15 Greatest Apps for Freelance Writers in 2023 (Free and Paid)

There’s an ever-growing variety of apps for freelance writers. Numerous article writing apps and different software program for freelance writers all declare to have the ability to provide help to write extra, higher high quality, and in much less time.

Nonetheless, with so many apps and instruments out there, it may be arduous to know the place to begin. That’s why I’ve put collectively this listing of the very best freelance writing apps that will help you resolve which of them are literally value utilizing.

Freelance writing is without doubt one of the finest jobs for digital nomads and anybody else who needs to work for themself and earn cash with a web-based job. As a contract author myself, I’m all the time on the lookout for new methods to make my work simpler and simpler.

Used correctly, the next instruments may help hold your work working easily and effectively and assist cease you from feeling overwhelmed.

For those who’re trying to grow to be a contract author, take a look at my evaluation of the Knowadays Freelance Author course. I lately accomplished this course and supplied my sincere insights and ideas right here on this evaluation.

Greatest Apps For Freelance Writers

From apps for content material writing to plagiarism checkers, and file administration to communication instruments, this submit is all about 15 of the very best apps and packages for freelance writers.

When compiling this listing of instruments for freelance writers, I included lots of the packages that I commonly use myself. For the remaining, I picked among the hottest and highly-reviewed apps out there on-line. To assist these on a price range, I’ve additionally included a number of free freelance writing apps.

1. Grammarly

Grammarly is without doubt one of the best-known, and most helpful, instruments to assist writers polish their work as much as a excessive commonplace. I take advantage of Grammarly day by day and assume it’s probably the greatest freelance writing apps on the market.

As a contract author, it’s very important that you may persistently ship writing that’s free from spelling errors and grammatical errors. Nevertheless it’s additionally necessary to make sure that your writing flows nicely, is evident, and has the correct tone.

Grammarly delivers this in an easy-to-use, set-and-forget format. It’s easy to put in and arrange and works as a plugin throughout a variety of platforms together with Chrome, Google Docs, Microsoft Workplace, Apple Notes, and extra.

Even higher, the usual model is free to make use of. You’ll be able to pay for the premium model ($144 per yr, $60 per quarter, or $30 per thirty days) which accommodates numerous superior options, like superior tone and readability enhancing. However for my part, the essential free model is completely satisfactory.

Execs of Grammarly

• Broad vary of checks together with spelling, punctuation, grammar, tone, phrase alternative, and readability.
• Actual-time, correct advised corrections.
• Customizable settings (e.g. you’ll be able to set it to British, American, or Australian English).
• Effectively-designed person interface.
• Appropriate with a broad vary of platforms and different apps, together with Chrome and most typical Home windows and Mac purposes.
• The fundamental model is free (and nice).

Cons of Grammarly

• Sometimes it may be a bit buggy with another purposes (e.g. the WordPress editor).
• Frequent prompts to improve your account (which, I assume, is truthful sufficient because it’s a freemium product).
• It may’t study your voice, so generally makes options that don’t match with your personal private type.
• I’ve discovered that often it makes a suggestion that isn’t correct, though this doesn’t occur too typically.

2. Scrivener

Scrivener is one other great tool designed to assist make freelance writers’ jobs simpler. The app acts as a phrase processor, a portfolio, and a scrapbook on your notes. It lets you handle and set up all your supplies, analysis, and writing in a single easy-to-access place.

Scrivener has numerous superior options which might be designed to assist create a seamless analysis, writing, and enhancing course of. These instruments embody analysis playing cards, customizable templates and presets, the power to import and index information, and metatags.

Scrivener is especially helpful for managing long-form writing tasks. Whether or not you’re an aspiring novelist, a scriptwriter, a contract copywriter, or another kind of freelance author, these options may help enhance your workflow and hold every thing organized and straightforward to entry.

It really works throughout all main working techniques together with macOS, iOS, and Home windows. Value-wise, Scrivener has a one-off payment of $59.99 for Mac or Home windows or $23.99 for iOS. There’s no free plan, though there’s a 30-day free trial so you’ll be able to attempt it out before you purchase.

Execs of Scrivener

• 30-day free trial with entry to all options.
• Customizable setup and interfaces for a customized person expertise.
• A wide range of pre-set templates for numerous completely different genres of writing.
• Offline performance.
• Useful tutorials for mastering the platform.
• Comparatively inexpensive, one-off payment.

