17 Best Book Writing Software in 2025 (Unbiased Review)

17 Best Book Writing Software for Authors in 2023: An Expert‘s Unbiased Review

As an author, your choice of writing software can make or break your book. The right tools amplify your productivity, organization and creativity. The wrong ones lead to frustration, delays and even derailed projects.

In fact, a 2021 survey by The Write Life found that 67% of authors felt their writing software had a major impact on their ability to finish a book. And 43% said they had abandoned projects in the past due to software struggles.

It pays to be picky. But with hundreds of programs all claiming to be the "best book writing software", how can you confidently choose?

Over the past decade testing writing apps as a software expert and author, I‘ve identified the top tools in every category. I‘ve also learned which features really move the needle for writing books, and which are just empty hype.

In this unbiased review, I‘ll share the 17 best book writing software options on the market in 2023. We‘ll cover apps for every part of the process, including:

• First draft composition
• Developmental editing and revisions
• Collaboration with co-authors and editors
• Formatting and publishing

For each category, you‘ll get an in-depth look at my top pick. I‘ll share exactly what makes it best-in-class, backed up by data and my own road-tested insights. You‘ll also find 2-3 worthy alternatives to consider.

By the end of this guide, you‘ll know the ideal software suite for bringing your book to life as efficiently as possible. Let‘s get into it!

Best All-Around Book Writing App: Scrivener

For an app that handles every stage of the book-writing process, Scrivener is in a league of its own. It‘s been the go-to for professional authors for over a decade, and the latest version is the most powerful yet.

I‘ve personally used Scrivener to write 5 full-length books. Here are the features that make it an unbeatable all-in-one solution:

• Customizable corkboard for plotting and structuring
• Distraction-free writing interface with typewriter scrolling
• Quick reference panes for research notes and images
• Snapshots for version control and easy reversion of changes
• Goal-tracking and detailed writing statistics
• Powerful exporting for ebooks and print-ready PDFs

No other app matches Scrivener‘s combination of flexibility, focus and organizational power. It molds to your writing process, rather than forcing you into rigid templates. And the smooth compiling makes ebook and paperback creation a breeze.

Is Scrivener perfect? No. Its rich feature set comes with a learning curve. And it lacks the real-time collaboration abilities of Google Docs or Microsoft Word.

But for most solo authors, it‘s as close to perfect as it gets. The $49 (Mac) and $45 (Windows) one-time pricing is beyond reasonable for a tool you‘ll use for years.

Notable alternatives:

• Ulysses ($5.99/month) offers a more minimal interface while still packing most essential book-writing features.
• Storyist ($59) includes additional character and setting development tools tailored for novelists.

Best Editing Software: AutoCrit

Editing your own book is notoriously difficult. Without an objective eye, it‘s easy to overlook pacing issues, crutch words, repetitive sentence structures and other problems.

AutoCrit is like an impartial editing assistant powered by artificial intelligence. It deeply analyzes your manuscript and provides insightful reports on many facets of your writing, including:

• Pacing and momentum
• Dialogue tags and mechanics
• Showing vs. telling
• Passive and active voice
• Repetition of words and phrases
• Lengthy, complex or run-on sentences
• Emotional tone and consistency
• Generic or clichéd descriptions

It‘s like running your book through a battery of developmental editors, line editors and copy editors all at once. The detailed suggestions go way beyond standard grammar and spellcheck.

For example, the Pacing Report visually graphs your book‘s narrative arc, paragraph lengths and slow-paced areas that may bog readers down. It‘s an invaluable bird‘s-eye view for any author.

AutoCrit also compares your book‘s analysis to published works in your genre. This helps ensure your writing aligns with genre expectations and bestseller standards.

After using AutoCrit, I‘m more aware of my tics and bad habits, so I can write cleaner first drafts. It‘s not a complete replacement for a human editor. But it will get your book in fighting shape before that stage.

A subscription runs $30/month or $297/year. Not cheap, but a solid investment for the serious self-editing author.

Notable alternatives:

• ProWritingAid offers similar (though less detailed) editorial analysis and integrates with Scrivener. $70/year.
• Hemingway App is a free web-based editing tool that focuses on readability and highlights dense or troublesome passages.

Best for Co-Authoring and Editor Collaboration: Google Docs

If you‘re co-writing a book or working with an editor, seamless collaboration is essential. My top pick? Good old Google Docs.

