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 accessible, it may be exhausting to know the place to start out. That’s why I’ve put collectively this listing of the most effective freelance writing apps that can assist you resolve which of them are literally price utilizing.

Freelance writing is without doubt one of the greatest jobs for digital nomads and anybody else who desires to work for themself and earn a living with a web based job. As a freelance author myself, I’m at all times on the lookout for new methods to make my work simpler and simpler.

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

When you’re seeking to change into a contract author, take a look at my evaluate of the Knowadays Freelance Author course. I lately accomplished this course and offered my sincere insights and ideas right here on this evaluate.

Greatest Apps For Freelance Writers

From apps for content material writing to plagiarism checkers, and file administration to communication instruments, this publish is all about 15 of the most effective apps and applications for freelance writers.

When compiling this listing of instruments for freelance writers, I included most of the applications that I usually use myself. For the remainder, I picked a number of the hottest and highly-reviewed apps accessible on-line. To assist these on a finances, 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 normal. I take advantage of Grammarly on daily basis and suppose it’s probably the greatest freelance writing apps on the market.

As a contract author, it’s important you could persistently ship writing that’s free from spelling errors and grammatical errors. Nevertheless it’s additionally vital to make sure that your writing flows nicely, is evident, and has the appropriate 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 spread 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 possibly can pay for the premium model ($144 per 12 months, $60 per quarter, or $30 per thirty days) which incorporates quite a few superior options, like superior tone and readability modifying. 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 may set it to British, American, or Australian English).
• Effectively-designed consumer interface.
• Appropriate with a broad vary of platforms and different apps, together with Chrome and commonest Home windows and Mac purposes.
• The essential model is free (and nice).

Cons of Grammarly

• Often 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 could possibly’t be taught your voice, so generally makes ideas that don’t match with your individual private type.
• I’ve discovered that sometimes 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 to your notes. It means that you can handle and set up your entire supplies, analysis, and writing in a single easy-to-access place.

Scrivener has quite a few superior options which might be designed to assist create a seamless analysis, writing, and modifying course of. These instruments embrace analysis playing cards, customizable templates and presets, the flexibility to import and index recordsdata, and metatags.

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

It really works throughout all main working programs 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 may strive it out before you purchase.

Execs of Scrivener

• 30-day free trial with entry to all options.
• Customizable setup and interfaces for a customized consumer expertise.
• A wide range of pre-set templates for varied completely different genres of writing.
• Offline performance.
• Useful tutorials for mastering the platform.
• Comparatively reasonably priced, 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, it is advisable buy two licenses).
• No free model.
• Wide selection of options could be tough for some individuals to change into accustomed to.

3. Evernote

Evernote is basically a robust note-taking instrument 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 inventive course of extra structured and manageable. This system has a spread of templates that can assist you kickstart your note-taking course of.

It’s a really versatile platform and means that you can incorporate hyperlinks, tables, attachments, photographs, audio recordings, and even sketches into your notes. You possibly can even use it as a primary challenge administration system and it’s appropriate with each Home windows and Mac.

Evernote has a free model with restricted options (together with a most observe 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 $129.99/12 months) or a Skilled plan $14.17/month or $169.99/12 months) with a better vary of performance.

Execs of Evernote

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

Cons of Evernote

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

4. Google Docs

All people’s heard of Google Docs, proper? This implausible free instrument is tremendous helpful for freelance writers, particularly those that usually work in collaboration with shoppers and others.

Google Docs is mainly like a free model of Microsoft Phrase, besides every thing is saved within the cloud and you’ll 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 together with your consumer 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, your entire work is saved robotically and could be accessed from any machine (Home windows or Apple) at any time. The model historical past function additionally means that you can observe 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 individuals can edit paperwork concurrently.
• Cloud-based, so every thing is saved robotically and could be accessed at any time (and from any machine).
• It’s tremendous intuitive and user-friendly.
• A great deal of useful options and settings from easy to superior.
• Appropriate cross-platform, so you may edit the identical doc on an iPhone, an Android telephone, a PC, and a Mac all on the similar time!

Cons of Google Docs

• Lacks some superior formatting and modifying options in contrast with Microsoft Phrase.
• You possibly can work offline, though real-time modifications are solely synced when you’ve got an web connection.

5. ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is a robust instrument for freelance writers, serving as each a writing editor and a private writing coach. There’s a (restricted) free model, or you may pay $30 per thirty days, $120 per 12 months, or $399 for lifetime entry to the premium model.

