Curated Set

The Best Writing Apps for Mac

Writing on the Mac is spoilt for choice, so this set keeps only the tools that respect the text. iA Writer offers plain text at its most considered, Obsidian builds a lifelong knowledge base from Markdown files, Bear pairs elegant design with the finest tag system on the platform, and Craft makes documents beautiful enough to send as they are. Day One, Tot, Antinote and Charm cover journals, scraps and spelling.

Antinote Quick notes and maths, one hotkey away. $5 One-Time

Bear Markdown notes with the finest tag system on the Mac. Free

Charm Spelling, grammar and word prediction. $9.99 One-Time

Craft Documents beautiful enough to send as they are. Free

Day One The definitive private journal for Apple devices. Free

iA Writer Plain text writing at its most considered. $49.99 One-Time

Obsidian Your lifelong knowledge base, in plain Markdown files. Free

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 plain text writing at its most considered, 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 is best for journaling?

Day One is the definitive private journal for Apple devices, free to start with a Gold plan at $74.99 a year for extra features.

Are there free writing apps in this set?

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 checks grammar and spelling?

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

Is iA Writer a subscription?

No, iA Writer is a one-time purchase of $49.99 with no ongoing fee.