Cons of Scrivener

• Requires separate licenses for every platform (so, if you wish to apply it to each Mac and Home windows, you might want to buy two licenses).
• No free model.
• Wide selection of options is perhaps tough for some folks to grow to be acquainted with.

3. Evernote

Evernote is actually a robust note-taking software that gives a easy but efficient means for jotting down concepts, conducting analysis, drafting articles, organizing your notes, and even creating to-do lists.

Many individuals (myself included) can discover the method of writing considerably chaotic and overwhelming at occasions. That is the place Evernote comes into its personal, making the artistic course of extra structured and manageable. This system has a variety of templates that will help you kickstart your note-taking course of.

It’s a really versatile platform and lets you incorporate hyperlinks, tables, attachments, photographs, audio recordings, and even sketches into your notes. You’ll be able to even use it as a primary undertaking administration system and it’s appropriate with each Home windows and Mac.

Evernote has a free model with restricted options (together with a most be aware dimension of 25 MB and a restrict of 60 MB uploads per thirty days). There’s additionally a Private plan (at present $10.83/month or $129.99/yr) or a Skilled plan $14.17/month or $169.99/yr) with a higher vary of performance.

Execs of Evernote

• Easy, intuitive interface.
• Glorious software for note-taking and preserving your notes organized.
• There’s a free plan.
• Doc scanner function for digitizing handwritten notes or paperwork​.
• Highly effective search operate makes it fast and straightforward to navigate by way of intensive notes.

Cons of Evernote

• The free model has restricted performance.
• Paid plans are comparatively costly for what you get.
• Sometimes it may be a bit buggy when syncing throughout a number of units.

4. Google Docs

Everyone’s heard of Google Docs, proper? This incredible free software is tremendous helpful for freelance writers, particularly those that commonly work in collaboration with shoppers and others.

Google Docs is principally like a free model of Microsoft Phrase, besides every thing is saved within the cloud and you may collaborate with a number of different customers concurrently. That is one other app that I take advantage of on a near-daily foundation and would advocate it to any freelance author.

Having the ability to share a doc along with your shopper and see edits and feedback in real-time is extremely useful. It makes the method of communication and revision a lot faster and simpler in contrast with “conventional” back-and-forth through e-mail.

As a result of every thing is cloud-based, all your work is saved routinely and could be accessed from any gadget (Home windows or Apple) at any time. The model historical past function additionally lets you monitor modifications over time, which may come in useful when engaged on a number of revisions.

Execs of Google Docs

• It’s free.
• Actual-time collaboration so a number of folks can edit paperwork concurrently.
• Cloud-based, so every thing is saved routinely and could be accessed at any time (and from any gadget).
• It’s tremendous intuitive and user-friendly.
• A great deal of useful options and settings from easy to superior.
• Appropriate cross-platform, so you’ll be able to edit the identical doc on an iPhone, an Android telephone, a PC, and a Mac all on the identical time!

Cons of Google Docs

• Lacks some superior formatting and enhancing options in contrast with Microsoft Phrase.
• You’ll be able to work offline, though real-time modifications are solely synced when you’ve an web connection.

5. ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is a robust software for freelance writers, serving as each a writing editor and a private writing coach. There’s a (restricted) free model, or you’ll be able to pay $30 per thirty days, $120 per yr, or $399 for lifetime entry to the premium model.

Much like Grammarly, ProWritingAid helps to boost the standard of your writing by figuring out and fixing any spelling errors and grammatical errors. It additionally checks for plagiarism in addition to any contextual errors in your writing.

Top-of-the-line options of ProWritingAid is its capacity to revise obscure or unclear writing, providing useful options to enhance the standard of the textual content.

It’s a flexible platform and is appropriate with Home windows and Mac by way of browser extensions (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and many others.) in addition to plugins for different apps corresponding to Microsoft Phrase, Scrivener, and Google Docs.

Execs of ProWritingAid

• In-depth grammar, spelling, and elegance checks to enhance writing high quality.
• Plagiarism checker to make sure content material originality.
• Straightforward to make use of.
• Appropriate with many different writing instruments.
• Browser extensions for simple entry and usefulness.
• Reasonably priced pricing (for those who pay yearly) plus a free model out there.
• There’s a lifetime plan, which is cost-effective in the long term.

Cons of ProWritingAid

• The free model has restricted performance.
• The premium model is comparatively costly for those who pay month-to-month.
• Sometimes suggests incorrect amendments.
• No cellular app.

