good writing apps for ipad

• Awards Season
• Big Stories
• Pop Culture
• Video Games
• Celebrities

Mint App vs Other Budgeting Apps: Why the iPad Version Stands Out

In today’s fast-paced world, managing personal finances has become increasingly important. With the rise of digital technology, budgeting apps have made it easier than ever to keep track of our expenses and savings goals. One such app that has gained significant popularity is Mint. While Mint is available on various platforms, the iPad version of the app stands out for a number of reasons. In this article, we will explore why the Mint app for iPad offers a unique and user-friendly experience compared to other budgeting apps.

User Interface and Design

One of the key reasons why the Mint app for iPad stands out is its exceptional user interface and design. The larger screen size of the iPad allows for a more immersive experience when navigating through various features and options. The layout is clean and intuitive, making it easy for users to understand their financial situation at a glance.

The visual appeal of the app also contributes to its popularity among users. The use of vibrant colors and visually appealing graphs and charts makes it enjoyable to track expenses and monitor progress towards financial goals. With just a few taps on the screen, users can access detailed reports that provide insights into their spending patterns, helping them make informed decisions about their finances.

Enhanced Features

In addition to its impressive design, the Mint app for iPad offers enhanced features that set it apart from other budgeting apps in the market. One such feature is its ability to sync seamlessly with bank accounts, credit cards, and other financial institutions. This automated syncing ensures that users have real-time access to their financial data without manually inputting transactions.

Another notable feature is Mint’s goal-setting functionality. Users can easily set up saving goals within the app and track their progress over time. Whether saving for a vacation or paying off debt, Mint provides personalized recommendations on how much money can be allocated towards each goal based on the user’s financial habits.

Customization Options

Mint understands that every individual’s financial needs and goals are unique. To cater to this diversity, the app offers a range of customization options. Users can categorize their expenses, create personalized budgets, and set up alerts for overspending or upcoming bills. These customization features empower users to take control of their finances and tailor the app to suit their specific requirements.

The iPad version of Mint also allows users to view multiple accounts simultaneously. This is particularly useful for individuals who manage finances across multiple bank accounts or credit cards. With just a few taps, users can switch between different accounts and gain a comprehensive overview of their financial situation.

Security Measures

When it comes to personal finance management, security is paramount. The Mint app for iPad prioritizes data privacy and employs robust security measures to protect user information. The app uses bank-level encryption to ensure that sensitive data is secure during transmission and storage.

Furthermore, Mint provides users with the ability to set up passcodes or biometric authentication (such as Touch ID or Face ID) for an additional layer of security. In the event that a user loses their iPad, they can remotely disable access to their Mint account through another device.

The Mint app for iPad goes above and beyond in providing an exceptional budgeting experience for users. Its user-friendly interface, enhanced features, customization options, and robust security measures make it stand out among other budgeting apps in the market. Whether you are new to budgeting or looking for an upgrade from your current app, consider giving Mint for iPad a try – it may just be the financial tool you’ve been searching for.

This text was generated using a large language model, and select text has been reviewed and moderated for purposes such as readability.

MORE FROM ASK.COM

14 Best Writing Apps for iPad

If you need help with your writing needs, then you should find the best writing apps for iPad.

The App Store is filled with numerous apps that can help you create and edit your documents. However, choosing the best writing apps for the iPad can prove to be a real challenge. And your time is invariably better spent writing rather than procrastinating about what app to buy or try.

At A Glance: Our Top 3 Picks For Writing Apps For iPad

• Best Grammar Checker: Grammarly
• Best for Storytellers: LivingWriter
• Best For Long-Form Writing: Scrivener

That’s why we have come up with the best writing apps available for iOS and iPad. Remember, Apple Notes is a great free choice, and it syncs nicely across all Apple devices. But, what if you want more? Try these apps to help you when working on your next book , blog post or article with an iPad.

1. LivingWriter

2. scrivener, 3. grammarly, 4. apple notes, 6. notebook, 7. ia writer, 8. simplenote, 9. notability, 10. evernote, 11. goodnotes, 12. onenote, 13. ulysses, tip: get an ipad keyboard, why you can trust us, testing criteria, is writing on an apple ipad hard, which ipad is best for writers, can you use an ipad to write a book, are ipads good for writing, writing apps resources.

Pricing: From free trial for 14 days to $96 billed once a year / $9.99 per month

LivingWriter  is a newer writing app for writing stories or a book via your iPad and online. Rather than using a word processor, It helps writers arrange plots and stories using boards and templates. This tool includes a series of outline templates for popular story structures like the Hero’s Journey.

It’s ideal for writing short stories and novels. Story writers can take out a 14-day free trial without a credit card.

Check out my  interview with LivingWriter’s founders .

Living Writer contains time-saving templates for authors and novelists. iOS and Android apps available

Pricing: From $49 per month | Requires macOS 10.12+

Scrivener is my preferred writing app of choice for longer articles like a book thanks to its many export options and advanced self-editing tools. Think of it as a powerful word-processor rather than as simply another minimalist writing app.

You can even use Scrivener for blogging .

It works quite well with an iPad Pro and is great for organising complicated writing projects. However, it’s more expensive than some of the other writing apps for iPad listed in this article.

You can sync a manuscript to Dropbox and work on it when back at your Apple Mac. It offers a comparable writing experience to Ulysses. Unfortunately, Scrivener doesn’t support Markdown which may put off some bloggers.

Read our Scrivener review

Scrivener is our go-to app for long-form writing projects. It's popular with best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more. 

Pricing: From free trial available, then $29.99 per month

Writing on the go with your iPad? Grammarly can help you find and fix common writing mistakes with a clever AI-powered assistant. It also includes a handy plagiarism checker.

Grammarly offers apps for iOS. You can also use its virtual keyboard with your iPad or log directly into the web app It includes a free trial before taking out a $29.99 monthly subscription.

Monthly and annual discounts are available.

We tested dozens of grammar checkers, and Grammarly is the best tool on the market today. It'll help you write and edit your work much faster. Grammarly provides a powerful AI writing assistant and plagiarism checker. Anyone who works with the written word should use it.

Pricing: Free

When in doubt or on a tight budget, use Apple Notes. It’s free and built into your iOS devices. It also syncs instantly across an iPad, iPhone and Mac. You can organize your early story drafts using folders or simply write them up and copy to a dedicated story writing app later on.

Pricing: From $5.99 | Requires macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip

Byword is one of the newer apps available for the iPad. The app can open all of your text documents across all Apple products, including the Mac, iPhone and iPad.

With this writing tool, you can also edit your documents even when you are offline. The app can convert files into PDF and HTML formats for easy editing.

Finally, people also love the app because you can multitask with it. Byword allows you to split your screen, helping you quickly move between documents if necessary. Its dark mode makes it more comfortable on your eyes.

Pricing: Free | Requires iOS 11.0 or later

Notebook was designed by a company called Zoho. This is one of the strongest all-around writing apps for the iPad. It even won “Best App of the Year” back in 2016.

Like a typical word processor, you can use Zoho to add and edit spreadsheets, documents and PDFs. The app even allows you to scan documents, so you have a soft copy of them.

You can store your work on your iCloud and access them on other Apple devices. Notebook is one of the best free writing apps for iPad.

Pricing: From $29.99 per month | Available for Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android

Also available on iOS, iA Writer is a simple, intuitive writing app that has a short learning curve. This app has even won “Best App” on the App Store four separate times.

People love iA Writer because it has something called Focus Mode. A distraction-free writing environment, it will dim everything on the screen except the current line that you are editing.

The app can even mark your mistakes, repetitive words and weak verbiage, helping you become a stronger writer . You can even customize writing templates and publish them on WordPress. It will also sync your writing to iCloud or Dropbox.

I use iA Writer for writing short articles in full-screen on my iPad Pro. I’ve also occasionally used it on various iOS devices like my iPhone over the years. It supports Markdown.

Pricing: Free | Available for Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android

Simplenote is the ideal writing app to knock out your writing assignments quickly. This app allows you to type, record your voice, record videos, and more. It works well if you like plain text .

You can also set reminders, change the color of your text, change its size, and change the font entirely.

