--- title: "Is there an app for writing a book?" url: https://isthereathing.com/an-app-for-writing-a-book/ answer: "yes" summary: "Yes. Scrivener, Atticus and Reedsy Studio are built for book manuscripts, Reedsy Studio's core writing and formatting is free, and Google Docs works too." category: "Writing & AI text" published: 2026-10-02 updated: 2026-10-02 author: "Jack Stovell" publisher: "Adapt Progress Evolve Limited" language: en-GB --- # Is there an app for writing a book? **Answer: yes.** Yes. Scrivener, Atticus and Reedsy Studio are built for book manuscripts, Reedsy Studio's core writing and formatting is free, and Google Docs works too. (Source: [Reedsy Studio](https://reedsy.com/studio)) Yes, there are several apps for writing a book. Scrivener, Atticus and Reedsy Studio are built for book manuscripts, Reedsy Studio's core writing and formatting is free, and Google Docs works too. Which one suits you depends on whether you're mostly typing, mostly planning, or getting a finished manuscript into shape. ## The shortlist ### Scrivener Long-form writing app for manuscripts, with a binder, corkboard and research files. - Link: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview - Free tier: not verified. A 30-day free trial of the desktop app. - Paid from: £22.99 one-off (iOS app, UK App Store) (checked 2026-10-02; the store showed us a Windows licence at €69.99 (euros from our EU server); desktop price in pounds not checked) - Best at: Compiling a manuscript to Word, PDF, Final Draft and plain text. - The catch: Licences are sold separately per platform, though the store also offers a discounted Mac and Windows bundle, and reviewers on the iOS listing say the iPhone and iPad version lacks features of the desktop app. - Platforms: mac, windows, ios - Source: [Scrivener overview](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview) ### Atticus Write and format a book in one app, then export EPUB, PDF or DOCX. - Link: https://www.atticus.io/ - Free tier: no. No free trial stated; 30-day money-back guarantee. - Paid from: $147 one-time (checked 2026-10-02; USD) - Best at: Writing and formatting together, with 17 templates and device previews, for ebooks and print. - The catch: Priced in US dollars, and no free trial is stated, only a 30-day money-back guarantee. - Platforms: web, windows, mac, linux - Source: [Atticus](https://www.atticus.io/) ### Reedsy Studio Web writing app with outlining boards, collaboration and EPUB or print-PDF export. - Link: https://reedsy.com/studio - Free tier: yes. Core writing, planning and formatting are free. - Paid from: $4.99 per month (Studio Essential, optional) (checked 2026-10-02; USD; Outlining plan $7.99 per month; 30-day trial of premium) - Best at: Being free: writing and formatting are free, with planning boards included. - The catch: Web-based only, with no dedicated mobile app. Advanced outlining, writing statistics and dark mode need a paid plan. - Platforms: web - Source: [Reedsy Studio](https://reedsy.com/studio) ### Vellum Book formatting and design software for ebooks and paperbacks. - Link: https://vellum.pub/ - Free tier: not verified. Vellum says you can download it free to build, style and preview your book, and purchase when you're ready to publish. - Paid from: $199.99 (Ebooks), $249.99 (Press, ebooks and paperbacks) (checked 2026-10-02; USD, one-off) - Best at: Layout and typography across Kindle, Kobo and Apple Books. - The catch: Mac only, and it is a formatting tool, not a writing app: you import a finished manuscript. - Platforms: mac - Source: [Vellum](https://vellum.pub/) ### Google Docs Free word processor with offline editing and Gemini writing help. - Link: https://workspace.google.com/products/docs/ - Free tier: yes. Google says anyone with a Google Account can create in Docs; some features need a paid Workspace plan. - Paid from: not checked (no price for personal use stated; paid Workspace plans not checked) - Best at: Being free and available on phones, tablets and browsers, with offline use. - The catch: Not book-specific: no manuscript binder or ebook export built for books. Some features need a paid Google Workspace plan. - Platforms: web, ios, android - Source: [Google Docs](https://workspace.google.com/products/docs/) ## How they compare ### If you want it free Reedsy Studio. Core writing, planning and formatting are free, and the planning boards come with it, so you can outline and then write without paying anything. That lets you find out whether you'll finish a book before you've spent a penny on one. The cost is that it's web-based only, with no dedicated mobile app. Advanced outlining, writing statistics and dark mode also sit behind a paid plan, so if you write at night with the lights off, you'll feel that. ### If you want to compile to several formats Scrivener. It's a long-form app built around manuscripts, with a binder, a corkboard and space for research files, and it compiles a manuscript to Word, PDF, Final Draft and plain