Notepad apps are among the most useful apps you can have on your iOS device, but they’re not always the first apps you think of.
Maybe that’s because many people don’t write full-length works on their iOS devices. Maybe it’s because they’re satisfied with default programs. Whatever, the reason, there’s no real reason to not look into the wide world of iOS writing apps given just how many incredible options are out there.
So for all you students, screenwriters, novelists, and wordsmiths out there, here are the best notepad apps for iPhone and iPad in 2019.
Scrivener
There are very few definitive “best overall apps” in specific fields. We even try to avoid making such statements. However, Scrivener is considered by many to be the definitive notepad app for iOS.
There are things that separate Scrivener from the pack, but the main draw is its versatility. Scrivener has features designed to help you write everything from screenplays to book reports. Regardless of what you write, you’ll have access to its impressive features that let you edit, analyze dictate, and so much more.
This is an absolute must-have app for any writer who own an iOS device.
IA Writer
There’s no shortage of notepad apps out there loaded with features, bells, and whistles, but sometimes, you need something simple. When you want to write without distractions, IA Writer is there to help.
Of course, this app only looks simple. Its plain text format offers a blank slate for whatever writing you need to get done, but it’s also loaded with smart text editing features that let you manage your work efficiently.
The app’s high price ($8.99) is definitely going to raise some eyebrows. However, it’s a great investment for serious writers who find themselves easily distracted.
Ulysses
If you’re looking for an overall writing app, Ulysses may not be your first choice. Again, we recommend Scrivener for that.
However, Ulysses functions in ways that may be highly beneficial to some users. Specifically, it’s a wonderful tool for exporting and writing in various formats. It’s also an incredible Markdown editor for those who are in need of one.
Having said all of that, the fact that Ulysses is a subscription-based service means that you might want to make sure you can take advantage of its best features. For the right person, though, this is just one of the great notepad apps.
Google Docs
This may sound obvious, but we’re not sure it is. Many people search for the best, simple document app when it’s starting them right in the face.
Google Docs is more than just the document service that comes with your Gmail account. It’s not the most feature-heavy service out there, but that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that Google Docs is there, easy-to-use, reliable, and loaded with necessary functions.
Best of all, Google Docs is used by just about everyone. That makes it an especially appealing option for any shared documents you’re working on.
Day One Journal
Day One Journal isn’t the most versatile writing app. Then again, it’s not trying to be. It’s trying to be the digital journal you didn’t know you needed in your life.
Day One Journal allows you to keep track of your life/adventures like never before. Yes, that means writing down your thoughts/activities/whatever, but Day One Journal is so much more. It also lets you mark locations, organize daily photos, and save audio moments.
For anyone who wants to get back to writing daily, this is a brilliant way to start. It just happens to offer many more functions than that.
Rev
Anyone who has ever tried to transcribe an interview know that it’s not as easy as it sounds. Even having a great audio recorder results in a surprising amount of work for those who want an accurate transcription done quickly.
Rev is a high-quality audio recorder, but it’s so much more. Build-in to the recorder is the ability to upload your recordings to the service. From there, you can request for audio to be transcribed for the low price of $1 a minute. Rev even offers a less-than-12-hours turnaround time.
It’s easy to recommend Rev to any writer who does interviews. Even as a straight audio recorder, it’s a pretty good one.
Grammarly Keyboard
Nobody is perfect. Even the best writer makes simple mistakes from time to time. That’s why any editor will tell you to double and triple check your work for errors.
What Grammarly does is help make that process a little easier. More than a spell checker, Grammarly can help improve your writing by identifying common errors. From grammatical corrections to style suggestions, Grammarly helps minimize your mistakes by catching them the first time around.
This keyboard isn’t quite as expansive as the desktop app, but it’s a great way to keep an extra eye on your daily writing and make sure it’s as error-free as possible.
Bear
Even the best notepad apps can be a little…boring sometimes. While that makes them feel professional, it doesn’t always make you excited to use them.
Bear is a little different. Its interface is designed to be bold and colorful. Its various themes accommodate a variety of styles. You can even add little sketches to your writing as well as emojis.
We wouldn’t recommend Bear for a professional environment, but it was never meant for that. It’s meant for those who want to add a little style and flair to their daily writing. So far as that goes, it’s a fantastic way to make writing fun again.
Pages
For some reason, Apple’s Pages never really reached the level of popularity that Apple hoped it would. To tell you the truth, we’re not entirely sure why that’s the case.
Pages may not be as popular as Google Docs, but it benefits from more features. In fact, Pages calling card is its ability to let you create standout documents. With a countless number of templates and customization options, Pages makes it easy to ensure nearly any type of document looks unique.
If you haven’t used Pages, give it a shot to impress you. You might just be surprised by how much you can do with it.
Terminology
You may have not held a dictionary or thesaurus in years, but you should be using one every day. A good dictionary and thesaurus expands a writer’s vocabulary and helps ensure they sound like they know what they’re talking about.
Well, Terminology is about as good as a modern dictionary/thesaurus gets. Actually, it’s a little more than that. Terminology is something of a research tool for your writing and just about anyone else’s. The latter function is made possible thanks to Terminology’s text search abilities.
Much like Grammarly, Terminology is simply an excellent companion app for any writer.
TextExpander (Legacy)
There are certain tools in life worth owning simply because they fix a common, but frustrating, problem. For many writers, TextExpander will be that tool.
What TextExpander does is help ensure that you don’t have to type the same phrases over and over again. For instance, if you need to squeeze a keyword into an article, you can use TextExpander to ensure that phrase pops up by only typing in a few letters.
We don’t imagine that this app will be necessary for everyone, but it’s certainly going to be worth its weight in gold for some writers.
Writing Challenge
You know all about the blank page. Even those who don’t write have heard about its horrors. The hardest part of writing is often getting started, and that extends to thinking of the right idea to write about on a blank page.
Well, Writing Challenge can help with that last part. It offers you a series of prompts that may remind some of a Mad Lib. The goal is to conduct a basic story using these prompts.
Granted, these prompts probably won’t be the basis of the next great novel, but they’re great at helping you get started writing instead of just staring at a blank page. It’s also just a lot of fun to use.
Final Draft Mobile
You’ve probably heard of Final Draft. This legendary program has long been the favorite service among screenwriters looking to get started on a new project. Indeed, countless great scripted programs can be traced back to someone opening Final Draft.
Well, Final Draft Mobile offers nearly everything that its desktop cousin is famous for. Final Draft not only helps your screenplay look professional, but it helps you better understand the screenplay format.
There are other notepad apps that do screenplays and more, but if you’re serious about writing a script, then this has to be the overwhelming recommendation.
iMindMap
It all starts with an idea. Whether it be a phrase, a character, a setting, or whatever, everything you write starts with a single idea. The complications come when you try to figure out where that idea goes from there.
iMindMap is here to help with that. This app allows you to essentially map your brain and creative process. From a simple starting point, you can build elaborate flowcharts that showcase the evolution of a concept.
For the writer who has trouble keeping it all together, iMindMap offers a fantastic way to turn a jumble of ideas into a cohesive structure. Give it a shot next time you want your brainstorms to become projects.