Furthermore, you can link Simplenote to your social media accounts and share your notes with your friends. You can also access Simplenote via a web browser.

While this app is not compatible with Bluetooth, it can sync to iCloud, allowing you to share your documents across multiple devices. Unfortunately, it no longer syncs to Dropbox.

This was one of my preferred note-taking apps for several years. Lately, I use notes on iOS instead. That said, both are good.

Pricing: From $8.99 | Requires macOS 10.15 or later

Notability is a strong writing app for the iPad. This app was even selected as the “Editor’s Choice” app when it first came out.

This is a great app for students, teachers and professionals. It has a user interface that’s easy to follow. You can use Notability to secure important notes with password protection as well.

You can even sign documents on this app.

People love Notability for the multi-note feature. This allows you to list two documents side by side and work on them simultaneously.

There is even a word counter tool along with numerous other customization options.

Evernote is one of the most popular writing apps for the iPad.

This app has been designed to help you focus on your most important tasks and leave distractions behind. Evernote is meant to help you organize your documents, dictate your notes, and convert them into text.

You can even use Evernote to discuss issues and chat with your friends.

Finally, you can also annotate PDF documents, sync Evernote across all of your devices, and access valuable storage space.

Read our Evernote guide .

Pricing: From $7.99 | Available on the iPad, Mac, and iPhone

Goodnotes is one of the top writing apps for the iPad. Its vector engine helps you precisely and fluently write on the screen. Everything in Goodnotes is searchable, allowing you to pick up easily where you left off.

Goodnotes lets you sync your documents to the iCloud. Then, you can access them on different devices. There is even a shape tool that allows you to draw on the app itself.

OneNote is a classic Microsoft app that has made its way to the iPad. This app allows you to create texts, sketches and more. This app even allows you to quickly jot down thoughts you want to remember for later.

People love OneNote because it allows you to edit your texts, record voice notes, save images and take videos. While OneNote does have some complex features that are meant for professionals, this app can be used by anyone.

Pricing: From $5.99 per month

Ulysses is a writing app designed for Apple products, including the iPad, and has been designed to help creative writers customize their writing experience to meet their needs.

Ulysses features a clean, distraction-free user interface that helps you focus on the words in front of you. Ulysses also comes with a text editor, helping you mark headlines, key passages and comments. It will sync your writing to iCloud or Dropbox. It’s more feature-rich than its competitor iA Writer.

This app is good for bloggers who have many writing projects in production, as you can organize them using tags and folders. You can also set target word counts.

It also comes with a typewriter mode that vertically fixes the current line on which you are working. It also supports Markdown. Finally, you can also set benchmarks in terms of words or characters, helping you stick to your deadlines.

Pricing: From $9.99 | Windows 10 version 16299.0 or higher, Xbox One

Nebo is an app that comes with advanced tools and customizable features. The app is only available on the iPad and lets you create and edit documents using the Apple Pencil.

A highlighting feature helps you track important sentences and phrases in your documents. Nebo even lets you edit your PowerPoint files.

If you need to add charts and formulas to your documents, Nebo can handle this as well.

To get the most use out of writing on an iPad, I recommend upgrading to a keyboard with trackpad. It’ll enable you to type faster. The dedicated Apple iPad keyboard is a good if expensive choice. Another cheaper option is available from Logitech.

• LAPTOP-LIKE TYPING - Turn your iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd and 4th gen) into a laptop with Slim Folio Pro. Forget about cramped on-screen typing — now you can type quickly and accurately in comfort with a familiar laptop-like premium keyboard. With a full row of iOS shortcut keys and media controls you can optimize your productivity without leaving the keyboard.
• BACKLIT KEYS - Type away, day or night. Backlit laptop-like keys with 3 adjustable levels of brightness lets you achieve maximum productivity anywhere.
• FRONT AND BACK PROTECTION - Light and durable case with secure magnetic latch keeps iPad Pro closed and safe from bumps, scratches and spills. Viewing Angles: Fixed Type Mode: 58 degrees and View Mode: 10 degrees
• CHARGE AND STOW APPLE PENCIL (2ND GEN) - Charge Apple Pencil (2nd gen) with the case on. When you're done writing, store Apple Pencil inside keyboard case and use the magnetic latch to keep it closed and secured in transit.
• 3 MONTH BATTERY AND RELIABLE BLUETOOTH - Take keyboard anywhere without worrying about short battery life. Lasts 3 months on a single charge based on 2 hours daily use. Enjoy easy one-time Bluetooth setup to connect iPad Pro and keyboard case.

I’ve written and published dozens of articles for newspapers, magazines, and online publications including, Forbes and Lifehacker. I’m also a best-selling non-fiction author, a trained journalist, and a copywriter.

I regularly update this roundup as iOS and its app ecosystem evolves. I test new iPad apps and tools by writing drafts of articles, book chapters, and blog posts on an iPad Pro, iPhone 11, and iMac. Along with other writers, I also compare each app in terms of price, functionality, and ease of use.

The Final Word on the Best Writing Apps for iPad

In the end, you can find many different iPad writing apps. If you’re looking for the best writing apps for iPad, then these apps might be able to help you expedite your writing process. Find one on the App Store and start writing!

I use an Apple iPad Pro to occasionally write short articles on the go. It’s comparable to writing on a laptop, and it’s gotten easier now that the latest iPad keyboard includes a trackpad. That said, I still prefer editing larger projects on iMac as I can tab between windows faster. Writing on an iPad using only the screen is harder however.

if you can afford it, I’d recommend buying the 12.9 inch iPad Pro. The screen looks fantastic and it’s a joy to use. If budget is an issue or you expect to travel, opt for the 11 inch. That said, you can easily write using an iPad Air.

You can easily use an iPad to write the first draft of a book using one of the apps in this article paired with a keyboard. However, for self-editing a book, I’d recommend using a computer or laptop and a Mac app, as it’s more efficient when working with multiple manuscripts and feedback from an editor.

Yes, they are, assuming you buy a keyboard. An iPad is portable. It’s also ideal for a minimalist distraction-free writing environment meaning you can take it with you and write wherever, whenever. Just remember to buy a keyboard by Logitech or Apple.

Best Grammar Checker Tools

Best Note-Taking Apps

Best Book Writing Software

Best Essay Checkers

Best Writing Apps for Android

The Best Writing Tools

Best Writing Apps for Apple Pencil

Bryan Collins is the owner of Become a Writer Today. He's an author from Ireland who helps writers build authority and earn a living from their creative work. He's also a former Forbes columnist and his work has appeared in publications like Lifehacker and Fast Company.

View all posts

7 best writing apps for iPad in 2023

Super-clean writing space with a lot of configurability that stays out of sight when you don’t need it.

• Gorgeous writing space
• Silky-smooth typing
• Deep personalization (Pro)
• Markdown or Plain Text
• Syncs with iCloud
• Writes and edits texts with ChatGPT AI
• Publishes drafts to Medium, WordPress, or Ghost
• Exports to PDF, HTML, RTF, DOCX, image, or clipboard
• Works seamlessly across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Get focused. iA Writer offers a unique writing experience that lets you concentrate and clarify your message. Used by half a million people worldwide, its powerful interface is crafted to cut out noise, let you focus on what you want to say, and help you structure and trim your text. Available for Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android.

Simple and Powerful

No rulers, no formatting bars. iA Writer provides the crisp, uncluttered environment you need to write well, supported by discrete, powerful features, from Content Blocks, to Syntax Highlighting.

Focus and Flow

Focus is the key to good writing, and the guiding principle behind iA Writer. With shortcuts and simplified settings, you can keep your hands on the keyboard and your mind in the text.

Ownership and Control

We think every craftsperson should own their own tools, so when you download iA Writer, you own it. No forced subscriptions, microtransactions, or compatibility concerns. Your work, your files, your app.

Hack Your Syntax

Highlight parts of speech to improve your writing. Spot superfluous adjectives, weak verbs, and unwanted repetitions. Developers have long used syntax highlighting to improve their code. Now you can hack your text.

Power of Style Check

Style Check is like having a personal editor-in-chief on your device, carefully reviewing your text for redundancies, clichés and filler words as you type. It’s simple, different, and powerful.