6. Dropbox

I’ve been utilizing Dropbox for so long as I can bear in mind, since nicely earlier than I began working as a contract author. Nonetheless, it’s a very great tool for freelance writers who have to retailer, backup, share, and entry their work from anyplace, together with on the go.

Dropbox is seamless and tremendous simple to make use of. It’s basically a drag-and-drop system the place you choose the information and folders you need it to entry and the platform does the remaining for you.

There’s a free plan that gives as much as 2GB of storage. For those who want extra, you’ll be able to pay $22/month (or $18/month for those who pay yearly) for as much as 3TB of knowledge.

I take advantage of Dropbox to again up my most necessary pictures, paperwork, and information. It’s additionally a good way to share bigger information (like high-res pictures) with others, particularly if these information are bigger than the restrict that you just’re capable of ship by e-mail.

Execs of Dropbox

• Actual-time syncing of information throughout numerous units.
• Straightforward approach to collaborate and share information/folders with others.
• Safe technique of backing up necessary work.
• There’s a free model with as much as 2GB of storage.
• Appropriate on all main working techniques, together with iOS.

Cons of Dropbox

• The free plan affords solely 2GB of storage which is perhaps inadequate for some.

7. Freedom

Freedom is a good app for freelance writers who need to be free from distractions throughout their working hours. And in flip, being extra productive.

The app blocks out distracting web sites and apps in your units (Instagram, information web sites, and many others.) permitting you to work in a quiet, conducive digital atmosphere.

You’ll be able to customise the web sites/apps that it blocks, and schedule “blocked” classes throughout which all distractions are stored at bay. It even has a “locked” mode for many who is perhaps tempted to attempt to disable the blocker.

The app is appropriate with most main working techniques (each cellular and desktop) and prices $8.99/month for those who pay month-to-month, or $3.33/month for those who pay yearly.

Execs of Freedom

• Effectively blocks distracting web sites and apps.
• Nice for many who battle with productiveness due to distractions.
• You’ll be able to pre-schedule “blocked” classes.
• “Locked” mode for stricter enforcement of the blocking guidelines.

Cons of Freedom

• It’s comparatively costly for what it’s (particularly for those who pay month-to-month).
• It is perhaps too restrictive for some, particularly for those who prefer to take common breaks and browse different issues on-line when working.
• Not needed for everyone.

8. Hemingway Editor

Hemingway Editor is one other widespread software for freelance writers trying to improve the standard of their written output. In addition to containing an ordinary spelling and grammar checker, it additionally affords enhanced insights on readability, sentence complexity, and energetic vs. passive voice.

Hemingway Editor helps make sure that your writing is evident, participating, and simply digestible. It makes options the place needed to assist enhance the readability and tone of your writing.

It is a notably great tool for many who discover themselves writing overly advanced sentences, or utilizing an excessive amount of passive voice, which may generally have a destructive affect on the readability of the message being conveyed.

The net model of Hemingway Editor is free, making this an amazing choice for freelance writers on a good price range. The offline desktop model is out there for a one-off payment of $19.99, making it probably the greatest low cost freelance writing apps out there in the present day.

Execs of Hemingway Editor

• Effortly improves your writing type, making textual content clearer and extra participating.
• Assesses readability and sentence complexity.
• Nice for many who battle with readability and overuse of passive voice.
• The net model is free.
• The offline desktop model is inexpensive ($19.99 for lifetime entry).
• Appropriate with each Home windows and Mac.

Cons of Hemingway Editor

• It could generally oversimplify advanced concepts or subjects.
• Might not be appropriate for sure technical or advanced genres of writing (e.g. science, legislation, engineering, and many others.).
• Some folks may discover the options unhelpful, particularly in case you have a definite writing type.

9. Canva

Canva is a good software for freelance writers who additionally have to create visually interesting content material, corresponding to social media posts, displays, posters, ads, official firm publications, and the like.

With an intuitive drag-and-drop editor and an enormous variety of customizable templates and design varieties, it makes the in any other case lengthy and (dare I say it) tedious technique of graphic design tremendous simple, fast, and satisfying.

I take advantage of Canva pretty typically and notably like its wealthy library of pictures and graphics. I additionally love how simple it’s to format and customise your personal templates, permitting you to supply constant designs at scale.

You’ll be able to entry the essential model of Canva without cost. Canva Professional affords a variety of extra superior options, templates, and pictures and prices $119.99 for an annual subscription, or $14.99 if paid month-to-month.