Just 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 imprecise or unclear writing, providing useful ideas to enhance the standard of the textual content.

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

Execs of ProWritingAid

• In-depth grammar, spelling, and magnificence checks to enhance writing high quality.
• Plagiarism checker to make sure content material originality.
• Simple to make use of.
• Appropriate with many different writing instruments.
• Browser extensions for simple entry and value.
• Inexpensive pricing (in case you pay yearly) plus a free model accessible.
• 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 in case you pay month-to-month.
• Often suggests incorrect amendments.
• No cell 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 must retailer, backup, share, and entry their work from wherever, together with on the go.

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

There’s a free plan that gives as much as 2GB of storage. When you want extra, you may pay $22/month (or $18/month in case you pay yearly) for as much as 3TB of information.

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

Execs of Dropbox

• Actual-time syncing of recordsdata throughout varied units.
• Simple option to collaborate and share recordsdata/folders with others.
• Safe technique of backing up vital work.
• There’s a free model with as much as 2GB of storage.
• Appropriate on all main working programs, together with iOS.

Cons of Dropbox

• The free plan provides solely 2GB of storage which could be 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 so forth.) permitting you to work in a quiet, conducive digital surroundings.

You possibly can customise the web sites/apps that it blocks, and schedule “blocked” periods throughout which all distractions are saved at bay. It even has a “locked” mode for many who could be tempted to attempt to disable the blocker.

The app is appropriate with most main working programs (each cell and desktop) and prices $8.99/month in case you pay month-to-month, or $3.33/month in case you pay yearly.

Execs of Freedom

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

Cons of Freedom

• It’s comparatively costly for what it’s (particularly in case you pay month-to-month).
• It could be too restrictive for some, particularly in case you wish to take common breaks and browse different issues on-line when working.
• Not essential for everyone.

8. Hemingway Editor

Hemingway Editor is one other widespread instrument for freelance writers seeking to improve the standard of their written output. In addition to containing a regular spelling and grammar checker, it additionally provides enhanced insights on readability, sentence complexity, and lively vs. passive voice.

Hemingway Editor helps be certain that your writing is evident, participating, and simply digestible. It makes ideas the place essential to assist enhance the readability and tone of your writing.

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

The on-line model of Hemingway Editor is free, making this an amazing possibility for freelance writers on a decent finances. The offline desktop model is on the market for a one-off payment of $19.99, making it probably the greatest low cost freelance writing apps accessible right this moment.

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 web model is free.
• The offline desktop model is reasonably priced ($19.99 for lifetime entry).
• Appropriate with each Home windows and Mac.

Cons of Hemingway Editor

• It might generally oversimplify advanced concepts or subjects.
• Will not be appropriate for sure technical or advanced genres of writing (e.g. science, legislation, engineering, and so forth.).
• Some individuals may discover the ideas unhelpful, particularly you probably have a definite writing type.

9. Canva

Canva is a good instrument for freelance writers who additionally must create visually interesting content material, comparable 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 sorts, it makes the in any other case lengthy and (dare I say it) tedious means of graphic design tremendous straightforward, fast, and satisfying.

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

You possibly can entry the essential model of Canva totally free. Canva Professional provides a spread 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

• Enormous library of templates, photographs, and graphics.
• Fast and easy to create stunning visuals and professional-looking designs.
• Customizable templates for model consistency.
• Consumer-friendly drag-and-drop editor.
• Simple 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 numerous performance.

Cons of Canva

• That you must pay for some superior options.
• The large variety of options and templates could be overwhelming for some.
• Not prone to be helpful for text-only freelance writers.

10. Yoast Search engine optimisation

When you’re a contract author who wants to jot down Search engine optimisation-friendly content material (eg. web site copy, weblog posts, and so forth.), Yoast Search engine optimisation is without doubt one of the greatest 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 Search engine optimisation greatest practices. It has a beginner-friendly interface, making it an amazing instrument even for these unfamiliar with Search engine optimisation.

Yoast Search engine optimisation is a plugin for WordPress, which is a typical platform for managing on-line content material on web sites. The essential model is free and there’s additionally a paid Premium model that prices $99 per 12 months.

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 Search engine optimisation

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

Cons of Yoast Search engine optimisation

• Suggestions generally is a bit overly prescriptive and mechanical.
• Solely helpful for freelance writers who want to jot down Search engine optimisation-optimized content material for on-line publication.