The Original Focus Mode

Focus only on the sentence or paragraph that you’re working on. Introduced in 2010 with the original iA Writer, Focus Mode has since been copied by many writing apps. This is the original, and still (we think) the best.

Flexible Content Blocks

Swap sections around, add media, and construct your content with flexible building blocks of text, .csv tables and image files. Stitch separate chapters together into one master file. Express yourself through experimentation.

Optimized Typeface

We have created an innovative typeface for iA Writer, specifically designed to enhance the writing experience. The family comes in three flavors: classic Mono, Duo for larger screens, and Quattro for small devices.

Parallel PDF Preview

iA Writer now offers a live, paginated PDF preview, parallel to the text you are editing. Instantly see how your document translates into PDF pages, as you edit.

Advanced Markdown to Word Export

iA Writer features one of the most advanced Markdown-to-Word export functions available anywhere. Quickly export your Markdown documents to MS Word (and back too!). Includes support for tables, images and footnotes.

The Ultimate Writing App for Mac, iPad and iPhone. Powerful features and a pleasant, focused writing experience combined in one tool, made for people who love to write and write a lot — this is Ulysses.

Like 12 Fingers, 25 Hours a Day

Some things simply work better when you’ve got the right tool. Ulysses’ well thought-out features boost your productivity through the entire writing process; its distraction-free interface keeps you in the flow so you can get things done.

Projects Cannot Get Too Big

Be it college essays, blog posts, or the next Great American Novel: No matter what you’re working on, Ulysses is equipped for managing writing projects of all sizes and ambitions.

Built-In Proofreader and Editing Assistant

Write with confidence: Ulysses’ built-in grammar and style check helps you avoid mistakes and meet the right tone. Available for over 20 languages, it offers suggestions for capitalization, punctuation, semantics, redundancy, style and more.

Let Your Words Shine

After you’re done writing, Ulysses can turn your texts into beautiful PDFs, Word documents, ebooks and even blog posts. Everything is just a click away, with on-the-fly switching of styles and a live preview built right in.

iWriter Pro

iWriter Pro is elegant and minimalist text editor with built-in MultiMarkdown support.

Clean and Simple

iWriter Pro is designed to be easy yet powerful text editing app. It provides distraction-free writing experience with a bunch of handy features.

Markdown Highlighting

Markdown is a good way to format your text, apply styles, insert lists and block quotes. iWriter Pro automatically highlights text as you type.

iCloud Support

Use iCloud to store your documents. You can easily create, view and edit your files on Mac, iPad and iPhone devices.

Markdown Notes for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Bear is a beautiful, flexible writing app for crafting notes and prose.

Ready when you need it

Bear works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, so you can write wherever inspiration strikes. Use todos to stay on task across every device.

Organize easily

Link notes to each other to build a body of work. Add hashtags to organize the way you think. Use Face/Touch ID to protect sensitive notes.

Write your way

Bear is perfect for everything from quick notes to in-depth essays. A focus mode helps you concentrate, and advanced markup options are an online writer's best friend. Full in-line image support brings your writing to life.

Gorgeous settings

Packed with beautiful themes and typography and Dark Mode, Bear makes your writing look great before and after publishing.

Keep notes safe

With Bear Pro, you can encrypt individual notes to keep them safe and lock Bear to keep away nosy friends, family, and coworkers. Set a unique password that only you know, use Face/Touch ID to open your notes, and know that your Bear is safe from everyone.

Edit and export

Bear's simple tools take the effort out of writing, whether you need to hit specific word counts and reading times, or you need to convert your writing into PDF and Word docs. With Bear's custom markup shortcuts, you can add style and links with just a tap or keystroke.

The joy of writing, elevated. A distraction free writing app built with an intelligent editor, smart organization & a design brought to perfection after years of iterations.

Practically magic

The pure joy of bringing words & thoughts to life is what makes writing magical. Unable to write freely, that flow is disturbed. It takes the magic away.

While most apps have a toolbar that makes you choose different options & rest of them support markdown with a syntax that is visible all the time...

Spaces blissfully integrates Markdown & hides all your syntax, as soon as you move your cursor away. It's practically magic!

People loveeeee Spaces

Thousands of people already in love, and we couldn't be happier! Just getting started.

Everything you need

Pin, archive, add to favorites or simply mark your notes as unread to visit them one more time. Sort your content into spaces using hashtags and/or add them into custom filters.

At your fingertips

All your options, spaces & filters available at a swipe with the gesture perfected to milliseconds after 100+ tests so that you get a flawless experience. Every. Single. Time.

An app you can trust

Spaces is built by a truly independant team of passionate people. All your data is synced using Apple Cloudkit.

We don't have access to your data, it is synced directly using Cloudkit, which also powers native Apple apps like iMessage, Reminders etc.

Markdown app for writing in plain text efficiently. Available for Mac, iPhone and iPad.

Draft a blog post, write that story or complete a school report wherever you are. Use Markdown to format text with easy keyboard shortcuts, subtle syntax highlighting, word counters with live update, and much more.

All your documents, on all your devices. With iCloud and Dropbox, you can create documents in Byword on your Mac and access them on your iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. And vice versa. You can edit them from anywhere, on any device you use.

Export & Publish

Byword includes complete Markdown support. Preview your documents in app, export to HTML, PDF, rich text, or publish directly to Medium, WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr and Evernote.

Essential Tools for Writers

Determined to start writing that novel you’ve been putting off? These apps can help you find inspiration, organize your ideas, and get your creative juices flowing.

Whether you need to pen a quick a character sketch or an epic novel, Bear is the perfect tool. The app’s simple interface makes it easy to write, mark up your copy, and add notes on the go, while the ability to link notes and add hashtags helps you keep things in order. Bear also tracks key stats for your work in progress—such as word count and the estimated read time.

Bear - Markdown Notes

Write naturally, brainsparker.

Wrestling with writer’s block? Brainsparker can help. The app encourages you to think creatively on a daily basis by sending you prompts in the form of questions (“What if anything were possible?”) and directives (“Redefine the boundaries”), as well as quotes and images. Those struggling to create a work of fiction can download the Writer’s Pack (available as an in-app purchase), which includes 150 story starters.

Brainsparker Creativity Coach

Creative brainstorming prompts, oxford dictionary of english.

No writer’s toolkit is complete without a dictionary, and the Oxford Dictionary of English is among the most comprehensive available in app form, with more than 350,000 entries that are elegantly formatted and easy to search. Use the Word of the Day feature to give your vocabulary a boost.

Oxford Dictionary

Leading language reference, story planner for writers.

Having trouble remembering whether the greedy goblin stole the wizard’s ring in chapter 23 or 25? Try organizing your elaborate tales with Story Planner for Writers . The app allows you to map out various plotlines and keep tabs on your characters, locations, and scenes. The Statistics screen keeps a running tally of the total duration of your story, as well as your top five characters and locations.

Outline Novels & Screenplays

Just Publishing Advice For Writers and Authors

Free self-publishing advice, how to guides and tips

Choose Your Writing Apps For iPad To Write Anywhere Anytime

There are so many fantastic writing apps for iPad now. If you like to write on the move, it’s a winning combination.

You don’t need to carry around your laptop because any iPad, even an old one, has more than enough power and memory for writing apps.

It’s possible to write with the on-screen keyboard. But it’s more practical and efficient to use a keyboard cover. If you don’t have one, do a quick search on Amazon. They range in price, but you can usually find one to suit your budget.

Now you are equipped to write in a cafe, on a plane, in a park, or while waiting for a train. All you need to do now is choose your favorite writing app.

The best writing apps for iPad

When choosing your writing app, you need to decide what features you need. It is especially true if you want to write a book on your iPad .

Many of the free apps offer almost everything you require to write and save your work.

But of course, there are premium apps that can extend your functionality with many more features.

You should try a few to see how they work and if they can do the job for you.

Another factor with writing on an iPad is whether you need a wi-fi connection to save your work.

Most apps will save to your iPad and then sync your files when you are in wi-fi range again.

If you have an iPhone, you can always use your personal hotspot to connect.

The most important factor, however, is the ease of writing.