text. That's the draw if an editor wants Word and you want a PDF for yourself. You give up a single price. Licences are sold separately per platform, though the store also offers a discounted Mac and Windows bundle. It's also a trial first (30 days on the desktop app) rather than free to keep. ### If you want to write and format in one app Atticus. You write and format in the same place, with 17 templates and device previews, then export EPUB, PDF or DOCX. For ebooks and print, that saves you the step of moving a manuscript between two apps. What you give up is money upfront, and that's covered below. No free trial is stated either, only a 30-day money-back guarantee. ### If you want to write on a phone, tablet or offline Google Docs. It's free with a Google Account, it runs in browsers and on phones and tablets, and it works offline. But it isn't book-specific. There's no manuscript binder, and no ebook export built for books, so you'll be doing the organising yourself and the formatting somewhere else. Some features need a paid Google Workspace plan too. ### If you have a finished manuscript and a Mac Vellum. It handles layout and typography across Kindle, Kobo and Apple Books, and that's its job. Which is a limit in itself: it's a formatting tool, not a writing app, so you import a manuscript that's already done. It's Mac only, too. Vellum says you can download it free to build, style and preview your book, and pay when you're ready to publish. ### When paying is worth it Mostly it's worth it when you hit a specific wall. Reedsy Studio's core is free, and the optional Studio Essential plan is $4.99 a month, with an Outlining plan at $7.99 a month and a 30-day trial of premium. That's a way to find out whether advanced outlining or writing statistics matter to you before committing to anything bigger. ## What to watch for Atticus is $147 one-time, in US dollars, and no free trial is stated, only a 30-day money-back guarantee. That means you're paying first and judging afterwards. Scrivener's price needs a second look. The UK App Store iOS app is £22.99, but the store showed us a Windows licence at €69.99, so check the price in your own currency before you decide. Reviewers on the iOS listing also say the iPhone and iPad version lacks features of the desktop app, which matters if you were hoping to write on the move. Vellum is Mac only, needs macOS 13 or newer, and costs $199.99 for Ebooks or $249.99 for Press, which covers ebooks and paperbacks. It only helps once the writing is finished. ## How we checked On 2026-10-02 we read the Scrivener overview and store pages, its UK App Store listing, and the product pages for Atticus, Reedsy Studio, Vellum and Google Docs. Nothing was tested hands-on, so treat this as a careful read of what the makers' pages and store listings say. ## If none of these fit If you want an AI to draft rather than organise, see the related page on AI that can help write a book. ScriptGrain, which is ours, drafts in your own measured voice, but it is a drafting tool, not a manuscript app, so we left it off this list. ## Also typed as - is there an app that can help me write a book - is there an app that helps you write a book ## Related questions - [Is there an ai that can help me write a book?](https://isthereathing.com/an-ai-that-can-help-me-write-a-book/) - [Is there an ai that can write in my voice?](https://isthereathing.com/an-ai-that-can-write-in-my-voice/) - [Is there an app that can transcribe audio to text?](https://isthereathing.com/an-app-that-can-transcribe-audio-to-text/) ## Sources - [Scrivener overview](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Scrivener Mac/Windows/iOS store page](https://www.literatureandlatte.com/store/scrivener) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Scrivener on the UK App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/scrivener/id972387337) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Atticus](https://www.atticus.io/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Reedsy Studio](https://reedsy.com/studio) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Vellum](https://vellum.pub/) (checked 2026-10-02) - [Google Docs](https://workspace.google.com/products/docs/) (checked 2026-10-02) ## Questions people ask ### Is Scrivener a one-off purchase? The pages we read describe licences you buy per platform (Mac, Windows, iOS) rather than a subscription, and offer a 30-day free trial of the desktop app. The UK App Store lists the iOS app at £22.99. The store showed us a Windows licence at €69.99; check it in your own currency. ### Is there a free app for writing a book? Reedsy Studio's core writing and formatting is free, and Google Docs is free with a Google account. ### Does Vellum run on Windows? No. Vellum says it is only available for Mac and needs macOS 13 or newer. ### Do Atticus and Vellum write the book for me? No. Atticus is a writing and formatting app; Vellum is formatting only and imports a manuscript you have already written.