The top best word processors for Mac

Guide to the best word processing software for Mac computers: Free trial of top apps

Text documents are everywhere. Some people write, some edit, and some people just read. That's why one of the most common tools on every computer is a word processor.

Mac users love some well-known paid word processors, such as Ulysses and MS Word, but there are many excellent free solutions to suit your workflow. How to choose? This guide will discuss the best word processing applications on your Mac and tell you a little secret – you can access the top five top writing programs on your Mac for free. The method is as follows:

How to choose a word processor for Mac

First, let's figure out what the best word processors are on your Mac. The short answer is that it really depends on what you do. If you take notes frequently and want to be able to connect and share notes, you don’t even need a word processor – what you need is a reliable note-taking application. If you write a book, a basic word processor like Pages can kill your inspiration by messing up your images, not allowing you to copy pages, or saving bookmarks, and…it doesn't look good either.

When choosing a Mac document writer, you should consider the following:

1. Does offline work support? You don't want to lose great sentences due to network disruptions. In most cases, a word processor capable of saving progress offline will have obvious advantages.
2. Format tool. Bookmarks, styles, and even built-in Markdown editors – some Mac word processors have very advanced tools. Ulysses is one of the best options for formatting, but you can also get a pretty good toolkit with MS Word. Also, check out is notepad available on macOS.
3. LaTeX and equations. Some people need to use LaTeX and equations. In this case, you have to look at a specific category of word processors.
4. Convert to another format. Consider your workflow. Who do you share documents with, and what media and formats do you use? Make sure your word processor meets these needs.
5. No interference mode. Some people never feel focused when writing or editing in their browser. Fortunately, there are some great tools to help you eliminate online distractions.
6. Collaboration tools. The biggest benefit of Google Docs is that you can edit and comment documents with others. Craft goes a step further, allowing you to share private offline access to documents with others.

The best word processing apps on Mac

Here is a list of the top 10 word processors that Mac users should try this year.

Ulysses

advantage:

• Writing on Mac, iPhone, and iPad
• No interference mode
• Format text using markup language
• Post directly to blogs, websites, etc.
• Writing objectives and grammar checking

Best suitable for: writing books, blog content, articles, etc.

Price: Setapp free trial, then $9.99 per month

Ulysses is an award-winning writing software for macOS and iOS. Serious Mac users who get the app via Setapp are familiar with Ulysses and use it for all writing and editing cases. The app has an excellent markup language-based editor and even has a style and grammar checker to help you improve your writing skills. You just need to write, edit, polish and publish your content.

Craft

advantage:

• Rich features
• Native application experience
• Offline editing
• Markdown support
• AI Assistant

Best for: Create visually attractive documents, take notes and organize documents

Price: Setapp free trial, then $9.99 per month

Go beyond word processing and create beautiful documents. Craft brings structure to your documents and gives you the tools and freedom to do it your way. Seamlessly combine images, text, media or tables for the perfect experience. Allow readers to read your document like they would a website for deeper understanding and engagement.

NotePlan

advantage:

• Integrate with calendar
• Two-way links to create connections between notes
• Markdown support
• Ideal for task management using notes

Best for: Meeting notes and calendar-driven notes

Price: Setapp free trial, then $9.99 per month

If your writing process involves taking notes, brainstorming and planning at meetings, then you need NotePlan. NotePlan is not a word processor in the strict sense, but it can be a great place for you to write. It integrates with the calendar, has task scheduling tools, and even supports Markdown. So if you need a tool to document, plan, and create easy-to-share ideas, try NotePlan.

Tip: Subscribe to Setapp and you can try Ulysses Craft NotePlan Pages for free for 7 days, then $9.99 per month. Well, because the best alternative to a good word processor on your Mac is four great word processors on your Mac!

Pages

advantage:

• Built-in content templates
• Real-time collaboration
• Ability to add images, videos, shapes, etc.

Best for: writing reports, books, posters, etc.

Price: Free

Since Pages is installed on your Mac, you can check what it provides, so we'll focus on what it doesn't offer. One Reddit user reported, "I write all the text using Pages and import everything else as an image (script, route, defense, etc.). Some images are lost when I convert to PDF and email it to the team." Indeed, Pages can mess up your visuals, so if you plan to convert and share the document later, it's better not to write in Pages.

In addition, Pages is a good basic word processor with some excellent templates, collaboration features, bookmarks, etc. developed by Apple.

Please read also:

• Craft Guide
• Get Microsoft Word for free on Mac
• Best Markdown Editor
• The best text editors on Mac

iA Writer

advantage:

• Centralized mode and typewriter design
• Color coding system
• Style check

Best for: Hone your writing skills

Price: $29.99

If you see yourself sitting at a wooden desk, sipping mint tea, and writing your next novel, iA Writer is the perfect tool. Its minimalist design will help you focus on one thing—your writing. We also like that you can color-code certain words or parts of the text to return later. There is also a style checker that points to redundant words or phrases.

Google Docs

advantage:

• No need to save the document on your computer
• Perfect for real-time collaboration
• Good basic format

Best for: Co-creating texts, reports and documents

Price: Free

This is a free word processor for Mac that revolutionizes how to write on the web. Google Docs is the first tool to prove that you can write and manage text online. Despite some privacy concerns, we certainly don't recommend using Google Docs for writing books or any type of super confidential documents, but it's an excellent text tool for both individuals and teams.

Microsoft Word

advantage:

• Excellent reputation
• Excellent format and file sharing options
• Integration with MS Office

Best suitable for: business documents, reports, etc.

Price: Starting from $6.99 per month

If you search for "word processor Macintosh", you will definitely go to their Supreme Word. MS Word is both giants in the digital documentation field on Windows and macOS. The biggest benefit is the MS Office ecosystem – if you use other MS tools, it certainly makes sense to use Word on your Mac. Additionally, with this word processor, you can ensure that your document is securely protected and does not experience any format errors.

Byword

advantage:

• Supports Markdown format
• Post directly to Medium, your blog, etc.
• Cross-device synchronization

Best suitable for: blog posts, reports, etc.

Price: $10.99

Byword is a minimalist writing app with Markdown support. The main advantage is Byword integration with major blogging platforms including Medium, Blogger, Tumblr, WordPress and EverNote. The app doesn't have all the format and style checking features of Ulysses, but it's still a pretty good alternative if your main goal is to publish content from the app to your website.

Free trial of 4 word processors

A word processor that Mac users love doesn't always meet your specific use cases. Sometimes, a small free app can solve your big problems. This is why it is very important to research and try as many word processors as possible to find the right application.

Setapp is a unique toolkit that gives you the opportunity to experience top-level word processors for free. Install it on your Mac and you can try Ulysses, NotePlan, Pages, and Craft (and dozens of other Macs, iPhones, iPads, and web apps) for free for 7 days, then $9.99 per month.

FAQ

Does Mac have a free word processor?

Yes, Pages is a native word processor preinstalled by Apple. It is free to use, and Google Docs is free to use as long as you have a Google account. You can also try out some of the best paid writing apps with Setapp's 7-day free trial.

What is the best document writer for Mac?

It really depends on your use case. We love the award-winning Ulysses because it has syntax and style checking, Markdown and a great user interface. However, if you have MS Office, it makes sense to use MS Word on your Mac. If you are concerned about privacy issues when sharing files with others, check out Collabio. If you use a word processor for meeting notes and brainstorming, NotePlan will be the best for you.

What word processor does a Mac come with?

Pages. It is a native word processor with templates, collaboration features and nice formatting options. However, it has some problems with converting files to other formats and lacks advanced writing and publishing tools.

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