15 Best Writing Apps for iPad Every Writer Needs In 2023

Every writer needs every available tool in their arsenal. But they even need to be able to write on any device – be it a laptop, a digital notebook, phone, or iPad.

Writing apps are indispensable no matter what you’re using. And there are plenty of writing apps for iPad to choose from, but it can be confusing to know which one would work best for your writing projects. 

In this article, we’ll go over the best writing apps for iPad. If you are looking for writing apps for other devices, we discussed it here.

But, in this article, we will explore the special features of each app for Ipad, what type of projects to create, and many other details so that you can select the one that fits your needs. 

What Is The Best Writing App For IPad?

The best writing app for iPad is Ulysses. It is a powerful distraction-free writing environment that makes it easy to write, store, and manage all of your documents. Ulysses also offers features like Markdown support, iCloud syncing, an intuitive file manager, multiple export options, and more. And lucky you, it is amongst the cheapest on the list.

Other great writing apps for the Ipad include Notability, IA Writer, and Bear. Each of these apps offers a variety of features that make them suitable for different types of writing projects.

That said, the best writing apps for iPad will invariably depend on your writing goals and preferences. But generally, if you are looking for a simple note-taking app, we suggest Notability, while it is super intuitive, it is also minimal and clean.

And if you want something with a more premium feel, IA writer is our top choice. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive app on the list. But, we think it the best in terms of a distraction-free writing experience and performance. In fact, if we had the money and we were in your situation, we’d surely buy it.

If you do not want to spend money, Bear and OneNote are the best free picks. And If we could make one more suggestion, we think LivingWriter is best if you plan to write a book on your Ipad.

That said, it is best to try out each app yourself to determine which one suits your specific needs the best.

In line with this, we’ve made a list of 15 apps that are perfect for writers using an iPad. Below is the list of best writing apps we determined after testing over 25 apps.

Text Sample:

I tried to keep the testing draft as similar as possible to make the evaluation accurate.

The Best Writing Apps for Ipad

1. Ulysses

Ulysses offers a focused writing experience. This app was designed specifically for Apple products, and it’s the best app a writer could use. Their thought-out features will increase your productivity by giving you useful tools and a distraction-free interface that makes the writing process easier.

Not only does the clutter-free interface boost your creativity, but it is also well-designed for most types of writers.

My Experience Using Ulysses

Ulysses is, hands-down, the best writing app for the iPad. It is easy to use and useful for all types of projects. I use it to write blogs, essays, and even novels.

The interface is minimalistic. In the image above, you can see the body text on top of a white background. The tab on the right shows the stats of your writing and the goal. On the left, you can access your files, outline, and projects.

Pricing

Ulysses app has two plans. $39.99 per year, or $5.99 per month. Both plans offer a one-week free trial.

Pros and Cons of Ulysses

Pros	Cons
Distraction-free	Apple-only
Organized writing environment	Cheaper alternative options
Backup and sync
Quick export

Overall, Ulysses is the best app for iPad because it is useful for all kinds of writers. You can try the one-week free trial and see if it fits your needs, but I’m sure you’ll love it.

2. Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is flexible, and it helps you keep all of your notes organized in one place. The interface is clean and easy to understand. You won’t have a problem navigating the platform.

Additionally, it is not only available in iOS, but also in Android and Windows. 

My Experience Using OneNote

OneNote is one of the best writing apps I’ve used on my iPad. It was super easy to set up, all I needed was a Microsoft account and then OneNote was free to use.

This app lets you create texts, sketches, and many other things. As you can see in the image above, there are multiple tools you can use. From keyboard texts, to handwriting notes, highlights, different colors, images, etc. OneNote really has it all.

Pricing

OneNote is free to use on the iPad. All you need is a Microsoft email account.

Pros and Cons of OneNote

Pros	Cons
Keep your notes organized	Unable to integrate with Outlook
User-friendly	Updates occur often
Free to use	Some updates cause loss of information

In conclusion, Microsoft OneWord is the best free writing app to use on the iPad because it is free, easy-to-use, and has lots of functions that make taking notes a comfortable experience.

