the plot.
Novel FactoryThis word processor offers plot templates for novelists and helps develop characters and story worlds.
yWriterUse it to create narrative arcs, organize the plot of your future story, and break it into scenes.
StoryistUse it for script writing: fiction stories, brand videos, social media content, and more.
Fast PencilIt’s a web-based publishing engine to create and distribute books.
Living WriterCheck outline templates for story structures and choose one to organize your plot.
VellumThis tool is for creating and preparing e-books for publishing.
RhymeZoneImprove the quality of your texts. Use this tool to find synonyms, adjectives, and other language patterns to enrich your writing.
BibiscoIt’s novel writing software to plan, draft, and design your story.

Best Writing Tools for Proofreading and Editing

Authors know the writing process isn’t over after a draft is ready. Now it’s time to revise and edit it. These tools are the best for proofreading your work and checking its grammar. If you don’t have resources for hiring a professional editor, the below list is your helping hand.

Tool/ResourceDescription
GrammarlyIt’s the most popular AI tool to check your writing. It revises spelling, grammar, style, wordiness, plagiarism, and readability.
ProWritingAidAll-in-one: a spell and grammar checker, an editor, and a cliche finder 
Cliché FinderDetect and remove cliche phrases from your drafts.
GrammarBookThe ultimate resource for grammar and punctuation rules
SmartEditIt’s free software to plan your writing and polish drafts.
TypelyIt’s a free proofreading tool for students and everyone who writes. Also, it edits essays.
WordCounterIt’s a tool to detect grammar mistakes, improve word choice, and count words in your writing.
Hemingway AppThis tool makes your texts clear. It highlights complex sentences, redundant adverbs, passive voice, and phrases with simpler alternatives.
Free Punctuation CheckerCheck your drafts to avoid punctuation mistakes.
SaplingPaste your text online — and this tool will proofread it within seconds.
WordviceIt’s an AI tool to check academic papers and other writing for grammar, punctuation, tone, and style.
Grammar GirlA super-handy resource to learn grammar rules and enrich your vocabulary
Verb TensesBookmark this page to learn and remember all verb tenses.
Slick WriteUse this free app to check grammar errors and stylistic mistakes.
GingerTranslate files in different languages and check them for grammar mistakes.

Checking for Plagiarism and Quality

These tools are the best plagiarism and readability checkers. They’ll help avoid duplications and polish your texts for better quality.

Tool/ResourceDescription
WordRakeThis editing platform will help cut jargon, reduce redundancy, and flag wordy sentences.
The Writer’s DietShape your sentences and sharpen your writing style with this tool.
CopyLeaksThis tool detects plagiarized and AI-generated content.
CopyscapeCheck your published articles via this tool to see if anyone duplicated them.
Jargon GraderIt’s a tool to identify and cut common jargon phrases from your writing.
After the DeadlineCheck your drafts for spelling and grammar mistakes; improve your writing style.
Language ToolIt’s a multilingual platform to check grammar and spelling. Also, it can paraphrase your writing for better readability.
TextCleanerUse this tool to remove unnecessary text elements: common words, adverbs, numbers, etc.
DuplicheckerThis tool will check your 1,000-word draft for plagiarism. For longer texts, there’s a paid version.
Dictionary/ThesaurusIt’s a handy resource to find synonyms and check word definitions.
ReadableA tool to check readability and thus improve your writing
NaturalReaderIt’s an app that “reads” your text aloud, thus helping you check its readability and flow.
QuetextA free plagiarism checker to avoid duplications
PlagiarismCheckIt’s a reputable plagiarism checker to highlight duplications in your content.
OneLookIt’s an online dictionary to help you find definitions and related words.
PowerThesaurusEnrich your texts with more diverse words and expressions.
ScribbrSoftware for students and authors to check their works for plagiarism
CopywritelyIt’s a tool for SEO specialists, students, copywriters, and bloggers to check texts for plagiarism, readability, and grammar.
Thesaurus on Google DocsGo to Tools > Dictionary in Google Docs to find word definitions and synonyms for lexical items you use.

Tools for Writers to Cite Sources

For those crafting academic papers or nonfiction based on research, it’s critical to provide sources they used. These tools and resources will help to cite them right. (Practical for school or college students dealing with reference lists in essays round-the-clock.)

Tool/ResourceDescription
APA GuideThe rules on citing your documents in APA
MLA GuideLearn how to structure citations using MLA.
Chicago GuideA quick guide on citing your resources in the Chicago style
Turabian GuideIt’s a resource to learn text formatting in Turabian.
BibGuruThis tool helps craft citations for essays in different styles. 
QuillBotIt’s a free citation generator for MLA, APA, and Chicago.
Research and CitationCheck this resource for a detailed overview of different citation styles.
Cite Your SourcesIt’s your #1 resource to get citation style help.
EasyBibThis is your online tool to create citations or check papers for plagiarism and grammar errors.
MyBibIt’s a tool to generate Harvard reference lists in minutes.
ZoteroA must-have for students and academic writers. It helps collect sources and generate citations for research papers.
GrafiatiCraft bibliographies and reference lists online.
Mendeley CiteIt’s a citation add-in for Microsoft Word to insert bibliographies in your documents.
CiteMakerEnter your source — and the tool will generate a citation for your paper.
SciSpaceIt’s your online APA  citation generator.
PaperpileThis tool is for managing your research library right in a browser.

FAQs

  • What is the most used writing tool?

The most used writing tool is Google Docs. Authors outline and write drafts there, share docs with clients and editors, and save texts in a cloud. Grammarly is the most popular one for proofreading and editing your texts. And those willing to check their texts for originality use Duplichecker or PlagiarismCheck.

  • What are the best AI writing tools?

For today, the best AI writing tools are Jasper, Copy AI, and Textero. Many content creators also use ChatGPT: It saves time on research and idea generation.

  • Which Google Docs tool can help you find synonyms to improve your word choice?

There’s no separate tool to install for this feature but a built-in dictionary in Google Docs. Go to Tools > Dictionary to find synonyms or word definitions in your document. Or, you can press Ctrl + Shift + Y to see them.

  • What are some apps that write essays for you?

School and college students make the most of AI tools for essay writing. They use ChatGPT, Copy AI, and Jasper. These tools are great for deciding on an essay topic idea, generating a thesis statement, or outlining your future essays. Such apps can also help with essay proofreading, and you can ask them for up-to-date information to use as evidence.

  • What is the best book-writing software?

I would recommend Reedsy, Novel Factory, and yWriter. Each helps you develop characters, create narrative arcs, and organize story plots. For an all-in-one decision to write, publish, and distribute books, try Fast Pencil. Vellum can be your choice if you write business e-books and want to prepare them for publishing.