Execs of Canva

• Big library of templates, pictures, and graphics.
• Fast and easy to create stunning visuals and professional-looking designs.
• Customizable templates for model consistency.
• Consumer-friendly drag-and-drop editor.
• Straightforward to make use of, even for these (like me) with none background in graphic design.
• Appropriate with Mac and Home windows.
• The free model is nice and has a lot of performance.

Cons of Canva

• You must pay for some superior options.
• The massive variety of options and templates is perhaps overwhelming for some.
• Not more likely to be helpful for text-only freelance writers.

10. Yoast Web optimization

For those who’re a contract author who wants to put in writing Web optimization-friendly content material (eg. web site copy, weblog posts, and many others.), Yoast Web optimization is without doubt one of the finest and most helpful instruments round.

Yoast analyzes your writing and supplies actionable insights and suggestions on the way to optimize your content material to make sure that it complies with Web optimization finest practices. It has a beginner-friendly interface, making it an amazing software even for these unfamiliar with Web optimization.

Yoast Web optimization is a plugin for WordPress, which is a typical platform for managing on-line content material on web sites. The fundamental model is free and there’s additionally a paid Premium model that prices $99 per yr.

I take advantage of the free model on a regular basis and would extremely advocate it to any freelance author producing on-line content material.

Execs of Yoast Web optimization

• Straightforward to make use of and intuitive interface.
• Offers sensible insights and suggestions for on-page Web optimization optimizations.
• Focus key phrase function helps you optimize content material round particular key phrases.
• Common updates and good buyer assist.
• The free model is nice.

Cons of Yoast Web optimization

• Suggestions could be a bit overly prescriptive and mechanical.
• Solely helpful for freelance writers who want to put in writing Web optimization-optimized content material for on-line publication.

11. Copyscape

Copyscape is without doubt one of the finest packages for plagiarism detection and is a good software for any freelance author to make sure that the content material you produce is authentic and free from any type of plagiarism.

It’s a web-based platform the place you enter the writing you need to verify and it shortly scans the content material and allows you to understand how a lot (if any) of this materials seems anyplace else on-line.

Copyscape is affordable and easy to make use of. You’ll be able to both copy and paste content material into the software or just add entire PDFs or Phrase paperwork and the software program scans it for you routinely.

Copyscape is accessible through an internet browser so isn’t depending on any working system. Pricing is predicated on the variety of phrases checked, beginning at 3 cents for the primary 200 phrases and 1 cent for every further 100 phrases.

Execs of Copyscape

• It’s pretty low cost so long as you don’t have to verify very massive volumes of content material.
• Helps checking complete paperwork in PDF and Phrase format.
• There’s a WordPress plugin for these writing on-line content material.

Cons of Copyscape

• The free model of Copyscape solely lets you verify for plagiarised variations of your content material already on-line.
• To verify whether or not your content material accommodates plagiarism itself, you might want to pay.
• The associated fee can shortly add up for bigger paperwork/tasks.
• It’s web-based so that you want web entry to make use of it.

12. Otter

Otter is an app that gives professional-quality speech-to-text dictation. It’s an amazing software for freelance writers preferring dictating their concepts fairly than writing them down and works in seconds to transcribe your spoken phrases into textual content.

There are many completely different speech recognition software program on the market all providing related issues. I’ve personally used Otter and it’s some of the correct instruments I’m conscious of, significantly better than the speech-to-text operate constructed into my iPhone or MacBook.

Otter is out there as an app for smartphones (iOS and Android), so it may be used anyplace, together with on-the-go. My companion is a journalist and she or he additionally makes use of Otter to create transcripts of interviews and different conferences. It’s fairly versatile.

There’s a free model that provides you entry to primary options, in addition to a Professional model that prices $10/month (billed yearly). Otter Professional lets you transcribe longer conversations, add colleagues to your workspace, import and transcribe audio and/or video information, and extra.

Execs of Otter

• Very correct voice recognition.
• You’ll be able to add customized phrases like technical phrases, firm jargon, slang, and many others.
• Integrates with different apps together with calendars, Slack, Groups, and many others.
• Consumer-friendly interface that’s simple to make use of.

Cons of Otter

• You must pay to entry premium options (like transcribing audio and video information).
• The associated fee is perhaps a deterrent for some.
• It does often errors (though, in equity, that’s true of all transcription software program, and Otter is certainly probably the greatest choices).

13. Slack

Slack is a well-liked software amongst freelance writers and different groups to remain in contact with their colleagues and shoppers.