3. GoodNotes

GoodNotes is one of the top-rated writings apps for the iPad. This app is preferred by students, but it can be used for all types of written content. It was voted the iPad App of the Year on Apple in 2022. 

GoodNotes is perfect for note-taking and using digital documents. Not only does it offer multiple notebook templates and writing tools, you can also use PDF files, highlight, annotate, sketch, and more.

It offers digital paper, which you can use to create all types of content. The interface is easy to understand, and the platforms offers a complete tutorial once you get started.

My Experience Using GoodNotes

GoodNotes is my all-time favorite. I got an iPad when I started studying for my Masters, and this was the first app I downloaded to keep all of my notes organized and in one place.

As you can see, you can create multiple notebooks and add pages with the design of your choosing. Use your keyboard to add text, or the Apple Pencil to add handwriting. It also includes stickers, highlighters, shapes, images, and much more. 

Pricing

The app is free to download. The first three notebooks are free. If you want unlimited notebooks, you’ll have to pay $8.99 one-time payment.

Pros and Cons of GoodNotes

Pros	Cons
Good interface	There’s a learning curve
Multiple features	Other free alternatives
Digital notebooks
Use PDFs and PPTs

GoodNotes is the perfect app if you’re looking to use your iPad as a digital notebook. It has great features for note-taking and reading documents, which are useful for studying or work.

4. Notability

This note-taking app is the best for letting your creativity free and take notes as you see fit. They have a wide range of tools and features that make reading and taking notes easy and fun. 

You can create study notes, storyboards, sketches, annotate PDFs, record audios, and more. Out of all the note-taking apps in the market, Notability takes the prize.

My Experience Using Notability

Notability is another app I used on my iPad when studying for my Master’s degree. It was the best app for reading PDFs, highlighting, annotating, and taking personal notes.

In the image above, you can see what it has to offer. You can type with your keyboard, add your handwriting, use the highlighter and other markers. Additionally, you can add multiple pages to your notebook, and add images, recordings, scanned documents, etc.

Pricing

You can download Notability for free with limited features. Notability Pro costs $14.99 per year, and it gives you access to all features. 

Pros and Cons of Notability

Pros	Cons
Excellent interface	Cheaper alternatives
Organized content	Desktop app sometimes glitches
Easy to use

Overall, Notability is the best app for note-taking because it offers excellent features that are useful for students and working professionals alike. The app is easy to use, and the interface is excellent, no matter what version of iPad you have.

5. Bear

The app is flexible, perfect for writing notes or prose, no matter where inspiration strikes. Bear app helps you keep your notes organized by linking them to each other and using hashtags. You can even protect private notes with passwords or touch/face ID.

Bear is affordable and easy-to-use. If you’re looking for a new way of taking notes, you should give this a try.

My Experience Using Bear

Bear is a cute app that I discovered recently. I use this app mostly to write blogs and articles. The markdown editor helps me keep everything I write organized and format the body text to my liking.

As you can see, the interface is clean. You can choose the different tools to write and add structure to your text. It even has a focus mode, so you can work without any distractions.

Pricing

Bear is free to download on the iPad. It has two subscription options: $1.49 per month and $14.99 per year. Both subscriptions offer a one-week free trial. 

Pros and Cons of Bear

Pros	Cons
Great features	Not the best customer service
User-friendly	Not available on Android or Windows
Offer free-trial

All in all, Bear is a fantastic app if you’re looking for a place to write blogs and articles. It helps you keep all of your notes organized and format them to your liking.

6. Grammarly

Grammarly is used and recommended by multiple people from The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and more. It is simply the best editing app out there.

Grammarly for the iPad gives you real-time suggestions on all of your other apps. You can even sync it with your desktop and iPhone.

My Experience Using Grammarly

I use Grammarly all the time. I have it installed on my iPad, my laptop, and my phone. It helps me make sure my writing is mistake-free in everything I write. 

The best thing about using Grammarly on the iPad is that it’ll correct typos and mistakes, no matter what app you’re using. You can write emails, take notes, and much more while Grammarly suggests edits on everything you write.