You don’t want to go through hoops every time you start a new writing session. You just want to open an app and carry on writing from where you left off.

So what are the best choices for writing apps for your iPad? Let’s look at some of the best options.

1. Apple Pages – Free

I have to start with the easiest and best solution.

Well, for me, anyway, it’s the best app for writers with an iPad.

I have used Apple Pages on my laptops and a bunch of iPads over the years.

For any form of writing, it’s one of the easiest apps to use on an iPad.

There are book templates that can get you up and writing in no time at all. For article and essay writers, there are lots of ready-made templates to choose from.

One great advantage is that you can start writing on your laptop and pick up where you left off on your iPad.

All your work is saved and synced on your iCloud account.

You can also use Pages to format an ebook for publishing and export it in an epub file.

You get 5 gigabytes of storage for free with your iCloud account, which is way more than enough to save your writing files.

2. Microsoft Word – Free

You can find the free Microsoft Word app in the App Store.

It’s basic, but you can write and edit your docx files with ease.

I save my Word files to my free Dropbox account, which works super well to sync my files between my iPad and Macbook Pro.

If you have a PC, this is also the best way to sync your files between a Windows computer and an iPad.

3. Novlr – Free and Premium

Novlr is a relatively new writing program for authors.

However, it is gaining popularity. The main reason, I think, is because of the simplicity of the program.

It’s super easy to use, so you can get started on writing straight away.

But when you dig a little deeper, there are plenty of useful tools to help you write a book, even with the free version.

It’s a cloud-based app, so don’t need to install anything, just use it with any iPad browser.

4. Scrivener – Free trial – Premium

Almost every author knows about Scrivener.

It’s probably the most popular program for writing and publishing books.

It can take a little while to learn how to use Scrivener. But once you get through the learning curve, there are so many tools and features to help you organize, research, write and publish your book.

While most authors probably use the laptop program, the iPad app allows you to write anywhere and anytime.

There is a generous 30-day free trial period if you are interested. Also, you won’t have to pay an annual subscription. The premium version is available for a one-time payment.

Price: $47.00 for a household Mac or PC license. $19.99 for the iOS app.

5. Google Docs – Free

There’s no doubt that Google Docs is a favorite for article and content writers.

While most writers use it on a laptop, there is an iPad app so you can write on the move.

As far as word processors go, it is probably the most popular after Microsoft Word.

It has every feature you could ever need to write, edit and check.

6. WPS Office Suite – Free

If you have used Google Docs or Microsoft Word, you can work with WPS Office straight away.

WPS is similar to other free word processors .

It comes with the standard features you expect and is compatible with the most common word processing file extensions .

But one of its best features is that you can drag and drop paragraphs. It is a practical idea.

Another great feature of WPS is tabbed documents. No need to keep hunting for open windows.

WPS also comes with a free cloud storage service that gives you 1 gigabyte of storage space for PC and iOS. You can find the free iPad app on the App Store.

7.  Grammarly Keyboard – Free

Grammarly is one of the most popular grammar checkers around, and you probably use it already.

But if you want to write on an iPad, you can use the free Grammarly Keyboard app.

It works for both free and premium Grammarly users, so it’s available for all writers.

While it is certainly not as extensive as the Grammarly editor on a computer, the app gives you more than enough help to write as error-free as possible.

You have so many choices when it comes to writing apps for your iPad.

If you use a different writing program than the ones I have mentioned above, check the App Store to see if there is an app available.

There’s no need to be tied to your desk or office to write. Grab your iPad and write wherever you like.

I recall that when I was traveling a lot, I always took an iPad with me. I wrote chapters and chapters either on a plane, in an airport, or while on holiday.

You are not going to use it all the time. But when you feel like a change of scenery, grab your iPad, and you are ready to write.

Related reading: The Best Phone Apps For Writers Who Want To Write On The Go

• ← Amazon Book Promotion Tools Available On Your KDP Dashboard
• A Comma Before Because After A Negative Clause →

Derek Haines

A Cambridge CELTA English teacher and author with a passion for writing and all forms of publishing. My days are spent writing and blogging, as well as testing and taming new technology. More about Derek

2 thoughts on “ Choose Your Writing Apps For iPad To Write Anywhere Anytime ”

Yes, that can be a problem. But you can often find an old version. Try this article for details. macworld.co.uk/how-to/download-old-version-app-3681477/

If that doesn’t work, you could try updating your iPad iOS.

You said that Apple Pages works, no matter the age of your iPad. I just tried to download it onto my iPad, which is old, and it told me ‘it’s not compatible with this iPad.’

Add Your Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment.

To prevent spam, all comments are moderated and will be published upon approval. Submit your comment only once, please.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Privacy Overview

• ' + heading.text() + "

We deliver to over 150 countries.

With Free delivery to most countries.

Customer service

We are here to offer personalized, expert support 7 days a week.

Returns & Exchanges

We offer a 100-day warranty for Paperlike products.

Best writing apps for iPhone and iPad in 2023

Do you know you can write, edit, and streamline your writing processes from your iPhone or iPad? Whether you’re looking for a simple note-taking app, a powerful and professional writing tool, or an app to organize your research or manuscripts, we’ve got you covered. You don’t need to sort through countless apps! Here, I have compiled a list of the best writing apps for iPad and iPhone designed specifically for writers.

• Google Docs
• Danger Note
• Story Planner
• MyStory.today
• Dictionary.com
• Word Keeper
• WordPalette

1. Notion – Organize your work

Notion is an incredibly versatile note-taking app perfect for organizing your work. You can create Notion pages for to-do lists, project plans, dashboards, or a website. I liked its drag-and-drop editor and highly customizable templates and layouts that suit your unique needs and preferences. Besides, it offers 20+ content types and supports rich media. 

You may simply create one nested page inside another and avoid maintaining folders. If you are working with other writers, you can collaborate with them by sharing pages. Moreover, it allows you to publish your journals in just two steps. Notion syncs with all devices and provides unlimited storage, making it easy to incorporate into your existing workflow.

Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $4.99)

2. Google Docs – Write on the go

The Google Docs app for iPhone and iPad is an excellent document creation app for writers. It is reliable and user-friendly. You can create, edit, and collaborate on documents in real time. Also, it offers professional writing tools, a built-in grammar and spelling checker, formatting options, and integrated extensions for better efficiency. 

One of the standout features of Google Docs is its seamless integration with Google Drive. It allows you to store and access your documents from anywhere. You may import and export your work in .docx, .pdf, .odt, .rtf, .txt, or .html format. Besides, its collaboration features greatly benefit writers working as a team. 

Multiple people can work, chat, leave comments, and suggest edits on the same document simultaneously. It will automatically save and sync changes across all devices. You can later track the changes from version history and restore them. Moreover, I liked its offline support that stores changes on your device and later syncs to the cloud.

Price: Free

3. Drafts – Dictate your story

Drafts is a must-have writing app for authors who want to capture their thoughts and jot down ideas quickly and easily. Thanks to the extended dictation feature, you can use it as a speech-to-text app to take notes. Later you can edit them using the writing automation tool. The best part is it syncs seamlessly with other apps, including Mail, iMessage, Reminders, Tweeter, Dropbox, Drive, WordPress, etc. 

So, you can access and share your notes from anywhere. Use the tags, flags, and archives to keep your work organized. Besides, you can create your own interface, custom fonts, and keyboard buttons to streamline your writing process and save time. The unique features like Link Mode, Arrange Mode, and text manipulation actions make it stand out.

Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $1.99)

4. Danger Note – Overcome writer’s block

Danger Notes is considered an essential writing app because of its self-destruct feature. First, you are required to create a timer for your notes. Then, while writing, a red bar will indicate whenever you stop for a few seconds. If nothing is typed, then all your writing will vanish automatically. 

In essence, it forces you to keep writing to save your work and fight writer’s block. So, it helps to get your creative juices flowing. After completing the time limit, you may save your notes to the archives. If you are a minimalist like me, you will love its easy-to-use interface.

Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $0.99)

5. Ulysses – One-stop writing environment

Ulysses can be the much-needed shot in the arm for smooth-sailing writing. The app is fully featured and provides a more consistent, distraction-free writing experience. You can focus without getting bogged down by formatting or editing and maximize your productivity. After you’re done writing, the built-in markup-based text editor allows you to edit your content quickly. 

Therefore, you can devote more time to writing. Also, the integrated proofreading assistant helps to make your content error-free. Besides, everything is stored in the unified library, so you can easily access it. On top of all, you can export your docs in multiple formats, including PDF, Microsoft Word, or even eBooks. Moreover, you can publish your content on WordPress, Medium, Ghost, etc., through the app.

Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $5.99)

6. Scrivener – For long manuscripts

Scrivener is a compelling and feature-rich app that tackles complex and lengthy writing projects. You can break your writing project down into smaller chunks, organize your research, and keep track of your notes all in one place. In addition, you can rearrange chapters as index cards on the corkboard. So, this makes it easy to stay organized and focused on your writing part by part.

Besides, you can easily format your work for different output formats, such as ePub or PDF. Scrivener includes several writing tools, including outlining, character development, research tools, and customizable keyboard shortcuts. The best part is it lets you store all supporting material in a single project which you can access in a multitasking split-screen mode.  

Also, you can easily verify the coherence with the previous chapter. Open two documents simultaneously on the iPad, then quickly switch between writing and research. After your content is ready, combine everything into a single document and export to Word, PDF, Final Draft, or plain text. You may also share using alternate formats, using your preferred font.

Price: $23.99

7. Story Planner for Writers – Best for fictional writers

Story Planner for Writers app helps to efficiently plan, organize, and track writing projects. It provides novels, screenplays, and fiction writers with tools for quick and intuitive story organization. You can map your story arcs, scene segmentation, plot points, and character development.

Besides, the Revision mode allows you to overview the project. I liked its progress tracking feature that provides stats on a widget. You can sort projects according to tags, categories, and colors and use Drag & Drop to rearrange them. Moreover, Story Planner is secure, allowing you to set an app lock using Face/Touch ID.

All your work is automatically saved to iCloud and synced across all devices. Lastly, you may export parts of a project, choose its appearance, create PDF documents, or send them to Ulysses, Scrivener, etc. apps. 

Price: $5.99

8. MyStory.today – All-rounder novel writing app

MyStory.today is perfect for your next novel! You can manage your stories by categorizing chapters and scenes or labeling them on cards. Its built-in rich text editor offers powerful formatting options, different content styles, and spelling and fundamental grammar checks. Besides, the card-based dynamic corkboard allows you to sketch ideas for an outline and rearrange them. 

You may create chapter summaries to obtain a fast overview. The dynamic character management and location linking function let you add a new character or location to your story. Also, if you change any name, it will be updated everywhere. I liked its integrated book export feature linked with Microsoft Word or LibreOffice Writer.

Price: Free (In-app purchase at $2.49)

9. Fortelling – Plot your ideas

Fortelling is specifically designed for book authors. This book-writing app for iPhone provides sophisticated plotting and location tools to create the ideal fiction. You will get a single board to connect all the parts to structure your book and describe character relationships. 

Also, keep a tab on your progress thanks to writing statistics and version history. The best part is you can write your book collaboratively with other authors in real-time. Besides, the app holds weekly challenges each Sunday to stretch your creativity. You may submit a short story and get reviews from the community.

10. Grammarly – A must-have for writers

Grammarly is a one-stop solution for your proofreading needs. Though most writers use the Grammarly web extension, its keyboard app for iPhone is pretty useful. It provides real-time writing comments to ensure your content has impeccable grammar. You may also improve your writing by using the document editor and writing statistics.

It gives suggestions to condense longer sentences and enhance clarity. Besides, you may set intent, formality, tone, and audience type for better recommendations. The best part is it lets you use different synonyms and build your vocabulary. Moreover, all your proofreads are saved to the cloud. 

Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $29.99)

11. Dictionary.com – Build your vocabulary

Having trouble coming up with words to use in the text? Dictionary.com app is a powerful dictionary, encyclopedia, and thesaurus , all in one platform! It retains all the functions of a decent dictionary app and provides the user with the audio pronunciation and meaning of the selected words.

Another fantastic feature is the Science and Rhyming Dictionaries. If you need a word that rhymes with the ones you have in your text, the app can provide it! You can play Word Puzzle and get words of the day and synonyms of the day. This is an excellent app for writing on the go while offline and is compatible with Apple Watch.

12. Word Keeper – Writing tracker

Writers also need to hone their skills and develop writing efficiency. That’s why I have included this app on the list. You can accomplish daily tasks, keep track of projects using charts and graphs, and arrange them. To get an accurate writing analysis with 30+ specific statistics, start one writing session at a time, work on your writing habits, and produce more.

Besides, the timer helps you concentrate on writing and track time spent on each project. Not only writing, but you can also observe your research patterns and drafting or editing phases. Additionally, its home screen offers a summary list of your daily chores. Also, you may export the data to analyze it further.

Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $2.99)

13. WordPalette – Play with words

WordPallette is a fun app that helps to build vocabulary. It will give six sliding lanes of text that have been cleverly jumbled. You need to rearrange them into poetic phrases. Besides, you may rapidly switch between the slider lanes and the built-in iOS keyboard. Also, it allows you to import and export phrases for better personalization.

Price: Free (In-app purchases start from $0.99)

So, that’s all for today, fellow writers!

All the best writing apps for iPad and iPhone help to increase efficiency and productivity and assist you in keeping your creativity flowing. Here I use Notion, Google Docs, Dictionary.com, and Grammarly daily. Do you use any other free writing apps for iPhone? Let me know in the comment below; I will surely check them!

Explore more…

• Best blogging apps for iPhone and iPad
• Best AI writing apps for iPhone and iPad
• Best PDF editors for iPhone and iPad
• Best mind mapping software for Mac

Readers like you help support iGeeksBlog. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.  Read more .

• iPhone Apps

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Best iPad apps for writers in 2022

There are still people who think that iPads are only good for consuming content like watching films, reading books and playing games. Clearly, none of these people have tried to write on a Kindle.

For writers, the iPad does offer every bit of this content consumption, and it offers it extremely well. But every iPad, iPad mini , iPad Air , and iPad Pro is also a writing studio that is about as light and convenient as you could imagine, and at least as powerful as you could hope.

You really should buy some kind of external keyboard, or keyboard case, if you're going to be doing serious writing on any iPad. Typing thousands of words onto the glass is not ideal, and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro and now also iPad Air isn't essential.

But you want one of those options and you don't want the other.

Beyond that, you are able to do just about every type of prose writing you need to on an iPad, straight out of the box. Without any other apps than Apple provides, you have a full word processing solution in Pages, for instance.

There are things Pages is poor at, though, such as scripts and screenplays. They can be written in Pages in theory, but in practice, it's no better at them than Word is.

So there are specific needs to use alternative apps, and there are plenty of alternative apps to satisfy requirements like that. Plus there are apps that do the same thing yet one just works better for you than others.

It's like the ancient old days when you might have a preference for which type of pencil you use. You know they all get the job done, yet just one is right for you.

That does mean that any roundup of the best writing apps for iPad is unquestionably subjective. And any unquestionably subjective roundup is bound to leave out your favorites.

Don't take that as a failing, do take it as your opportunity to enthuse in the AppleInsider forums. And also this: the reason people get very passionate about writing apps for the iPad is that they are worth it.

Apple will never say that it only makes iPads for writers, but they're so good for all writers and authors that you have to wonder.

Main word processors for iPad

We used to write everything in one word processor, whether it was a novel or a shopping list. We did so partly because they were built to handle everything, but mostly because they were so expensive that you only ever bought one.

That's changed because of the iPad and the App Store, but while there is a booming market in more specialized writing tools, there are still a couple of heavyweights that would could make a case for being your sole text editor.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft made a mistake choosing to keep Word off the iPad for years. Once users were required to find alternatives, they did, and they also found that they liked them.

Then once a user has moved to an alternative on the iPad, they very easily moved to the same alternative on the Mac. And what they routinely found was that this alternative, whichever it was, didn't crash as often as Word, it didn't drive them spare twice a day.

