At any given moment, I have a different writing app open for every task I’m actively procrastinating on: my Notes app for collaborating with my partner on a never-ending list of to-dos, Notion for trip planning, Google Docs for the article I’m supposed to be writing right now, and a rotating cast of other free writing tools I’ve convinced myself are essential to the process.
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This is to say nothing about the AI writing generators I use to help me create content or edit at scale—that’s a different conversation entirely. This roundup is about writing software you actually doodle your thoughts in.
With that said, here are the 12 best free writing software, based on apps I and the Zapier team have used and enjoyed.
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The best free writing software
What makes the best free writing software?
How we evaluate and test apps
Our best apps roundups are written by humans who’ve spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. Unless explicitly stated, we spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it’s intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We’re never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog.
Free writing software covers a lot of ground (brainstorming, word processing, research—the list goes on). The category is so sprawling that “writing software” is almost meaningless as a standalone description. So here’s what I was looking for when building this list:
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It had to be genuinely free. Tools on this list either have a free plan that’s actually useful or are completely free to use. If a free tier was too limited to be worth your time, it didn’t make the cut.
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It had to do one thing really well. I looked for tools that have a clear job and nail it, so that no matter where you are in the writing process, there’s something here worth adding to your stack.
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It had to play well with everything else. Writing rarely happens in one app—you research in one place, write in another, and edit in a third. The tools I chose either integrate broadly (through Zapier or otherwise) or work in a browser context, so they easily fit into whatever setup you already have.
The best free writing software at a glance
Best for
Standout feature
MindMeister
Mind mapping
Real-time collaboration and integration with MeisterTask
Miro
Brainstorming together
Supports mind maps, Kanban boards, and virtual sticky notes
Google Keyword Planner
Brainstorming topics backed by keyword research
Keyword Ideas tab surfaces niche topics by relevance
Wispr Flow
Brainstorming out loud
Detects which app you’re in and adapts tone (professional vs. casual)
Notion
Keeping everything in one place
All-in-one features for writing and project management
Google Docs
Solo and collaborative writing
Comments and version history help you track what changes were made by who and when
FocusWriter
Focused writing
Full-screen writing mode with customizable themes and a timer for writing sprints
Merriam-Webster
Finding the perfect word
Offers simplified definitions for plain-language clarity
Hemingway Editor
Clear and concise writing
Assigns your writing a readability score
GPTZero
Comparing your writing to AI content
Detection model shields can catch bypassing approaches (like paraphrasing)
Grammarly
Proofreading
Browser extension checks your writing across every app
The best free writing software for mind mapping
MindMeister (Web, iOS, Android)
If you like to perform mind mapping to get your thoughts on paper and connect them, MindMeister gives you a virtual space to do it. It includes templates for the traditional mind map as well as more specific layouts for frameworks like SMART goals, case studies, and content plans. Plus, it automatically aligns your nodes, which makes it easy to create great-looking mind maps that look intentional instead of a conspiracy board of madness.
MindMeister and MeisterTask (a Kanban-style project management app built by the same team) are designed to work together, so ideas from your mind map can flow directly into actionable tasks. When you add Zapier to the mix, you can extend that connection into multi-step automated workflows across your entire stack: think syncing tasks across project boards, notifying collaborators, or using AI to prioritize what you’ve brainstormed.
Build automations from wherever you work. Describe the outcome you want, and Zapier connects your tools, runs the steps, and stays on the job after you close the chat. Combine AI with reliable, deterministic automation across 9,000+ apps. Get started for free.
MindMeister pricing: Free plan includes up to 3 mind maps and unlimited real-time collaborators; paid plans from $6.50/user/month (billed annually).
Learn more: The best mind mapping software
The best free writing software for brainstorming together
Miro (Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android)
When you need to write something in collaboration with others, the brainstorming process is one of the trickiest to facilitate with technology. Miro lets you plot out ideas with mind maps, Kanban boards, virtual sticky notes, or whatever strategy you use to get your thoughts down.