Pricing

Grammarly is free to download and use. Their premium plan costs $12 per month and it includes special features. They also have a business plan for $15 per member per month.

Pros and Cons of Grammarly

Pros	Cons
Real-time corrections	It isn’t 100% accurate
iPad Keyboard sync	Not available offline
Multiple devices sync

Overall, Grammarly is the best app you can find for editing your writing. It’ll correct mistakes in real time and suggest the best alternatives to make sure your writing is clear.

7. Procreate

While Procreate is mostly used for drawing or sketching, all types of content creators use it. Are you writing a digital comic? Working on an e-book? Procreate is for you.

This app urges you to think bigger, explore a new way to interact, and use digital tools to create something amazing. The app has multiple functions that you can use, and it is extremely easy to use.

My Experience Using Procreate

I use procreate to unleash my creative self. I love using procreate to sketch ideas that I can use for my writing.

Procreate is definitely more an art app than a writing app, but it is still useful for writers. Specially those who work in book illustration or comic creation. This app is easy to learn and intuitive. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to draw properly, Procreate has lots of useful tools that will help you create something beautiful.

Pricing

Procreate has a one-time fee of $9.99. 

Pros and Cons of Procreate

Pros	Cons
Accessibility tools	Not designed as a writing app
User-friendly	There is a learning curve
Many tools and special features

Procreate is the perfect app if you’re looking for somewhere to draw on your iPad. You can write, draw, sketch, paint, and more with this app. It’s an amazing app.

8. Nebo

It comes with advanced tools and many fully-customizable features. The app is available on Apple products, Windows, and Android. 

You can create notes, use your handwriting on documents, and even annotate PDFs. It’s the perfect app for studying or working.

My Experience Using Nebo

Nebo is a fantastic app to use your Apple Pencil and take notes. 

Seen in the image above, Nebo has a pen and highlighter tools, which are fully customizable. Your handwriting looks neat in each document. Additionally, it has a pen-to-text function, which translate everything you’re writing to the keyboard. 

I love using Nebo to take all of my digital notes. I mostly keep all the texts with my handwriting. It feels almost like using a physical notebook.

Pricing

Nebo is free on the iPad and Apple Store.

Pros and Cons of Nebo

Pros	Cons
Handwriting-convertor	No recycle bin
Supports multiple languages	Doesn’t work on iPhone
Useful gestures	Windows and Android are paid

Nebo is the best app to take handwritten notes. All types of creators can use it, from students to professional writers. It is very versatile. 

9. LivingWriter

LivingWriter is changing the game for writers. It has a lot of cool features for the iPad. You can organize and plot your stories with the outlines they provide, or start one from scratch. Their board feature allows you to view all the elements in your story, without having to move back and forth between tabs.

My Experience Using LivingWriter

LivingWriter is an awesome tool that makes writing novels on my iPad so much easier. 

It isn’t a word processor, but it helps you keep everything organized while you write. You can keep track of each chapter, characters, worldbuilding, and more. Additionally, it has multiple outlines and templates for you to use.

As you can see above, you can write each chapter and access all the additional features with the sidebar. It’s easy to use and has a clean interface.

Pricing

You can download the app for free and use a 14-day free trial. LivingWriter has two membership plans: $8/per month (pay yearly) and $9.99/per month (pay monthly).

Pros and Cons of LivingWriter 

Pros	Cons
User-friendly	Not compatible with Apple Pencil
Offers a free trial	No Custom themes
Organized and clean	Not available offline

Overall, LivingWriter is a great app for new and professional novelists and authors looking for an iPad app to keep their plots and characters organized.

10. WordPalette

The app describes itself as “Experimental Creative Writing Meets the 21st Century”. They help get over writer’s block by giving you tools that will help you write poems or song lyrics.

It offers a plethora of words in what they called ‘palettes’. They work as word suggestions whenever you don’t know what to write.

My Experience Using WordPalette

I don’t write much poetry or song lyrics, but I decided to give WordPalette a try because the word selection caught my attention. 

I loved using this app for writing exercises and to get out of my writing slumps. As you can see in the image above, you can scroll through each row on the palette to find new words. 