So Microsoft Word went from being a synonym for word processor and into just one more of your choices.

It has not come close to reclaiming the total dominance it once had. But when it did come to the iPad, it came in a completely new and rewritten form — which was better than we'd had on the Mac.

That wasn't to say it was as powerful, but starting from scratch meant adding in only features that users need. The bloated Word for Mac was regenerated into the slim Word for iPad, and there is a huge amount to like about it.

Microsoft Word is a free download from the App Store, but then requires one of many alternative subscriptions starting from $6.99 per month.

Apple Pages

Pages — free on iPads, Macs and iPhones — does not get as much love as it should. Where Microsoft likes you to see how powerful it is by displaying every tool and option it can, Apple wants you to be able to just get on with your writing.

Consequently, Pages hides away its powerful features until you need them. And unfortunately, that can have the effect of making it look as if Pages does not have these features.

Pages looks simple but it's not just a note-taking app. It is not as powerful as Word, but for the giant majority of writing tasks, Pages is Word's equal — and can subjectively feel better to you.

Only, Word and Pages both date back to the days when everything we wrote was then printed out on paper to be sent to publishers. Today you might be struggling to remember where your printer is.

Word and Pages continue to be used for writing that is going online, or certainly being sent digitally to book publisher systems like Affinity Publisher and Adobe InDesign . But they are not ideal for it.

Worse than not being ideal, if you copy text from either of them — most especially Word — and then paste it into an online content management system, you can get problems. Peculiar formatting, odd characters, even unexpected spacing issues can all arise because these two produce heavily formatted text.

Between a word processor and a text editor

You can't really have both a full word processor without issues like this, but you can have tools that do tiny, specific writing tasks. And you can have some in the middle, neither full word processors nor bare text editors, yet somehow better than both.

The iPad and Mac app iA Writer is a calming, relaxing kind of writing tool which lacks the powerful features of Word and Pages, such as longform book options, but will make you not care.

For iA Writer knows that writing has to be written, that it has to be put down on screen from out of the writer's head. Until then, there's nothing to format, nothing to create footnote citations about.

So this app concentrates on pushing aside features, interruptions, and really even any non-essential options. It's for making you concentrate on your writing.

For the iPad version, iA Writer costs $30 on the App Store.

Now Drafts 5 practically bills itself as a text editor, which is a way of saying you can basically type into it but mustn't expect anything fancy. Except Drafts 5 is replete with fancy tools and options.

Its chief aim is to get you writing immediately. Start the app, start typing. No pause, no waiting for a moment, no tapping on a New or a Plus sign.

There's also no obvious formatting, no obvious controls, it's just a blank page for you to get your words down. There is formatting, though, you can use Markdown controls to set headings and bold, italic and so on.

And what's great about Drafts, beyond just the practical feel of it all, is that once you do have your words written, there is an enormous amount you can do. Take that text and email it directly to your publisher, send it to your Kindle, send it out as a text message, or publish as a blog.

Drafts 5, which is also on the Mac and iPhone, has a library of Actions that let you create whole workflows for your work.

Drafts 5 is free to download from the App Store, and then costs $20 per year.

Specialized prose writing apps for iPad

Somewhere between the word processors of this world and the better text editors, there are apps that you might call writing studios, or writing environments. They are apps that work to help you with the business of writing as well as the job of typing text.

Scrivener, for instance, knows that when you're writing a novel, you are in it for the long haul. It knows you may need research, and it definitely knows that once you're up around 80,000 words or more, you need help keeping track of everything.

So Scrivener will let you write sixty chapters one after another if that's what you like, but it will also then slice that text up. If you have a character who only appears in chapters 4, 7, 11, and 33, then you can have Scrivener show you solely those chapters.

Look at the entire manuscript to get the whole picture, or concentrate on a specific segment. Scrivener bounces between both of these as you want, and it also offers a slew of extra writing, or rather writer, tools.

Such as how it handles research. You can drag images, URLs, whole web pages, and even entire other documents into the research section of your book.

Then whenever you open your iPad to write, everything you need is there. And when you're ready to send the manuscript to a publisher, they get everything — except the research.

Scrivener for iPad costs $20 on the App Store.

Ulysses is a curious writing environment for writers, one that is either completely compelling or just does not feel right to you at all. Rather than having documents per se, Ulysses offers you one single app with one single file — within which you can create countless pieces of writing.

Those are called Sheets in Ulysses and, like Scrivener, you can write them all in one go or you can slice them up.

It's a Markdown editor which means it feels bare, like Drafts can, and it doesn't have the same full-feature sense that Scrivener does. But wherever you go, whenever you open your iPad, you don't just have your latest writing, you have all of your writing.

All of it. Every bit since you started using Ulysses, anyway, and that grows into a very compellingly handy library of all your work.

Ulysses is free to download, then costs around $40 per year. It's also available as part of Setapp .

Specialized writing tools for scripts

As yet, there's no breakout hit app for writing haiku poetry. But there are a lot of apps for writing scripts and screen plays.

Scrivener is one of them. As well as prose, you can switch to a scriptwriting mode in Scrivener and it is a good writing tool for screenplays.

Screenplays have very specific formats and margins, developed over the last century and every bit is the way it is for a reason. It could be a reason that helps location scouts later on, rather than being any use to the writer now, but each reason is real and each formatting requirement is needed.

And they are just fiddly enough that it's only right an iPad should do as much of that work for you as possible. Let you concentrate on what's happening in the script, while your writing app looks after making it readable on the screen.

Final Draft 12

The most famous and the longest-running screenwriting app is Final Draft, now in version 12. It is very, very good on the Mac and PC.

Don't ask any Final Draft user if there's anything they dislike about it, you haven't got time, but still it's very, very good.

Whereas the iPad app is just good, approaching pretty good. It's had some bugs over the years and the company's support hasn't always been marvellous, but there are writers who solely use the iPad version and don't even have a Mac.

If they did have a Mac, they'd find out that the computer version of Final Draft is expensive. For Mac, it's officially $250 , though it tends to go on sale a great deal, and once you have one the company is good at selling you upgrades that are expensive, but seem cheap next to buying the full thing.

On the iPad, though, it costs $9.99 on the App Store. It's some writers' sole professional tool and it costs less than a book.

Alternatively, there is also Celtx, which used to be practically a clone of Final Draft and has the advantage that it's free on the App Store.

As yet, there isn't an iPad version of what might be Final Draft's best competitor on the Mac, Highland 2 . It's modern, slick, and it's built by professional, working screenwriters with long success in the industry.

They say that an iPad version is in the works, but no release date has been announced yet.

Utilities for writers

You could spend all your writing time just checking out utility apps for writers, like dictionaries and outliners and programs that make up your plot for you.

However, save yourself some trouble. Skip those ones where they say you just put in a name and choose a genre like comedy or western, and they'll outline your story for you.

But speaking of outlines... You may not be the kind of writer who plans anything out, you could be a pantser — one who writes by the seat of their pants.

Whether you like outlines or not, you can be required to write them for certain publishers or producers. When that's the last requirement before they start paying you, suddenly you can get to be very fond of outliners.

Try OmniOutliner 3 for iPad when you have any thing like a book structure to create, or an event to program. It's free to download and try, then costs from $19 .

There is an outliner in Word, but it's built for academics and is like working in treacle. There was an outliner in Pages, but Apple removed it.

Actually, you can jury-rig an outline in Pages using heading styles, but moving around it, changing text, grouping ideas together, it's as bad as Word.

Scrivener also has its own outliner and that's pretty powerful. But the separate, standalone OmniOutliner is the kind of writing tool that turns you from a user into a fan.

The best writing apps for iPad

This has been about the best writing apps for iPad, but it's really about the best writing apps for writers and those are on the iPad. We are now most definitely spoiled for choice for straight writing tools, and it is a fantastic thing.

And we have even more choice when it comes to writing being part of a larger project, a larger business. Then there are apps like Notion and Craft which are good for handling lots of information, or DEVONthink which is like a bionic research and writing too.

There may never be an end to the best writing apps for iPad, and there certainly won't be an end to the debate over just what constitutes the best.

