Category

The best Writing & Notes apps for Mac

The best writing apps for Mac get out of the way and let the words lead. Here you will find iA Writer's considered plain text, Obsidian's lifelong Markdown knowledge base, Bear's elegant tags, Craft's beautiful documents and Day One's private journal, joined by smaller tools like Tot, Antinote and Charm. Every one treats text with respect.

Antinote preview
Antinote Quick notes and maths, one hotkey away. $5 One-Time
Bear preview
Bear Markdown notes with the finest tag system on the Mac. Free
Charm preview
Charm Spelling, grammar and word prediction. $9.99 One-Time
Craft preview
Craft Documents beautiful enough to send as they are. Free
Day One preview
Day One The definitive private journal for Apple devices. Free
iA Writer preview
iA Writer Plain text writing at its most considered. $49.99 One-Time
Obsidian preview
Obsidian Your lifelong knowledge base, in plain Markdown files. Free
Tot preview
Tot Seven dots for the text you juggle every day. Free

Frequently asked

What are the best writing apps for Mac?

iA Writer leads for considered plain text writing, Obsidian for a lifelong Markdown knowledge base, and Bear for elegant notes with the finest tag system on the Mac. Craft, Day One, Tot, Antinote and Charm cover documents, journals, quick notes and grammar.

Which app is best for note-taking?

Bear and Obsidian are the two standouts: Bear for tagged, Markdown-based notes with a beautiful native interface, Obsidian for a larger, interlinked knowledge base you own outright as plain files.

Are there free options?

Bear, Craft, Day One and Obsidian all offer free tiers, and Tot can be tried free before its one-time $19.99 unlock.

Which app helps with grammar and spelling?

Charm checks spelling and grammar and predicts your next word in every Mac app, entirely on-device, for a one-time $9.99.

Do these apps work on Apple Silicon?

Yes. Every app in Mac Dept. is chosen for feeling native to the Mac, and the entries here are modern, actively maintained builds that run natively on Apple Silicon.