My favorite feature was the import tool, which allowed me to add words from my favorite poems and lyrics. 

Pricing

WordPalette is free to download on the iPad. 

Pros and Cons of WordPalette

Pros	Cons
Free	Not good for long-form texts
Available for iPhone too	Slow support
Distraction-free

As you can see, WordPalette is a simple app with great features. It’s the perfect app for songwriters and poets looking for new ideas and inspiration.

11. iA Writer

iA Writer offers a focused environment where any writer can create freely. It has multiple modes (Focus, Markdown, etc), so it works for all types of content. You can write blogs, articles, essays, and iA Writer will help you polish them and make them look perfect. 

My Experience Using iA Writer

iA Writer is an all-in-one app. It has a small learning curve, but once you get used to it and know the basic functions, it is very easy to use. 

The Focus Mode is my favorite. It dims everything on the screen, except for the line I’m currently writing. Out of all the distraction-free apps I’ve used, iA Writer is the most effective.

Pricing

You can purchase iA Writer with a one-time payment of $49.99.

Pros and Cons of iA Writer

Pros	Cons
Distraction-free	There are cheaper alternatives
Great features	No templates
Also available on Mac, Windows, and Android	Few organization tools

Overall, iA Writer is a fantastic app to stay focused while you write. It is the best distraction-free iPad app on the market and definitely worth a try.

12. Storyist

Storyist has a simple interface and it is very user-friendly. Unlike most word processors, Storyist helps you keep track of plot, characters, settings, and more. It makes everything accessible so that you can focus on telling the story you want to tell. 

It offers formatting options, script tracking tools, scene management, and many other features that make the writing process easy and effective.

My Experience Using Storyist

My favorite part about Storyist is all the templates it has. They might not be many options, but the ones it offers are enough.

In the image above, you can see the one of the templates for screenwriting. On the column on the left, you can access the elements of your script like characters, settings, etc. On the right, you write your script. 

Pricing

You can download Storyist for free from the Apple Store and enjoy a 14-day free trial. After the free trial, there’s a $19 one-time payment.

Pros and Cons of Storyist

Pros	Cons
Clean interface	Does not have grammar check
Templates and themes	No collaboration options
Also works on iPhone and Mac	Auto-save sometimes glitches

All in all, Storyist is the perfect app if you’re looking to write scripts on your iPad. It’s a clean, distraction-free app that is easy to use.

13. Noteshelf

The platform simplifies the action of taking digital notes by offering a wide range of tools you can use. You can create handwritten notes, sketches, record audio, organize your notes, and more.

It is available for iPadOS, and iOS. Additionally, it is available on Android.

My Experience Using Noteshelf

Noteshelf is fantastic for taking notes. This is another app I use when studying for my Master’s. I liked some tools better than other note-taking apps because they felt smoother and cleaner when I used my Apple Pencil.

As you can see above, the toolbar is at the top. They have different sizes and options for pens, markers, and highlighters. You can use your Apple Pencil to take handwritten notes, or use your keyboard. 

Pricing

Noteself has a one-time cost of $9.99.

Pros and Cons of Noteshelf

Pros	Cons
No subscription	No collaboration tools
Publish on Evernote	No drag and drop
Also available on Android

Overall, Noteshelf is the best iPad writing app for students because it has amazing handwriting features that are perfect for taking notes and studying.

14. Evernote

It is one of the most popular writing apps, and for good reason. It was designed to help you focus on your tasks and work without any distractions.

Evernote helps you organize your documents, write down notes, and keep up with your schedule. If you’re looking for a writing app that also works as a task manager, Evernote is for you.

My Experience Using Evernote

Evernote is amazing, I love using it. It is compatible with both my Apple Pencil and my wireless keyboard. All the features are super useful. You can scan documents and add them to your notes, and even add web clippings. 

The calendar and schedule features helped me keep track of all my tasks, so I could finish them in time. Evernote is perfect!

Pricing

Evernote is free to download and use on the iPad. They have two premium plans with special features: Professional for $10.99/month and Teams for $14.99/month per user.

