The Best Apps/Software for Authors
As an upcoming author and a seasoned blogger, I’ve run into my fair share of writing and editing catastrophes along the way. March of this year I began writing articles on the writing platform, Medium, and in total, I’ve published 30 writing pieces for the community to enjoy. In truth, even as the best authors do sometimes, I had to search for applications and platforms that could aid me occasionally during my writing process.
Below are 5 of the most reputable apps that I found for authors:
1. Scrivener (One-Time Purchase of $59.99)
A word processor that was created specifically for authors who are tackling those long-form projects.
Keeps your research, outlines, and manuscript in one single workplace.
Divide manuscripts into individual scenes and chapters.
Easily rearrange your scenes using the drag-and-drop option.
Import material such as references, web pages, character sheets, and even audio files.
Outline novels visually using digital index cards, so you can see the macro-structure of your story.
Set daily word counts, deadlines, and track target lengths of specific scenes or chapters.
Save specific versions of a document using snapshots, allowing you to experiment with different versions of a scene.
Compile feature which lets you format your book into professional publishing formats.
2. Sudowrite (Several Pricing Plans)
AI-powered writing platform built for creative writers and fiction authors.
Unlike common AI tools like ChatGPT, this platform is designed to mimic narrative arc structure and a novelist’s specific voice, all while maintaining both character and plot consistency.
Acts as a master-brain of your novel; just input your genre, characters, world-building notes, and outlines.
The Write tool analyzes your tone and drops in the next few hundred words of text; if the scene seems rushed, use the Expand tool which adds descriptive detail and adjusts pacing without changing the plot.
If you’re stuck on a plot point, this AI-assistant collaborates with you, generating an endless list of names, dialogue options, plot twists, or magical items based on your unique context.
The most popular pricing plan for active novelists is the professional tier, which is priced at $22/month (billed annually), or $29/month (paid monthly). This gets you 1,000,000 credits.
3. Campfire (Free 25,000-word limit)
A highly visual, modular software suite created for authors who love intensive plotting, complex outlining, and deep worldbuilding.
Considered the ultimate software for fantasy, sci-fi, and fiction writers who wish to map out vast fictional universes.
Organizes your book into a series of visual modules, which you can customize to match the aesthetic theme of your story.
Includes an interactive tool used to map out events chronologically, track plot arcs, and manage complex subplots without losing continuity.
Pin locations on an interactive custom map, create built-in dictionaries for fictional languages, and organize specific rules for magic systems, custom species, and distinct cultures.
All-tier access costs around $12.50 to $14.00 per month.
4. Plottr ($60/year or $199 one-time)
Visual book-planning and outlining software designed for authors who wish to map out their narrative arcs, character progression, and world-building.
Its primary goal is to help you structure your story quickly using a highly intuitive, drag-and-drop grid system.
Creators proudly position it as a tool purely for human creativity, so this software does not contain any AI features.
A layout and structure blueprint that you export into your preferred word processor when you’re ready to start your draft.
Chapters (beats) run horizontally across the top, while different plotlines (Character B Arch) run vertically down the side.
Comes loaded with over 30 pre-built plotting templates based on popular writing frameworks.
Build detailed sheets for characters and story settings.
Plan tiers and prices include: Standard ($60/year or $199 one-time) Plottr Pro ($15/month or $150/year) Plottr Pro + Community ($27/month or $270/year)
5. Grammarly (Free Plan Available)
AI-powered writing assistant that works across almost every app and website to fix spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes.
Real-time editing tool designed to polish your prose, adjust your tone, and ensure your writing is clear and professional.
As you type out sentences, this assistant checks your work and underlines mistakes in real time.
Red indicates spelling and grammatical errors within your sentences; blue shows clarity issues, purple points out tone mismatches, and green highlights wordiness.
Offers alternative word choices to match your intended audience.
Includes AI features that can rewrite your whole paragraph, shorten sentences, brainstorm ideas, or generate text from scratch based on simple text prompts.
Included in premium plans, you even get a plagiarism detector which checks your document against billions of web pages and academic databases to ensure your text is completely original and cited properly.
Plan Pricing Tiers include the Premium Plan ($12/month billed annually or $30/month billed monthly) and Business Plan ($15/user/month billed annually)
Paid plans occasionally go on sale during major shopping holidays.
If you’re a writer who’s looking for a little assistance with your work too, make sure to check out these top five apps and software for authors!