Super software for every creative keyboard warrior

Reviewed by ALEX BLAKE

Group test

ON TEST…

> Bear

> iA Writer

> Microsoft Word

> Pages

> Scrivener

> Ulysses

Whether you write for a living or just jot down the odd idea here and there, the chances are you’re going to need a good writing app for your Mac. But what’s the best port of call for your needs?

We know what you’re thinking – your Mac already comes loaded with Pages, so why would you need anything else? Well, fear not, as we’ve included Apple’s app in this group test. But we wanted to see what else is out there and if anything offers a better all-round package. If you’re a loyal Pages user, you might be surprised by what’s on offer.

We’ve brought together the best apps in the field, including Ulysses, iA Writer, Scrivener, Microsoft Word, Pages, and Bear. Each one is tried, tested and battlehardened among the literati up and down the land, and each one offers something different to the aspiring author.

So, whether you want a Zen-like, distraction-free environment or something with all the bells and whistles, you’ll find it all here. If you’re out to find the best writing app available on the Mac, the answer is just a few pages away.

How we tested

We had two main objectives in our testing: to see what writing felt like in the each of the apps, and how good they were at managing and manipulating our documents. To find out, we tried writing the same passages of literature in each Mac app to get a proper feel for their tools. After that, we imported some well-known texts to see how the apps fared, and then formatted each file in a similar way to gauge the editing experiences across the board.