Pros and Cons of Evernote

Pros	Cons
Multi-device sync	Limitations on the free plan
Comprehensive formatting	Not suitable for short/quick notes
Web clipper

In summary, Evernote is a great app to use on the iPad. It will help you keep track of all your tasks, take notes, and stay organized. It’s perfect for students and professionals alike.

15. Day One Journal

This app is beautifully designed. The layout is perfect to help you focus in writing what’s on your mind. It has many options on how to journal: photos, quotes, memories, etc. 

Plus, the app is not just available on the iPad, it is also available on Mac, iPhone, and Android.

My Experience Using One Day Journal

One Day Journal is a beautiful app which I love to use as a personal journal. My favorite feature is the security measures. You can keep all your journal entries locked under passcode, and sync them with other devices so that I can access them wherever I want. 

As you can see in the image above, the writing screen is clean and distraction-free. Adding media like photos, videos, and audios is super easy. You can also move between entries with no problems. 

Pricing

You can download One Day Journal for free and try it out with limited options. The premium plan costs $2.92/month, billed annually. The app offers a one-month free trial.

Pros and Cons of One Day Journal

Pros	Cons
Award-wining design	No mental health resources
Multiple formatting options	Free version is very limited
Sync devices

One Day Journal is the perfect app for writers, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to make journaling part of their day-to-day life.

Comparison of the Writing Apps for iPad

Here you can see all the best features of the best writing apps for iPad:

App Name	Suitable for	Special features	Free plan/trial	Pricing	Other compatible devices	Our rating
Ulysses	All types of writing projects	Goals, proofread and editing	1 week free trial	$39.99 per year	Mac and iPhone	5/5
GoodNotes	Students, Note-taking	Annotating, handwriting	First 3 notebooks are free	$8.99 one-time payment	Mac and iPhone	4/5
Notability	Note-taking	Handwriting, annotating, share notes	Free with limited options	$14.99 per year	Mac and iPhone	4/5
Nebo	Students, Handwriting	Write-to-text conversion, pen gestures	Free	Free	iPhone,Windows, Android	4/5
iA Writer	Students, professional writers	laser-focused writing	No	$49.99 one-time payment	Mac, iPhone, Windows, Android	3/5

What are writing apps for iPad?

A writing app for iPad is that which works for the iOS operating system. There are multiple apps available in the Apple Store that can make your creative process easier. Some of these apps are free, while others are paid. 

A writing app on the iPad will help you write on your device without the need of any additional software or device.

Benefits Of Writing With iPad 

Writing on iPad is different from writing on paper, but can still be beneficial for you. Here are some of these benefits:

• It’s easy to archive and retrieve: since everything digital, you can retrieve any documents you deleted and use them again.
• It is cost-efficient: Using an iPad, you’re saving on all costs that might come from paper, fancy pens and markers.
• Customization: Writing on iPad brings many customization options without having to spend money or time. 

The Best Writing Apps for iPad Video

Writing Apps for iPad FAQs

Can You Write On An IPad?

Yes! You can use your Apple Pencil to use handwriting or a wireless keyboard to type.

How Can I Use My IPad As A Writer?

Definitely. An iPad is a fantastic tool for writers to use because they’re small, easy to carry, and easy to use.

Is There A Free Writing App For IPad?

Yes. In fact, there are multiple free writing apps for iPad. We recommend you use Microsoft OneNote or Nebo.

Is GoodNotes Or Notability Better?

Both apps are good for different reasons. Notability is better for note-taking, while GoodNotes is better for handwriting.

Can IPad Convert Handwriting To Text?

Yes, many writing apps have a pen-to-text feature.

How Do You Turn On Writing Mode On IPad?

You can use the Apple Pencil and scribble to write on iPad. Tapto show the Markup toolbar. You may also click on the Keyboard button.

Final Word On Writing Apps for iPad

If you’re a writer, you need to be able to write on any device, including the iPad. Using an iPad is an amazing way to write comfortably wherever you are. 

If you haven’t tried writing on iPad, why not give it a try with one of these apps? You’ll create all types of written content from the comfort of your device.