Best Software for Writing a Book (2026)

We don’t sell writing software, so this list has no affiliate links. Prices come from each maker’s site, checked on 20 October 2026. Software makes writing easier to organize, but it won’t set your deadlines. If that’s what you need, book coaching gives you a coach who reads your pages. For the writing process itself, see our step-by-step guide to writing a book.

Book writing software at a glance

Book writing software falls into four groups: apps you draft in, plotting tools, editing tools, and AI assistants. Here are eleven worth knowing.

Prices change. Check the maker’s site before you buy.

Which writing tool fits you?

Answer four quick questions and the check suggests one or two tools, with the reason.

Writing apps built for books

A writing app built for books lets you see the whole book at once, move chapters and scenes around, and keep notes next to the draft. That’s hard to do in a word processor.

• Scrivener splits your book into small pieces, a scene or a chapter each, that you drag into order. A corkboard shows each piece as an index card, and your research sits beside the draft. It takes time to learn. A one-time price and a 30-day trial make it easy to test on a real chapter.
• Dabble keeps your manuscript, plot grid and character notes in one place and syncs them across devices, with your work stored on each device for offline writing. It exports to Word (.docx).
• Novelcrafter builds a “codex” as you write: a list of your characters, places, lore and more you can open from any scene. The lowest plan has no AI. Higher plans let you connect your own AI account. It exports to Word.
• Ulysses gives you a clean, distraction-free screen on Mac, iPad and iPhone, and exports to Word, PDF and ebook formats. It suits writers on Apple devices who find a busy screen gets in the way.

Plotting and outlining tools

Plotting tools help you plan the story before or alongside the draft, so you know where each chapter is going.

• Plottr shows each plotline on a visual timeline and keeps a story bible for a book or series. It has dozens of templates based on story structures such as the three-act structure. For the structure itself, see how to write a fiction book.
• Campfire is built for worldbuilding: character profiles, maps, timelines, relationship webs and even magic systems. The free plan has limits, such as 10 characters and 25,000 manuscript words.

If a page of notes works better for you, a simple written outline does the same job for free.

Editing tools for your own draft

Editing tools read your draft and flag problems, so you can fix the easy things before an editor sees it.

• ProWritingAid runs reports on style, overused words, sentence length and pacing, and works inside Word and Google Docs.
• Grammarly checks spelling, grammar and clarity as you type, in your browser and in Word or Google Docs.
• Hemingway Editor highlights long sentences, passive voice and wordy phrases.
• AutoCrit edits fiction and non-fiction. Its Pro plan compares your style with books in your genre.

These tools are strongest on surface problems. Judging whether the plot works or a character lands is the job of a developmental edit.

AI writing assistants for authors

AI writing assistants can suggest ideas, describe a scene, or draft a passage from your notes. For KDP’s disclosure rules and copyright in full, see can AI write a book. Know three things before you use one.

• Sudowrite is built for fiction. It can expand, rewrite and describe passages in your style and brainstorm with you in a chat. It’s priced in monthly credits.
• Novelcrafter can connect to an AI model you choose, using your own codex so suggestions fit your story.

The rules:

1. Amazon KDP asks you to disclose AI-generated text, images or translations when you publish, even if you edited them heavily. Text you wrote yourself and refined with AI tools counts as AI-assisted and doesn’t need disclosing.
2. US copyright protects human authorship. The US Copyright Office’s January 2025 report says prompts alone don’t make you the author of what an AI produces. The parts you write and arrange yourself can still be protected.
3. Check your publisher’s rules. Traditional publishers and contests set their own.

At AuthorWings, people write and edit our clients’ books. See our AI policy.

Free book writing software

You can write a whole book without paying for software.

• yWriter is a free novel planner by author and programmer Simon Haynes. It organizes a book by chapters and scenes. It runs on Windows, with a Mac version in progress and phone apps for editing on the go.
• LibreOffice Writer is a free desktop word processor for Windows, Mac and Linux that saves Word files.
• Free plans from Campfire, ProWritingAid, Grammarly, AutoCrit and Hemingway cover the basics.
• Google Docs and Word for the web are free too, and plenty of books are drafted in one of them.

Want a plan on paper first? Our free book writing template opens in Word or Google Docs.

Back up your book and export a Word file

Whatever you write in, keep three copies: the working file, a cloud copy that syncs on its own, and a dated copy kept somewhere else each week. Open a backup now and then to check it works. Copyright protects your draft from the moment you write it.

When the draft is done, editors usually ask for a Word file (.docx). Scrivener, Dabble, Novelcrafter and Ulysses can all export one. Laying the book out for print and ebook is a separate, later step; see formatting for print and ebook. Formatting apps such as Vellum come in at that later step.

When to get help

The right software keeps your book organized. If your draft still stalls, help makes sense.

• You want deadlines and feedback while you write it yourself. A book coach reads your pages and keeps you on schedule, from $849, or try one session for $399. Our coaches work with fiction, non-fiction and memoir, including romance, mystery, thriller, suspense, fantasy, young adult, women’s and contemporary fiction.
• Your draft is finished. A developmental edit looks at the whole book. For fiction it is $330 for the first 10,000 words, then $0.033 a word.

Book writing software questions authors ask

What software do authors use to write books?

Authors use many tools. Some draft in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Others use apps built for books, such as Scrivener, Dabble or Novelcrafter, which let you move scenes around and keep notes beside the draft. Plotting tools like Plottr help plan the story, and editing tools like ProWritingAid flag problems before an editor sees the pages.

Is Scrivener worth it for a first book?

It can be, if you write in scenes out of order or keep a lot of research. Scrivener costs $59.99 one time for Mac or Windows and has a 30-day free trial, so you can test it on a real chapter first. If you write start to finish, a simpler app may be all you need, and you skip the learning curve.

Is there free book writing software?

Yes. yWriter is a free novel planner, LibreOffice Writer is a free word processor, and Google Docs and Word for the web cost nothing with an account. Campfire, ProWritingAid, Grammarly, AutoCrit and Hemingway Editor have free versions with limits. Many paid apps, including Scrivener, Dabble, Novelcrafter and Plottr, offer free trials of 14 to 30 days.

Can I use AI writing software for my book?

You can, with care. Amazon KDP asks you to disclose AI-generated text, images or translations when you publish, though text you wrote and refined with AI doesn’t need disclosing. US copyright protects only human authorship, so passages an AI writes from your prompts may not be yours to register. Publishers and contests may set their own rules.