Table of Contents
Let‘s assess the top writing assistance software available for Windows right now based on capabilities, ease of use and overall value.
What Makes Writing Apps Better Than Traditional Word Processors?
Before diving into the solutions, it‘s helpful to level-set on how writing apps differ from basic text editors like Notepad or WordPad – plus general word processors like Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
Core differences include:
- Enhanced Text Formatting: Modern writing apps allow greater creative flexibility styling font, size, color and alignment beyond the standard paragraph tools
- Smarter Editorial Features: Context-aware spelling and grammar checking plus AI-powered suggestions to improve clarity, concision, readability and flow
- Publishing Integrations: One-click export prepped for major blogging platforms, eBook stores and document sharing sites
- Customized Work Environments: Writing apps tailor interfaces to different creation styles and genres enabling more focus
- Powerful Analytics: Robust stats on readability, engagement prediction, SEO optimization and comparative performance tracking
General word processors handle basic documentation well, but lack capabilities purpose-built for long-form writing challenges like books, scripts, blog posts and reports.
Writing apps bridge the gap through specialization.
Now let‘s see how the top solutions stack up based on core writer requirements…
Comparing the Top 5 Writing Apps
The primary criteria assessed while rating writing assistance software included:
- Effectiveness – How well the app improves writing quality and speeds up output
- Usability – Simplicity of the interface and speed to become productive
- Features – Writing capabilities offered beyond basic text formatting
- Value – Balance of capabilities against license costs
With these criteria guiding rankings, the 5 highest rated writing apps proved to be:
| Writing App | Effectiveness | Usability | Features | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grammarly | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| ProWritingAid | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Surfer SEO | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Final Draft | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Microsoft Word | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Now let‘s explore the strengths and ideal use cases of each writing app in more detail…
Grammarly
- Overall Rating: 4.7/5
- 2 Billion+ Words Processed Per Week
- Used at 90+ Universities
- 30 Million Daily Active Users
If pure writing enhancement counts most to you, Grammarly leads the pack. As the world‘s most popular automated proofreading tool, Grammarly fine-tunes text across several dimensions:
Grammar – Detects 250+ common grammar issues spanning punctuation, verb tense, pronoun cases, subject/verb agreement, run-ons, fragments and more.
Spelling & Typos – Catches contextual spelling mistakes and typos no matter how well-hidden.
Style & Clarity – Provides vocabulary usage advice while flagging ambiguous, hyperbolic and superfluous phrases.
Tone & Readability – Optimizes formality, positivity, confidence and sentence variation customized per genre from blogs to scientific papers.
Trusted by leading universities and leveraged by 75% of North American universities proves its effectiveness.
For maximum writing improvement regardless of domain, Grammarly sets the standard.
Best For
- Any kind of writing aimed at readability & quality enhancement
ProWritingAid
- Overall Rating: 4.6/5
- 97% Customer Satisfaction Score
- 4 Million+ Words Checked Daily
While Grammarly focuses on fixing issues from grammar to style after writing, ProWritingAid takes more of a writing coach approach even suggesting better ways to phrase ideas while drafting.
It dives deeper into style while keeping overhead lower through period payment plans rather than monthly fees.
So authors and thought leaders who care about developing their voice should shortlist ProWritingAid.
Standout features include:
💬 Real-time Writing Tips
🔎 Contextual Thesaurus Recommendations
📃 House Style Creation & Management
📊 20+ Detailed Writing Analytics Reports
🎓 Writing Academy Video Course Access
The #1 writing app on Capterra for maximizing long-form content quality, ProWritingAid excels for bloggers, authors and publishers.
Best For
- Book authors
- Content publishers
- Thought leaders
Surfer SEO
- Overall Rating: 4.3/5
- Customizable for Any Site
- Creates Personalized Content Guidelines
The hardest part of writing online is knowing what content best resonates with readers and converts visitors.
Surfer accelerates digital writing through deep search and social analytics providing tailored, data-driven recommendations on what to cover for your particular site and audience.
