Top 8 Writing Apps iPhone

Ever tried to write anything of note on your iPhone? Whether it be a lengthy emails or some kind of blog entry, writing anything of length with your iPhone’s default input keyboard can be a real pain – at least in our experience. As a writer of web articles, I invested in a portable Logitech Bluetooth keyboard some time ago and will often pair this with my iPhone or iPad when out and about in order to get work done on the fly. This is I believe the best option since it means you don’t have to carry a laptop around but can also be fairly productive when it comes to writing – it’s also very useful if you’re the kind of writer who just has to sit down and start tapping away when ideas come to you. But what are the best writing apps out there these days? The best apps for writers that ease one through that entire process? We recently took about 50 of these apps out and put each one of them through their paces, coming up with this definitive list. Enjoy!

8. Pages ($9.99)

While we put Pages here on the list at $9.99, this obviously applies to those who own an iPhone but don’t have a copy of the app and must therefore fork out for the privelege. For most of you, this app will have come as a standard free download that you get with your new device (or at least one that has been purchased in the last year and a half). So while it is the most expensive entry on our list, it will be free for most users and is as such perhaps the perfect budget writing app out there at present – especially for those who would rather not spend money on something like an Office 365 account or whatever. While it lacks features such as mail merging, linked textboxes and mailing labels, Pages is an excellent writing app for Apple users and great for those who would rather stick with what they have or kick things off without messing around too much. – Download from iTunes

7. Day One ($4.99)

If you’re the kind of writer that prefers to jot things down in a stream of consciousness kind of manner, then Day One is perhaps the app for you. This is really a journal app by definition, but boasts a great amount of customization and personalization that turns it into one of the more versatile writing apps out there at presents. It’s a great way to get creative with your writing, and perfect for those who want to feel as though they are contributing to something in their own personal writing space, rather than a clean and clear interface that you might find on one of the more minimalist writing apps out there. It can also be a very useful organizer, with an advanced tagging system that allows you to apply specific notes to each document you create and then find them easily at a later date. – Download from iTunes

6. Paper (Free)

I should precede this by mentioning that FiftyThree’s Paper is tecnically a note taking app so is designed for those quick bursts of writing rather than anything sustained. It is however notable for its handwriting capabilities, which is great for those users who like to jot things down with a stylus pen or whatever. The free version of Paper for the iPhone comes with a fountain pen that offers one of thhe smoothest handwriting experiences you will find on the iPhone or on any other mobile device at present. The pen will actively turn your letters into calligraphy, meaning that even scribbled words come out looking good. While these features come with the free version of the app, many of the additions will set you back a few dollars, but the experience is second to none if you have the money to spend. – Download from iTunes

5. Daedalus Touch ($0.99)

I feel that we should also mention Daedalus Touch, which is a great text editor for the iCloud that can be used across Apple devices and synced up with ease. As you can see from the image above, this is a stripped down writing app and as such perfect for those of the minimalist persuasion. – Download from iTunes

4. Lettrs (Free)

Okay, so Lettrs is a writing app but of course for writing letters rather than anything else, with a whole boatload of different options when it comes to including photos, graphics, different signatures and loads more. While it is not exactly a writing app in the traditional sense, this offers a great personalized experience. – Download from iTunes

3. Byword ($5.99)

Byword seems to be the one app that writers have picked out as their writing app of choice, and it’s easy to see why. Its minimalist design presents a writing space that is simple and not cluttered, though it does the lack the features of some of your bigger name writing apps. Byword is actually a popular program for Mac users, but its stripped down UI makes a lot of sense when ported to the smaller screen of the iPhone. Byrod stores documents locally but also gives you the option to save them to Dropbox or iCloud – we would recommend the former. There is obviously a basic toolbar provided for functions that you may need to use, but one tap of this and the tools slide away to present a clean and simple writing space which is perfect for those who would prefer a minimalist approach. – Download from iTunes

2. Microsoft Word (Free)

No list of writing apps would be complete without at least a passing mention of Microsoft’s flagship wordprocessing app, MS Word. The Office app has been a joke for years and it wasn’t until recently that they decided to finally release standalone titles, so finally there is a Word app to be proud of. Much of the features here won’t be available without a MS 365 account but if you already have one of those then it’s fine, and it’s a great way to keep your writing synced. If not, the free version of the app does a decent job and is great for those who would rather concentrate on the writing. – Download from iTunes

1. Penultimate (Free)

I first started using Penultimate a while back, before it was purchased by Evernote but even then it still linked with the note taking app as well as Dropbox and a bunch of other services. In fact, this was one of the strong points of the app – the ability to edit things and then push these between other apps which really helps productivity when you are using the writing app for both personal and professional jobs. Penultimate is the perfect handwriting app; that is to say, it’s a writer’s app but one for those who prefer scribbling away with a stylus instead of tapping away at a keypad. There are a lot of different options here in terms of customization, with many paper styles and color options to choose from. The palm recognition could do with some work, but the writing engine itself is excellent and it’s easy to see why Evernote were so keen on this one.  – Download from iTunes