But what doesn't change is that each of these runs on every iPad from the regular one, through the iPad mini, and on up to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro . We can have superb writing apps, and we can have them anywhere we go.

After you write your novel, you may want to try to publish it. We'll be talking about that very soon.

Related Articles

LG Display to start making OLED iPad Pro screens in February 2024

Apple supply chain partner LG Display will start producing OLED panels for the iPad Pro from February, earlier than expected for launch early in 2024, and costing Apple three times compared to the iPhone equivalents.

Apple prepares 12.9-inch iPad Air for early 2024 launch

Apple's 2024 updates to its iPad lineup will include a new model of iPad Air, claims a prominent Apple analyst, with a new 12.9-inch variant supposedly on the way.

Adonit Note+ 2 review: A cost-effective alternative stylus

The Adonit Note+ 2 is a great budget Apple Pencil USB-C equivalent for students and artists despite matching durability.

Best Mac Studio deals

Top iPad sales

M2 MacBook Air discounts

Latest comparisons.

M3 vs M3 Pro vs M3 Max — specs, features compared

13-inch MacBook Pro vs 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3: performance & price - compared

M2 MacBook Pro vs M3 MacBook Pro — specs, features compared

Latest news.

Apple's visionOS developer beta 6 is now available

Apple has provided developers with the sixth beta build of visionOS to try out, as the release of the Apple Vision Pro slowly approaches.

Third developer beta of iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2 out now

Apple has moved on to the third round of developer betas, with new builds of iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 now available for testing.

Apple distributes the third tvOS 17.2 developer beta

Apple has brought out the third developer beta of tvOS 17.2, which can be installed to the Apple TVs of test participants.

Third macOS Sonoma 14.2 developer beta issued for testing

Apple's thirdmacOS Sonoma 14.2 developer beta build has been distributed to developers as testing continues.

Apple seeds third watchOS 10.2 developer beta

The third developer beta of watchOS 10.2 is now available to download as Apple's test schedule rolls on.

We demand our Right to Repair, iFixit tells FTC

Repair outfit iFixit and the Public Interest Research Group have asked the FTC to introduce new Right to Repair rules that could make it easier for device owners to fix broken hardware themselves.

B&H launches early Black Friday Apple deals & highlights include $200 off M3 MacBook Pro, $1,799 Mac Studio

B&H Photo is making a solid case for being your one-stop-shop for holiday gift buying with a handful of discounts on Apple hardware that make high-performance more affordable.

Apple Music users can now save TikTok songs directly to playlists

TikTok is rolling out a new tool that lets users add songs they discover within the app directly into music apps such as Apple Music.

Latest Videos

Apple Pencil (USB-C) review: A new budget option in a temporarily confusing lineup

Samsung T9 SSD review: Next-generation portable storage

New Apple Silicon has arrived with M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips

Latest reviews.

SwitchBot Hub 2 review: The hub that can control almost everything

MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max review: Battery-powered Mac Pro power

SwitchBot Smart Switch Button Pusher review: A small way to make a basic button smart

{{ title }}

{{ summary }}

The 7 best note-taking apps for iPad in 2023

Whether you're in a meeting or solo brainstorming, you take notes—and immediately forget they exist. There's a better way: taking notes on your iPad to access them anytime, anywhere.

iPad note-taking apps do more than replace the iconic duo of paper and pen. These apps store and organize your notes, import links and media files, record meetings, mark up PDFs, foster team collaboration, and much more.

It's like carrying around one magical notebook instead of 463 dog-eared, coffee-stained hot messes. Interested? I've tested all the top iPad note-taking apps, so you don't have to.

The 7 best note-taking apps for iPad

Zoho Notebook for variety of formats

GoodNotes for the most paper-like notebook experience

Freeform for brainstorming and mind-mapping

Milanote for creative project planning

Nebo for handwriting-to-text

Noteful for layered notes

What makes the best note-taking app for iPad?

How we evaluate and test apps.

All of our best apps roundups are written by humans who've spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. We spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it's intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We're never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog .

Like you, I've been taking notes since elementary school. I'm sure you agree our notes now are more essential to daily life than previous scribblings about photosynthesis, right?

In my opinion, these are the five features that the best notes app for iPad needs to have:

Apple Pencil support. Good note-taking apps make full use of Apple Pencil with pressure sensitivity and tilt support to make writing on the screen feel like paper. For those who prefer to type, apps should also offer full keyboard support.

Organization tools. The benefit of digital storage can also be its downfall: nearly unlimited storage can turn you into a packrat. These apps offer easy ways to find your notes, such as folder (or "notebook") organization, categories, tags, and more.

Multi-device syncing. For most of us, our iPad isn't our main work device. You need to be able to easily access your notes—and preferably edit and create them—from all your devices.

Exporting and sharing options. Whether you want to archive, print, or email your notes, you'll probably need to save them as a PDF. Great apps go even further with collaboration tools and additional formats.

Productivity boosters. Today's top note-taking apps offer audio recordings, link and media imports, handwriting recognition, and more.

With these criteria in mind, and after weeks of testing apps with my usual workflow of creative brainstorming and client meetings, these are the seven best iPad note-taking apps. And if you're looking for the best free note-taking app for iPad, you're in luck: all of these apps are either completely free or have a free version.

The best iPad note-taking apps: at a glance

Best ipad note-taking app for text notes, apple notes (macos, ipados, ios).

Made by Apple, Notes comes pre-installed on your iPad and offers an intuitive user experience and flawless syncing over iCloud—and it's free.

Notes supports handwritten text or sketches with the Apple Pencil, typed text, links, photos, and videos, and it offers some basic text formatting options like checklists, lists, and headings. In short, it's got most of the features you probably want for simple note taking, and it's easy to use from the second you open it.

There are a few drawbacks for more advanced (read: picky) note-takers. It's awkward to combine typed text and handwriting within the same note. Similar to other text-first apps like Evernote, in order to handwrite with Apple Pencil, you have to add a handwriting "section" inside a note. You can insert multiple "Pencil sections" within a note, but this segmented, document-style format can be limiting. Even the act of inserting a section can be enough to disrupt your creative workflow if you enjoy sketching out ideas. It left me wishing I could type or write wherever I wanted.

But if you mostly prefer to type notes and want seamless syncing between your Mac, iPad, and iPhone, Apple Notes could be the perfect iPad notes app for you.

Apple Notes pricing: Free

Best iPad note-taking app for variety of formats

Zoho notebook (macos, ipados, ios, android, windows, linux, web browser).

I've previously written about Zoho trying to be Google Workspace on steroids, and the same is true for Notebook. It's a lot … but in a good way.

Zoho Notebook excels at organization. Each notebook is like a folder where you can store any of the various note types, including text notes, to-do lists, checklists, and sketches. Each format is well-designed for its purpose with familiar settings. In fact, Google users will recognize Zoho's to-do list format as nearly identical to Google Keep.

Zoho Notebook supports both handwritten and typed notes with a few limitations, like not being able to combine the two within the same note. And "sketch" notes can only be the size of your iPad screen, without the ability to add pages or change the canvas size.

Despite this, I found the folder-style organization of Zoho Notebook far easier to use versus the flipbook-style pagination of GoodNotes (and others). Whether you use Zoho's other apps already or only need a notes app, Notebook is a solid choice if you want easy organization above all else.

Plus, you can connect Zoho Notebook to thousands of other apps with its Zapier integrations and do things like automatically creating a text card in Zoho Notebook whenever you have a new note or calendar event.

Add new Evernote notes as new Zoho Notebook note cards

Add new Google Calendar events as new Zoho Notebook text cards

Zoho Notebook pricing: Free; get more storage, powerful search, and other features for $1.99/month.

Best iPad note-taking app for the most paper-like notebook experience

Goodnotes (macos, ipados, ios, windows, android).

I personally use GoodNotes as my main iPad note-taking app. Yes, I'm one of those #aesthetic nerds who use textured paper templates to make my fake digital notebook feel more like the real thing. GoodNotes has a certain notebook-y je ne sais quoi that other apps don't.

You can organize notebooks into folders, or star favorite files. But the core of GoodNotes is the way individual files operate: a bunch of pages one after another, like a physical notebook. To avoid swiping a hundred times to get where you want, you can add key pages to the outline or bookmarks sections.

