10+ Best Writing Tools for Students
The right writing tools make the writing process easier and interesting.
Everyone has a different choice, but having a suitable writing tool makes you write more; and the more you write, the more polished your writing will be.
And, by suitable, I don’t mean there should be a lot of features in the tool. It should be as you prefer — maybe just a blinking cursor on the screen and nothing else.
Here, you will find a list of various writing tools (mostly free) for students to make your writing process awesome.
List of Writing Tools for Students
? You learn writing by writing.
Pressing your keyboard buttons every day to write is difficult, but having the right writing tools and apps make it satisfying and productive.
1. Google Docs
Like Microsoft Word, Google Docs is an online browser-based word processor app. It is well-known for its collaboration and organization features.
You can create a draft of your writing and share it with others for suggestions and comments. The tool is completely free and there is no limitation of any kind. Any document you create gets stored in your Google Drive associated with your Gmail account and you can access the documents from anywhere.
And, the best thing about Google Docs is that you don’t need to install any software on your computer to start writing. Just open drive.google.com in your browser, create a document in the desired folder, and just start writing.
2. Notion
If you do a lot of writing regularly, then you must consider using Notion. It’s great for note-taking, project management, and many more.
The kind of features and simplicity that the tool provides is just exceptional. Whether you are a student, programmer, writer, or designer; Notion fits well for almost everyone.
I always use Notion to write and manage all my blog posts and other writing projects.
Notion is lifetime free for personal use and even if you need to upgrade in the future, it’s just $4 per month.
3. Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word needs no introduction. It’s the most popular and feature-rich word processor app out there.
If you’re creating longer documents with multiple sections and headers, then this tool is for you. Unlike Google Docs, it doesn’t need you to be connected to the internet in order to write.
Also, if you have a Windows laptop, chances are you already have MS Word installed on your system. It runs offline and you can manage all your documents in your computer in different folders.
4. Grammarly
I’m not sure if I can publish a blog post without using Grammarly — and it’s a must-have for the editing process.
Grammarly is a spelling and grammar correction tool that doesn’t let you commit a single mistake while writing. It also focuses on clarity, conciseness, and tone of your writings. Whether it’s a social platform, Google Docs, Notion, or any other platform — it works everywhere.
The free version of Grammarly is enough for most of us, but if you need some advanced features then you can go for the premium version.
5. Scrivener
If you are into any kind of professional writing service then you can go for Scrivener. It’s best for writing novels, plays, and any other professional forms of writing.
Please note that Scrivener is not free and has a one-time payment of $35-$40 but most professional writers prefer the tool to write their piece.
Scrivener makes the research, outlining, writing, and organization processes very simple.
6. Obsidian
Using Obsidian to take notes is like building a second brain. It saves all your files in a markdown (MD) format and the organization is very easy.
The best feature of Obsidian is its backlink feature. It lets you interconnect your ideas and view them in a graphical format for better understanding.
All the files are saved locally in your computer in markdown format and you can view the files using any other .md viewer app.
7. Typora
If you prefer a cleaner and simpler interface to write then Typora is for you — so far it’s the simplest yet most powerful MD (markdown) editor ever.
Typora is completely free and available for Windows, OS X, and Linux. And, the best feature is its import and export capability in multiple file formats like .docx, .odt, epub, PDF, LaTex, MediaWiki, etc.
Also, there are multiple themes you can choose from to make the interface look like the way to want.
8. Hemingway Editor
A free browser-based online editor app to polish your writings. Hemingway highlights lengthy and complex sentences that are difficult for the readers to understand.
Hemingway Editor is an online distraction-free writing and editing tool designed to help you create a writing masterpiece. You can either directly type in the app or paste your elsewhere written content to edit and improve.
Get started with Hemingway Editor
9. Evernote
If you want to keep your notes accessible from any mobile or computer devices that you use then you might consider using Evernote.
The basic version of Evernote is free but you might need to upgrade depending upon your needs. It’s very simple to use and available for almost all the platforms.
The only downside of Evernote (that I feel) is its organization feature. You will have to organize everything by using tags only and that doesn’t seem effective to me. However, some people prefer this type of organization system.
10. Gitmind
Gitmind is a mind-mapping and brainstorming tool which lets you represent your ideas in a visual way.
Gitmind is browser-based and all the diagrams are instantly synced in the cloud. In the app, you can create a Mind Map, Flowchart, Org Chart, UML Diagram, Swimlane, Analysis Chart, and much more.
The best thing about Gitmind is that it’s 100% free and has hundreds of pre-built templates available.
11. Pocket
The more you read, the better writer you become.
Whenever you come across a new article from your favorite writer or on your favorite topic, read it, or save to read later. The one way to save articles for later is bookmarking them in your browser, but that’s not efficient.
The pocket reader app is an app that lets you save articles through a simple browser extension and you can read those later even without the internet.
The free version of Pocket is enough for most of the readers. It lets you store unlimited articles and tag them to organize. Also, the search feature works amazingly.
Final Words
While writing, does it really matter which tool are you using?
To be honest, it does!
I always prefer Google Docs over Microsoft Word and Notion over Evernote — it just feels good to have the right tools. Again, it’s all about what you prefer but suitable tools do improve your writing.
Right writing tools save you time and motivate you to write more.
Now it’s your turn.
Which tool(s) are you planning to use or already using for your writing projects?
Let me know by dropping a quick comment, right now.
Also, share the article with the people who you think might be interested in reading it.