Freelance writers can use it to speak with their shoppers, share paperwork (briefs, drafts, feedback, and many others.), and focus on and collaborate in actual time. You need to use it to make calls, host video conferences, and for one-on-one or group immediate message chats.

Slack is out there as each an app (smartphone and desktop) in addition to through an internet browser. It integrates with numerous different apps and instruments (together with Google Suite) which additional enhances its performance.

I take advantage of the free model of Slack fairly commonly. There’s additionally a paid model that begins at $7.25 per person per thirty days (billed yearly) and has much more superior options.

Execs of Slack

• Seamless communication with shoppers and colleagues.
• The free plan has numerous helpful options.
• The paid model is pretty inexpensive.
• Integrates with numerous different apps and instruments.
• A number of built-in communication choices cater to varied communication wants.
• Straightforward-to-use and extremely customizable interface.

Cons of Slack

• Many individuals won’t just like the “all the time out there” nature of immediate messaging.
• I personally discover it may be difficult to maintain monitor of ongoing conversations and the message historical past can get buried.
• The online browser model is commonly fairly sluggish to load.

14. Notion

I’ve lately began utilizing Notion and it’s been a sport changer for me. Notion markets itself as a unified workspace that lets you hold all your notes, tasks, duties, and to-do lists in a single place.

Relatively than having a number of tabs open on the high of your browser for every of your ongoing duties, you’ll be able to file these all effectively inside Notion in an easy-to-access format.

It’s a good way to prepare your ideas, handle your schedules and deadlines, and hold every thing working easily. For me, as a freelancer and small enterprise proprietor, it permits me to juggle a number of tasks concurrently with out feeling overwhelmed.

The fundamental model is free and comes with an amazing vary of options. There’s additionally a paid model, though I don’t actually assume it’s needed given how good the free model is. Notion additionally has apps for desktop and smartphones, though personally, I desire the web-based model.

Execs of Notion

• An effective way to prepare your notes, duties, deadlines, and to-do lists.
• It’s an all-in-one workspace.
• Extremely versatile with a variety of helpful options.
• The free model is nice.
• Out there in web-based format in addition to by way of apps (for smartphone, desktop, Mac, Home windows, and many others.).
• Cross-platform performance.

Cons of Notion

• There’s a little bit of a studying curve whenever you first begin.
• Not everybody may discover it helpful, it relies on the way you prefer to work (however I’d nonetheless advocate making an attempt it – I find it irresistible!).

15. Pocket

If, like me, you all the time have an intensive “to learn” or “to observe” listing, you’ll love Pocket. This nice little app lets you save articles, web sites, documentaries, movies, and extra multi functional place, permitting you to entry them later.

For freelance writers, this can be a nice approach to retailer analysis and different supplies collectively, to assist hold every thing organized and straightforward to handle. You’ll be able to file issues away into folders, permitting you to refer again to them shortly every time you might want to, together with whenever you’re offline.

It’s additionally nice for private suggestions, no matter you’re concerned with. At any time when someone says, “You have to learn X” or “Watch Y, it’s nice”, I save the suggestions in Pocket after which learn/watch them later every time I’ve time (e.g. on an extended flight or practice journey).

The fundamental model of Pocket (which I take advantage of) is free. There’s additionally a Premium model that accommodates further options (like a everlasting library, superior looking, note-taking, annotating and highlighting supplies, and many others.) and prices $5 per thirty days or $45 per yr.

Execs of Pocket

• The fundamental model is free (and nice).
• It’s a extremely environment friendly approach to retailer and set up content material that you just need to learn later.
• The app additionally recommends further content material so that you can learn primarily based in your private pursuits.
• Offline entry to saved content material (written solely, not video).
• Premium model affords further options together with superior looking, limitless highlighting, and a everlasting library.

Cons of Pocket

• You’ll be able to’t save movies for offline playback.
• You must pay for Premium options (though it’s nonetheless comparatively inexpensive).

Should-Have Freelance Writing Instruments: FAQs

Conclusion

I extremely advocate making the most of these apps for freelance writers to assist maximize your productiveness, handle deadlines, and optimize the standard of your writing.

I take advantage of many of those instruments each day. They’re all nice and assist me enormously, I hope you discover them helpful too. For those who’re contemplating changing into a contract author, take a look on the course with Knowadays. I lately accomplished this course and extremely advocate it. Use this hyperlink and promo code GOATS25 for 25% off.