For years, main rival Notability's audio recording feature gave it the edge over GoodNotes for students and professionals, but GoodNotes has this now, too. Tapping the microphone icon starts recording the audio around you, and tapping again stops it. When you have at least one recording, the wavy audio line icon appears where you can replay or delete that note's clips. I love that it separates clips, which is perfect for taking notes in fast-paced meetings or conferences. When you play a clip, the opacity of your notes fades as GoodNotes shows what you wrote in sync with the audio, like a magically appearing replay.

Other smaller features that add up to a big impact are being able to work on two documents simultaneously with split screen, PDF importing, storing digital stickers as reusable elements , and easy template management.

Unlike the previous apps in this list, you can combine handwriting and text on the same page. Start writing with Apple Pencil, or insert a text box anywhere. You can also move an existing element around using the selection tool and drag it somewhere new. This open canvas approach is perfect for flexible note-takers and quickly sketching ideas.

To me, GoodNotes offers the best mix of the most important features a note-taking app should have combined with an intuitive user interface. And it's not another subscription. What more could you ask for?

GoodNotes pricing: Free (up to 3 notebooks); get the full version for an $8.99 one-time payment.

Best iPad note-taking app for brainstorming and mind-mapping

Freeform (macos, ipados, ios).

Freeform is the new kid on the block, having launched in December 2022, but it's quickly becoming a favorite for creatives and brainstormers. At first I thought, "A digital whiteboard with sticky notes, ok, whatever," but it has since become a key part of my creative workflow.

Yes, there are many other mindmap-style apps . And, yes, I could draw the above diagram in an app like GoodNotes, too. But Freeform offers the perfect mix of structure and freedom in one.

Type, handwrite, draw, or insert media anywhere on an infinite canvas. Attach files or share URLs directly from your browser into a Freeform board for Pinterest-style bookmarking. Collaborate in real-time with team members within the same board, or use it solo to organize your personal projects. Connect elements and ideas together with auto-snapping arrows that stay linked even if you move things around.

The more I use Freeform, the more I find it the best at keeping up with my 1,000 mph brain when trying to get ideas out quickly (which is half the battle in actually accomplishing them). And built-in iCloud syncing to your Mac and iPhone provides access to your notes anywhere inspiration strikes.

I wish there were a few more pen and highlighter styles, or templates to quickly start new projects. But overall, Freeform has everything Apple-wielding visual thinkers need to take notes or brainstorm ideas, from outlining a novel to planning your next marketing campaign.

Freeform pricing: Free

Best iPad note-taking app for creative project planning

Milanote (macos, ipados, ios, windows, android, web browser, chrome extension).

At first glance, Milanote looks very similar to Apple Freeform. And in some ways, it is: you can use a mix of typed text or handwritten notes and include links, photos, and other media. But Milanote comes packed with built-in project plan templates, stock photos, task organization, and other tools to power creative teams. Milanote basically takes everything I love about Freeform and expands it.

Milanote describes their iPad note-taking app as allowing people to turn "nothing into something." It's open enough that you can start typing, writing, or adding elements anywhere, but also structured as it auto-aligns elements and offers specific formats, such as color cards with built-in HEX codes.

Anyone can use Milanote, though it excels in project planning for designers, writers, filmmakers, marketers, and other creatives. Team collaboration is deeply embedded, with changes instantly visible for everyone in the same board. You can also leave comment cards anywhere, with the ability to tag users and reply in threads, similar to Google Docs.

Milanote is like if Freeform, Evernote, Pinterest, and Trello had a baby… and that's a beautiful thing.

Milanote pricing: Free for up to 100 notes/10 files. The unlimited Pro plan is $12.50/month for individuals, $49/month for 10 users, and $99/month for 50 users.

Best iPad note-taking app for handwriting-to-text

Nebo (macos [m1 and m2 only], ipados, ios [read only], windows, android).

Nebo organizes notes a little differently than most. A "Note" is a blank page to handwrite or type notes, add doodles, arrows, stickers, shapes, and more. A "Document" is like a traditional Word file, breaking your handwriting or text into separate horizontal sections. You can also import and markup PDFs. Any of these formats can live inside folder-like notebooks.

Nebo really shines at converting your handwriting into text. The accuracy is pretty good, considering my handwriting is often unreadable even to myself. Handwriting to text is great for taking work notes and turning them into professional-looking typed summaries or emails. If you're way smarter than me, Nebo can also convert handwritten math formulas into equations.

Most of Nebo's features are free to use, including all three note formats and its impressive handwriting recognition. The only reason I can see to upgrade is for multi-device syncing, which sadly isn't included in the free plan.

If you often type up handwritten notes after meetings, Nebo can save you a lot of time.

Nebo pricing: Free; unlock syncing and more for a one-time payment of $8.99.

Best iPad note-taking app for layered notes

Noteful (ipados, ios).

Part of the reason digital notes are so popular is that they can do things a physical piece of paper can't, like contain multiple layers. Yep, Noteful is like the Photoshop of iPad note-taking apps. You can type or handwrite notes on multiple layers and show or hide any of them.

Cool, but… why? Besides the obvious of students using it to quiz themselves, layered notes are also helpful at work. Write notes from a client meeting on one layer and your action items (or mindless scribbles) on another. Hide the layer with your messy scribbles (or secret company info) and export only the layer with nicely formatted notes meant for your client's or team's eyes.

Layers also work well with Noteful's presentation mode to turn your notes into a click-to-reveal slideshow when mirroring your iPad to an external display. (Hot tip: hide your snarky scribble layer before mirroring.)

One (small) complaint I have about Noteful is I kept accidentally drawing with my finger. I'm used to GoodNotes, which you can set to only draw with the Apple Pencil and ignore finger pokes. I'm so used to being able to scroll around a document with one finger instead of leaving a pen smear. Classic iPad gestures like pinching in/out with two fingers to zoom and the three-finger swipe to undo still work in Noteful, though.

If you regularly share notes with clients or your team—or doodle swear words during conference calls—Noteful's layered notes can save you a ton of time (and disciplinary action).

Noteful pricing: Free; for multi-device syncing and additional features, the Pro plan is a one-time payment of $4.99.

Other iPad note-taking apps

It's hard to choose a note-taking app when there are so many options. The truth is, you have to test them to see what works best for you. I believe the seven options above represent the best choices for most people, but there are a few more I enjoyed testing that didn't make the final cut:

Notability : Popular with students, Notability was one of the first to offer audio recording and remains a top-ranked, full-featured note-taking app.

Notion : Though it doesn't currently support Apple Pencil, Notion has powerful database features that make it perfect for your second brain .

Evernote : A cross-platform productivity powerhouse combining note-taking with scheduling, planning, and project management tools.

LiquidText : If you edit a lot of documents, create contracts, or conduct research, LiquidText will be your new BFF for organization.

Bear : Though better Apple Pencil support is coming in the future, Bear is currently best for those who enjoy writing in Markdown .

Which iPad note-taking app is best for you?

The best iPad notes app for you depends as much on how you like to take notes (keyboard or Apple Pencil?) as on what you take notes about (visual planning or meeting minutes ?).

Sure, you can let me tell you what to do by picking one of the apps above. But the best way to find your One True App is to test them all and see which one best fits your workflow needs and—most importantly—your personal style.

Related reading:

The best note-taking apps

The best note-taking apps for Mac

Automate your note-taking to turn ideas into action

This article was originally published in 2019 by Tim Brookes. The most recent update was in April 2023.

Get productivity tips delivered straight to your inbox

We’ll email you 1-3 times per week—and never share your information.

Michelle Martin

Michelle is passionate about puttin' sass into SaaS content. When she's not clackin' away on her latest opus, she's probably hiking or learning a new hobby she'll only do once. Find her at www.michellemartin.co or @MichyLMartin

• Zoho Notebook

Related articles

The best spreadsheet software in 2024

The 6 best to do list apps for Mac in 2024

The best dictation software in 2024

The best Shopify alternatives in 2024

Improve your productivity automatically. Use Zapier to get your apps working together.