You can do even more with Miro by connecting Miro to Zapier (also free)—embedding whiteboards into orchestrated workflows across your business. For example, you can kick off workflows in Miro when events happen in other apps, or directly from your AI chat window. Learn more about how to automate Miro.
Miro pricing: Free plan includes 3 whiteboards with unlimited team members; paid plans from $8/user/month (billed annually).
Learn more: The best brainstorming tools and the best online whiteboards
The best free writing software for brainstorming topics backed by keyword research
Google Keyword Planner (Web)
While Google Keyword Planner’s main purpose is for PPC keyword research, it also works well as a topic generator. Make a new plan and go to the Keyword ideas tab to get related keywords to any topic you enter. Sort the Keywords column by relevance to get more niche topics as you get deeper into the list.
Google Keyword Planner pricing: Free plan includes keyword discovery, keyword organization, and performance forecasting.
Learn more: The best free keyword research tools
The best free writing software for brainstorming out loud
Wispr Flow (Windows, Mac, iOS)
If you process your thoughts best through speaking, you can use your computer’s built-in dictation software (Apple Dictation for Apple devices; Windows Voice Access for Windows) to transcribe your thoughts as you brainstorm out loud.
But if you have a mix of devices—a Mac at home and a Windows desktop at work, for example—go with Wispr Flow. It works everywhere and seamlessly syncs across devices. And unlike classic dictation apps that only take your speech and turn it into words, Flow can detect which app you’re using and adapt the writing to be more professional or casual.
Wispr Flow pricing: Free plan includes 2,000 words per week; paid plans from $12/user/month (billed annually).
Learn more: The best dictation software
The best free writing software for keeping everything in one place
Notion (Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android)
I do all of my professional work in the Google-o-sphere (Google Docs, Google Sheets, etc.), so there’s no good reason why I should feel compelled to use Notion. And yet, I can’t stay away from the aesthetics of it all. It’s so simple and fun. (Who knew a note-taking app could spark fun?)
Notion can be your word processor, your database, your task and project management app—even your second brain. There’s also Notion Calendar, which integrates with Notion but is still functionally separate from Notion itself. And that’s all before you even consider all the AI features. That’s what makes it such a strong candidate for storing all the things: notes, transcriptions, tasks—anything, really.
Notion integrates with Zapier, so you can connect it to thousands of other apps to do things like automatically generate tasks from new Notion database items or send calendar events to Notion. Learn more about how to automate Notion.
Notion pricing: Free for personal users; paid plans from $10/user/month (billed annually).
Learn more: The best note-taking apps and the best Notion alternatives
The best free writing software for solo and collaborative writing
Google Docs (Web, Chrome, iOS, Android)
Google Docs’ straightforward interface and ease of use make it a great tool for writing solo, but this app really shines through its collaborative features. Its suggestion, sharing, and version history features put it on par with its paid alternatives at no cost to you.
For my academically-inclined: Google Docs has a built-in citation generator (click Tools > Citations) that can automatically output in MLA, APA, or Chicago. If you need something else, you’ll need to enter it manually. Or, you can use the built-in AI assistant, Gemini, to do it for you—along with all your other writing needs like brainstorming, proofreading, and wordsmithing.
You can also connect Google Docs to all the other tools you use with its Zapier integration. Learn more about how to automate Google Docs.
Google Docs pricing: Free
The best free writing software for journaling
Day One (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, watchOS)
If you want a dedicated place to write and reflect—separate from your notes app, docs, or work tools—go with Day One. The free plan covers the core journaling experience: customizable entries with Markdown formatting, hashtag organization, photo inserts, daily prompts when you’re not sure what to write, and multiple customizable reminders throughout the day.
You can even automate entries in Day One with Zapier. If there are things you wish showed up in your journal automatically—a song you liked in Spotify, for example, or specific Notion database items—Zapier can take care of it for you.
Day One pricing: Free plan includes unlimited journals and entries; paid plans from $49.99/year.
The best free writing software for focused writing
FocusWriter (Windows, Linux)
There are lots of focus apps on the market designed to stop you from opening distracting apps. FocusWriter, on the other hand, encourages you to do something: write.