It acts like a strategist for bloggers, marketers and website owners via features like:
🔎 Competitor & Trend Content Gap Analysis
📈 Keyword Optimization Grading
📋 Structural Content Flaw Detection
📋 Headline & Meta Description Tester
📑 Personalized Content Guidelines
For writing blogs, eBooks, articles and web copy informed by concrete reader insights, Surfer is unmatched.
Best For
- Bloggers & Content Marketers
- Startup Founders
- SEO Consultants
Final Draft
- Overall Rating: 4.4/5
- Used to Write Star Wars Franchise
- Trusted by 95% of Writers in Film Production
If your writing calls for proper script formatting, dialogue, scene organization and screenplay editing tools then search no further than the entertainment industry darling Final Draft.
The dominant solution supporting screenwriters, script writers and dramatists for decades helps properly orchestrate models like:
✅ Novels
✅ Stage Plays
✅ Audio Shows
✅ Movies & Series
Robust tools like autocomplete with dynamic context support, customizable outlines and summaries, plus remote collaboration streamline creative story crafting.
Trusted on productions across every major studio from Lucasfilm to Disney, Final Draft removes all obstacles delivering scripts to spec.
For rapid scripting, clear scene visualizion and fluid remote collaboration at enterprise-grade quality, Final Draft delivers.
Best For
- Screenwriters
- Script developers
- Dramatists
Start Scripting with Final Draft
Microsoft Word
- Overall Rating: 4.5/5
- 1 Billion Office Users
- Pre-installed on Windows devices
- Supported by massive developer/partner ecosystems
Sometimes the best writing app is the one already available for free to you. For Windows users, Microsoft Word needs no introduction as the de facto word processor solution over the past 20+ years.
While Word lacks the robust writing enhancement tools of solutions like Grammarly or custom screenplay functionality of specialist apps like Final Draft, its sheer ubiquity, minimal learning curve and continually expanding capabilities position it as the no-brainer starting point for most.
Coupled with the maturation of its real-time collaboration functionality married to OneDrive access across all devices and even blocks of compute time on Azure via Microsoft 365 bundles, and Word warrants consideration by all writers.
For user documentation, formatting intensive digital books/ebooks, collaborative editing, and basic business writing, Microsoft Word checks all the boxes.
And its software developer kit plus partner integrations enable augmenting capabilities through add-ins and extensions.
Best For
- General purpose writing
- Collaborative authoring
- Template support
- Available free to Windows users
Give Word a Shot at Microsoft 365
Key Factors When Selecting Writing Software
With so many high quality writing apps now available spanning free to subscription plans, focus on a few key factors to narrow down options:
Integrations
- What other apps like cloud storage, email, calendars and content management systems will you need to integrate with for central access and collab? Google Suite, Office and Dropbox enjoy broad cross-compatibility.
Learning Curve
- If time is scarce, assess how much ramp up time and complexity is involved driving each shortlisted app. Necessity of tutorials, videos and guides adds friction.
Writing Use Case
- Tools tailored to screenplays, blogging, technical documentation and academic writing for example all offer different strengths. Match app specialties to needs.
Pricing
- Monthly subscriptions can add up so balance budgets against desired features and long-term usage plans. One-time purchases often suffice for more basic needs.
Evaluating integrations, ease of onboarding, use case alignment and pricing help single out the best fit writing apps tailored to any writer‘s needs and constraints.
The Bottom Line on Writing Software
While core word processing provides a foundation for writing, advanced apps unlock the next level through unbounded environments and enhancement capabilities tailored to every form of writing.
Whether looking to craft compelling fiction, optimize online conversion rates, hit stringent formatting requirements or improve the accuracy of documented processes, the expanding catalog of writing apps delivers.
So why not remove the friction and limitations holding back your writing productivity and progress by test driving one of these top writing apps today?
The above overview and comparisons aim to kickstart your research journey…now‘s the time to experience the capabilities firsthand!