Hear me out. Google Docs may seem basic compared to souped-up book writing software. But its simplicity belies its power as a co-authoring and editing tool.

The real-time collaborative features just work, with no glitches or learning curve. Multiple authors can simultaneously write in the same document. Comments and suggested edits show up instantaneously for all parties.

The ubiquity of Google Docs also means your collaborators are likely already familiar with it. No need to train them on a new app or risk compatibility issues. And it‘s 100% free.

When I co-authored a book on software development, Google Docs made the process totally seamless. We could easily divide up chapters, share research and incorporate feedback from our editor, all without missing a beat.

Of course, Google Docs lacks the organizational and formatting features of apps like Scrivener or Ulysses. But those tools have subpar collaboration abilities, in my experience.

For co-authoring, I suggest using Google Docs for the back-and-forth writing and editing. Then port your manuscript to a more robust app for the final structuring and packaging.

Notable alternatives:

• Microsoft Word (from $6.99/month) remains the standard for editor collaboration, with its Track Changes feature.
• Dropbox Paper is a free collaborative workspace with some handy pre-built book templates.

Best Software for Book Formatting and Publishing: Atticus

You‘ve written and edited your masterpiece. Now it‘s time to package it for the world. For creating beautiful ebooks and print books, Atticus is the cream of the crop.

Atticus is a relatively new app, but it‘s already making waves in the self-publishing scene. It offers an unparalleled balance of power and ease-of-use for book formatting.

Some key features:

• Professionally designed templates for both fiction and non-fiction
• Support for hardcovers, paperbacks and a wide range of ebook formats
• Beautiful theme customization without coding
• Automated table of contents, endnotes and footnotes
• Bulk importing and formatting of chapters
• One-click creation of ebook and print-ready files

As a tech geek and design snob, I love having total control over my books‘ look and feel. Atticus makes it easy to tweak every little detail to my liking. No more wrangling with clunky Word templates or hiring a formatter.

Speaking of cost, Atticus is a steal compared to alternatives like Vellum ($249 for ebooks + print) or professional formatting services ($500-$2,000). The app is just $147, and that‘s a one-time price for lifetime access.

If you want your self-published book to look as professional as a traditionally published one, you can‘t go wrong with Atticus. Just be sure to finish your writing and editing first, as it‘s not a full-featured writing app.

Notable alternatives:

• Vellum is a respected Mac-only tool for producing ebooks and print books. Pricier and less flexible than Atticus.
• Reedsy Book Editor is a free, web-based formatting option best for simple book designs.

What About Free and Open Source Book Writing Software?

Not ready to splash out on a fancy app? There are some solid free programs for penning your book. Just be prepared to use a few different tools rather than an all-in-one solution.

For drafting, I like Dreamwriter. It‘s an open source app for Windows, Mac and Linux with a clean interface, built-in outliner and scene navigator. The features are basic, but it covers the essentials.

When it‘s time to edit, you can‘t beat Hemingway App. This web-based editing aid is completely free and great for tightening up your chapters. It highlights lengthy, complex sentences and common errors.

To polish your book for publishing, the Reedsy Book Editor allows unlimited projects at zero cost. Just import your manuscript and use the straightforward formatting tools. You can export both ebook and print files.

There‘s also Scribus, an open source alternative to Adobe InDesign. It has a steeper learning curve but offers professional-level layout capabilities. Ideal if you want more control over your print book‘s typography and visual design.

Again, piecing together free apps requires more effort than an integrated writing program. But it‘s a viable route to save money and still produce a stellar book.

The Bottom Line on Book Writing Software

Here‘s the hard truth: No app will write your book for you. The right software is not a substitute for your hard work and creative genius.

But it can be a powerful ally in your corner. Like a sharp chisel to a sculptor, great writing tools amplify your abilities. They help you work faster, cut deeper and produce a more polished result.

The best book writing software for you depends on your unique workflow, budget and publishing goals. I can‘t tell you the perfect mix. But with the options in this guide, you‘re well equipped to build your ideal toolkit.

One final tip: Don‘t get too bogged down in the tech. Yes, your software matters. But not as much as your dedication to honing your craft and finishing your manuscript.

So make your choices, then get back to what really moves the needle—putting words on the page. Choose apps that spark your joy and creativity, and the writing will flow. The software is just there to catch it.