11. Copyscape

Copyscape is without doubt one of the greatest applications for plagiarism detection and is a good instrument for any freelance author to make sure that the content material you produce is unique and free from any type of plagiarism.

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

Copyscape is reasonable and simple to make use of. You possibly can both copy and paste content material into the instrument or just add entire PDFs or Phrase paperwork and the software program scans it for you robotically.

Copyscape is accessible through an online 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 must examine 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 means that you can examine for plagiarised variations of your content material already on-line.
• To examine whether or not your content material incorporates plagiarism itself, it is advisable pay.
• The price can shortly add up for bigger paperwork/initiatives.
• 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 instrument 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 probably the most correct instruments I’m conscious of, a lot better than the speech-to-text perform constructed into my iPhone or MacBook.

Otter is on the market as an app for smartphones (iOS and Android), so it may be used wherever, together with on-the-go. My associate is a journalist and he or she 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 means that you can transcribe longer conversations, add colleagues to your workspace, import and transcribe audio and/or video recordsdata, and extra.

Execs of Otter

• Very correct voice recognition.
• You possibly can add customized phrases like technical phrases, firm jargon, slang, and so forth.
• Integrates with different apps together with calendars, Slack, Groups, and so forth.
• Consumer-friendly interface that’s straightforward to make use of.

Cons of Otter

• It’s important to pay to entry premium options (like transcribing audio and video recordsdata).
• The price could be a deterrent for some.
• It does sometimes errors (though, in equity, that’s true of all transcription software program, and Otter is unquestionably probably the greatest choices).

13. Slack

Slack is a well-liked instrument 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 so forth.), and talk about and collaborate in actual time. You should use it to make calls, host video conferences, and for one-on-one or group on the spot message chats.

Slack is on the market as each an app (smartphone and desktop) in addition to through an online browser. It integrates with quite a few different apps and instruments (together with Google Suite) which additional enhances its performance.

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

Execs of Slack

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

Cons of Slack

• Many individuals won’t just like the “at all times accessible” nature of on the spot messaging.
• I personally discover it may be difficult to maintain observe of ongoing conversations and the message historical past can get buried.
• The net browser model is usually fairly gradual to load.

14. Notion

I’ve lately began utilizing Notion and it’s been a recreation changer for me. Notion markets itself as a unified workspace that means that you can maintain your entire notes, initiatives, duties, and to-do lists in a single place.

Fairly than having a number of tabs open on the high of your browser for every of your ongoing duties, you may 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 maintain every thing working easily. For me, as a freelancer and small enterprise proprietor, it permits me to juggle a number of initiatives concurrently with out feeling overwhelmed.

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

Execs of Notion

• A good 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.
• Obtainable in web-based format in addition to by means of apps (for smartphone, desktop, Mac, Home windows, and so forth.).
• Cross-platform performance.

Cons of Notion

• There’s a little bit of a studying curve while you first begin.
• Not everybody may discover it helpful, it is determined by the way you wish to work (however I’d nonetheless advocate making an attempt it – I like it!).

15. Pocket

If, like me, you at all times have an in depth “to learn” or “to look at” listing, you’ll love Pocket. This nice little app means that you can save articles, web sites, documentaries, movies, and extra multi functional place, permitting you to entry them later.

For freelance writers, it is a nice option to retailer analysis and different supplies collectively, to assist maintain every thing organized and straightforward to handle. You possibly can file issues away into folders, permitting you to refer again to them shortly every time it is advisable, together with while you’re offline.

It’s additionally nice for private suggestions, no matter you’re eager about. At any time when someone says, “You should 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 a protracted flight or practice experience).

The essential model of Pocket (which I take advantage of) is free. There’s additionally a Premium model that incorporates further options (like a everlasting library, superior looking, note-taking, annotating and highlighting supplies, and so forth.) and prices $5 per thirty days or $45 per 12 months.

Execs of Pocket

• The essential model is free (and nice).
• It’s a very environment friendly option 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 provides further options together with superior looking, limitless highlighting, and a everlasting library.

Cons of Pocket

• You possibly can’t save movies for offline playback.
• It’s important to pay for Premium options (though it’s nonetheless comparatively reasonably priced).

Should-Have Freelance Writing Instruments: FAQs

Conclusion

I extremely advocate profiting from 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. When you’re contemplating changing into a contract author, take a look at the course with Knowadays. I lately accomplished this course and extremely advocate it. Use this hyperlink and promo code GOATS25 for 25% off.