Revise Blog - Building a post-AI word processor
The best word processor for writers in 2026
Eight word processors and writing apps compared on Word files, review tools, AI, long projects, and focus, and what they cost
Artur Sapek, Founder of Revise10 min read
Long-form writing needs different things from a word processor than a memo does. A book or long article has to be easy to move around in, and the app should not get in the way while you draft. The file also has to reach an editor, a publisher, or a client in a form they can mark up. If you currently write in Microsoft Word, the question is usually whether another app suits your writing better, either instead of Word or alongside it.
I have spent the past year building a word processor, so I have studied how these apps handle long documents, Word files, and AI edits. The prices and features here come from each vendor’s own pages, which are linked throughout and listed in the sources at the end.
Word processors for writers at a glance
Read the “AI capabilities” column if AI matters to you. The pages we checked do not advertise built-in AI for several of these apps, which some writers prefer.
| Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid from | AI capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | The native .docx editor, with Track Changes and offline apps | Yes (Word for the web) | $9.99/mo (Microsoft 365 Personal) | Copilot drafts, rewrites, and summarizes, edits in place with highlight and undo |
| Revise | Reviewable AI edits on Word-compatible documents | Yes (daily AI limit) | $8/mo (Plus) | Agent proposes text and formatting edits as suggestions. Header, footer, and page-layout changes apply directly |
| Scrivener | Long projects split into scenes and chapters | No (30-day trial on Mac and Windows, counted in days of use) | $59.99 one-time (Scrivener 3 for macOS or Windows) | No AI features on the vendor's pages |
| Google Docs | Free sharing, suggestions, and co-editing | Yes (with a Google account) | $7/mo (Workspace Business Starter) | Gemini drafts, rewrites, and summarizes, refinements you accept or reject |
| Reedsy Studio | Free book drafting and formatting in the browser | Yes (writing, formatting, PDF and EPUB export) | $4.99/mo (Craft add-on) | No AI features on the vendor's pages |
| Ulysses | Focused Markdown writing on Apple devices | No (14-day trial, then read-only) | $5.99/mo (Ulysses) | Proofreads, rewrites, and summarizes selected text |
| iA Writer | Distraction-free writing without generative AI | No (7-day trial on Mac and Windows) | $29.99 one-time (iA Writer for Windows) | None built in |
| LibreOffice Writer | Free, private desktop writing | Yes (free and open source) | Free | None built in |
The second table covers the writing work itself, which includes review with an editor, how AI edits are shown, long projects, and focus.
| Tool | Tracked changes and comments | How AI edits appear | Long projects | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | Track Changes and comments | Copilot rewrites in place with a highlight and undo, Claude for Word can use tracked changes | Heading styles, Navigation pane to jump, and reorder on Windows | Focus mode hides the ribbon and status bar (documented for Windows) |
| Revise | Suggestions and comments, round-trip with Word | Text and formatting edits as tracked changes you accept or reject, layout changes apply directly (daily limit on Free) | Headings and a live table of contents | - |
| Scrivener | Comments and annotations | No built-in AI documented | Binder, corkboard, outliner, Scrivenings | Full-screen composition mode |
| Google Docs | Suggestions and comments | Gemini previews refinements you accept or reject (paid plans) | Tabs and subtabs, a document outline for each tab | - |
| Reedsy Studio | Comments and tracked changes from co-authors and editors | No AI advertised | Chapters, planning boards (one on the free plan) | - |
| Ulysses | No collaboration | Apple Intelligence Writing Tools on selected text | Library for large projects, goals and deadlines | Distraction-free interface |
| iA Writer | - | No generative AI, Authorship marks pasted text | - | Focus Mode |
| LibreOffice Writer | Track changes and comments | No generative AI | Navigator to jump between and reorder headings | - |
| Tool | .docx | Real-time co-editing | Offline | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | Yes (native format) | Yes | Yes (desktop apps) | Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| Revise | Yes (import and export) | Yes | No | Web |
| Scrivener | Yes (import, and export via compile) | - | Yes | Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad |
| Google Docs | Yes (edits .docx directly, imports and exports) | Yes | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Reedsy Studio | - | Yes (comments and tracked changes from co-authors and editors) | No (browser only) | Web |
| Ulysses | Partial (export only) | No | Yes | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| iA Writer | Partial (export) | - | Yes (documents saved on the device) | Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad |
| LibreOffice Writer | Yes (import and export) | - | Yes | Windows, Mac, Linux |
To try the AI workflow described under Revise below, paste a draft or import a .docx and ask the agent for an edit. It opens in Revise in your browser, where you can try one AI request without an account. You need a free account to accept a suggested change.