Open the app, and it takes you to a full-screen writing experience where it’s just you and your words. It comes with a variety of themes, like the above galaxy. But if writing in outer space makes your brain wander and question why you never pursued becoming an astronaut, you can also create your own, non-existential-crisis-inducing theme. And you can set a timer for your hyper-focused writing sprints.
FocusWriter pricing: Free
The best free writing software for finding the perfect word
Merriam-Webster (Web)
You’re looking to expand your vocabulary, and I applaud you for it. (I, on the other hand, like to just delete a word I don’t understand or know how to spell and call it a day.)
Merriam-Webster is the go-to dictionary and thesaurus for a reason: it’s simple and it works. It also offers simplified versions of some definitions—MW’s subtle way of letting you say, “Explain it to me like I’m 5” without having to actually say it.
Merriam-Webster pricing: Free
The best free writing software for clear and concise writing
Hemingway Editor (Web, macOS, Windows)
Inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s concise writing style, the Hemingway Editor points out opportunities to sharpen your writing. This tool highlights passive voice, complex sentences, and adverbs that make your work harder to understand. It also supplies a readability score to estimate how accessible your writing is to a broad audience.
Hemingway Editor pricing: Free for editing on the web only; paid plans for $19.99 (one-time purchase), which include the Mac or Windows desktop app.
The best free writing software for comparing your writing to AI content
GPTZero (Web, Chrome extension)
I use AI content detectors a little differently than I suspect most do. Every now and then—usually after days of writing with the help of an AI generator—I’ll run my own human writing through one, just to see how much AI jargon has crept into the way I naturally write. Then I course correct from there (pour one out for “but here’s the thing”). It’s far from perfect, but I like to think it helps me stay human.
GPTZero uses an AI detection model to determine AI-generated content, with additional shields to protect against bypassing approaches like paraphrasing. GPTZero also connects to Zapier, so you can build AI content detection into your existing workflows.
GPTZero pricing: Free for 10,000 words per month, 7 scans per hour; paid plans from $12.99/month (billed annually).
Learn more: The best AI content detectors
The best free writing software for proofreading
Grammarly (Web, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, browser extensions)
Check for spelling and grammar mistakes everywhere you write with Grammarly. It looks for even the nit-pickiest details, like missing dashes and incorrect prepositions. Stick to its web editor, add it to your favorite writing tool, or add the browser extension to check your writing wherever you go.
Plus, if you use GPTZero, it’s now under the same parent company as Grammarly (Superhuman). I haven’t seen the two working in tandem yet, but I’m willing to bet their functionalities will merge in the near future.
Grammarly pricing: Free for the basic spell- and grammar-checker; paid plans from $12/user/month (billed annually).
Learn more: The best grammar checkers
Free writing software FAQ
Here are some questions lots of people have about writing apps and how to choose the right one.
What’s a good free writing tool?
A good free writing tool offers the features you need to write efficiently and comfortably without charging you. The exact variety of features it offers depends on the job the tool needs to do in the first place.
Tools like Google Docs and Notion are free forever and very functional. Other apps, like Miro and Grammarly, have free plans that offer basic features, with more advanced features available via a paid plan.
But there are a lot of free writing tools available that perform a wide variety of functions—everything from brainstorming to research and note-taking to writing to editing to proofreading.
What writing tool do most writers use?
There’s a wide variety of writing tools out there, and which one a writer uses really comes down to preference. A lot of writers use Google Docs to write because they already use Google for so many other things (hi)—but some may prefer a tool like Notion, where they can combine writing with project management.
What makes a good writing tool?
In short, whatever helps you write! If a blank page and no distractions are what help you actually get words down, then open FocusWriter and go at it. If you need to organize your thoughts before you even think about writing, consider adding a brainstorming tool to the mix. Each writer’s process is different, and it’s all about finding tools that enable your writing, not add another roadblock to your process.
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This article was originally published in June 2015 with contributions from Jane Callahan, Jessica Greene, and Melissa King. The most recent update was in October 2026.