How we evaluated them
We compared the apps using these six checks:
- Word files: Can you import and export a
.docxwith its formatting, tracked changes, and comments? - Review: Does it have tracked changes, comments, and version history for working with editors?
- Long projects: How easy is it to organize and move around in a book-length draft?
- Focus: How well does it stay out of the way while you draft?
- AI: Does the app have any AI, how much of the document can it work on, and do you approve each change?
- Price and platforms: What does a year cost, does it work offline, and where does it run?
No app does best on every check. Word ranks first because it covers the most of them, with the native format, Track Changes, long-document navigation, offline desktop apps, and built-in AI. The order of the rest is our editorial judgment of how broadly each one serves writers across these checks. We did not score them, and the table further down sorts them by job instead. Apple Pages, which is free on Apple devices, is covered briefly in the FAQ.
Where this post refers to our own test, it means our AI document review test, which ran several of these tools on the same contract in August 2026.
The 8 best word processors for writers
1. Microsoft Word: Best all-around word processor for writers
- Free plan: Yes, Word for the web
- Paid from: $9.99/mo
- Built-in AI: Copilot
Microsoft Word is the native .docx editor, with styles, fields, mail merge, Track Changes , and a Navigation pane that jumps between headings and, on Windows, moves a section when you drag its heading. The desktop apps work offline, and Word for the web is free.
Copilot is included in Microsoft 365 Personal and, for the subscription owner only, Family, with usage limits. It can draft, rewrite, and summarize text. In our document review test it edited text in place with a blue highlight and an undo button rather than as tracked changes. Add-ins such as Claude for Word can make AI edits as tracked changes on a paid Claude plan.
Pick it if you want one app that covers drafting, editor review, and delivery. Skip it if the Microsoft 365 subscription is poor value for how you write.
2. Revise: Best for reviewable AI on Word-compatible documents
- Free plan: Yes, daily AI limit
- Paid from: $8/mo
- Built-in AI: Revise Agent
Revise is a browser word processor with an AI agent that proposes text and formatting edits across the document as tracked changes you accept or reject. The free plan includes GPT-6 Luna with a daily limit, and larger Claude, GPT, Gemini, and Grok models need a paid plan, starting at $8 a month.
It opens and saves .docx and preserves the Word features it documents, including footnotes and per-section page layout, and Word tracked changes and comments import and export with their authors and dates. It has real-time co-editing. It runs in a browser, not inside Word, and has no offline mode.
Pick it if you want to approve each AI edit and your files go back to Word. Skip it if you write offline or want a scene-by-scene binder.
3. Scrivener: Best for long projects
- Free plan: No, 30-day trial
- Paid from: $59.99 one-time
- Built-in AI: None advertised
Scrivener is closer to a project manager for writing than a word processor. You break a book, thesis, or script into pieces in a binder, arrange them on a corkboard or in an outliner, and compile the finished work to Word, PDF, ePub, Kindle, or Final Draft. It also has split editing, snapshots, word targets, and a full-screen composition mode, which help with long drafts.
It costs $59.99 once per platform (iOS is $23.99). Its pages do not document built-in AI, and the pages we checked do not say whether it supports real-time co-editing.
Pick it if your projects are long and full of notes and research. Skip it if your writing is short pieces that go straight to an editor in Word.
4. Google Docs: Best free option for sharing
- Free plan: Yes, with a Google account
- Paid from: $7/mo
- Built-in AI: Gemini
Google Docs is free with a Google account and runs in a browser. To share a draft with editors or beta readers, you send them a link. Readers can suggest edits that you approve, and it imports and exports .docx.
Gemini in Docs drafts, rewrites, and summarizes, but it needs Workspace Business Standard ($14 per user a month) or Google AI Pro ($19.99 a month).
Pick it if your drafts pass through several readers. Skip it if you want AI without a paid Google plan.
5. Reedsy Studio: Best free app for writing a book
- Free plan: Yes, writing and formatting
- Paid from: $4.99/mo
- Built-in AI: None advertised
Reedsy Studio is a browser-based book editor that is free for writing and formatting. Co-authors and editors can leave comments and tracked changes, the free plan keeps 30 days of history, and it exports print-ready PDF and EPUB. Optional add-ons cost $4.99 a month (Craft) or $7.99 a month (Outline).
Pick it if you are writing a book and want editing and typesetting in one free app. Skip it if you need to work offline.
6. Ulysses: Best for focused writing on Apple devices
- Free plan: No, 14-day trial
- Paid from: $5.99/mo
- Built-in AI: Apple Intelligence Writing Tools
Ulysses is a Markdown-based writing app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, with a distraction-free interface, a library for large projects, writing goals and deadlines, and a grammar and style check in 20+ languages. It exports to DOCX, PDF, ePub, and HTML, and publishes directly to WordPress, Ghost, Medium, and Micro.blog. Apple Intelligence Writing Tools work in it on supported devices.
It is a subscription that costs $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year. It has no collaboration features, and it becomes read-only after the 14-day trial ends.
Pick it if you write for the web or blog on Apple devices. Skip it if you use Windows or trade tracked changes with an editor.
7. iA Writer: Best for distraction-free writing
- Free plan: No, 7-day trial
- Paid from: $29.99 one-time
- Built-in AI: None
iA Writer is a minimal Markdown editor with Focus Mode, a Style Check that flags filler and clichés, and export to Word, PDF, and HTML. It has no generative AI. Its Authorship feature shows text pasted from an AI in a different color from the text you typed.
It is a one-time purchase of $29.99 on Windows and $49.99 on Mac or iPhone and iPad, and there is a 7-day trial on Mac and Windows.
Pick it if you want a quiet place to draft and want to keep your own words clearly separate from AI text. Skip it if you need page layout or comments.
8. LibreOffice Writer: Best free desktop word processor
- Free plan: Free and open source
- Paid from: Free
- Built-in AI: None
LibreOffice Writer is free, open-source desktop software for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It opens and saves Word files, records tracked changes you accept or reject, works offline, and needs no account. The project says its current release contains no generative AI features and sends no documents to remote services.
Pick it if you want a full word processor with no subscription and no cloud. Skip it if you need a browser-based way to write with other people.
Which writing app fits your work?
| What you need | Best fit | When Word is enough |
|---|---|---|
| AI edits you approve one by one, on Word files | Revise | Copilot, or an add-in such as Claude for Word, covers the AI help you want. |
| Scenes, notes, and research in one project | Scrivener | Headings and the Navigation pane are enough structure. |
| Free sharing with many readers | Google Docs | Your readers already use Word. |
| A free app to write and typeset a book | Reedsy Studio | A publisher or designer handles formatting. |
| Writing for the web on Apple devices | Ulysses | You paste into your publishing tool anyway. |
| A distraction-free draft | iA Writer | You already draft comfortably in Word. |
| No subscription, no cloud | LibreOffice Writer | You already pay for Microsoft 365. |
Where Word falls short for writers
- Scene-level structure. Scrivener’s binder and corkboard treat each scene as its own piece. Word’s Navigation pane organizes headings within one document.
- Built-in AI you can review. Copilot edited text in place in our test. Revise’s agent proposes text and formatting edits as tracked changes, and inside Word an add-in such as Claude for Word can do the same on a paid Claude plan.
- Price. The Microsoft 365 plans that include desktop Word and Copilot are subscriptions, while LibreOffice, Google Docs, and Reedsy Studio are free.
- Focus. Ulysses and iA Writer are built around distraction-free Markdown drafting.
What Word still does best
- The native format. A
.docxopens in Word without conversion, which matters when editors and publishers work in Word. - Review with editors. Track Changes and comments are the format most editors already use.
- Long documents. Styles, fields, and the Navigation pane handle long manuscripts in one file.
- Offline desktop apps. Word runs offline on Windows and Mac, and Word for the web is free.
What each app costs
Google Docs, Reedsy Studio, LibreOffice, and Word for the web are free, and Revise has a free plan with a daily AI limit. Scrivener and iA Writer are one-time purchases. Microsoft 365, Ulysses, and Revise’s paid plans are subscriptions.
| Tool | Cheapest paid plan | Monthly | Per year | AI on that plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99/mo | $99.99 | Eligible Microsoft 365 plans, with limits. Personal/Family AI benefits are for the owner |
| Revise | Plus (or $72/yr billed annually) | $8/mo | $72 | Monthly AI limit, no daily limit. GPT-6 Sol, GPT-6 Astra, and Claude Opus 5.5 need Pro |
| Scrivener | Scrivener 3 for macOS or Windows (per platform, iOS $23.99, Mac + Windows bundle $95.98, major upgrades paid) | $59.99 one-time | - | None |
| Google Docs | Workspace Business Starter (per user, annual plan) | $7/mo | $84 | Not on Starter, Gemini in Docs starts with Business Standard ($14/user/mo with annual commitment) or Google AI Pro ($19.99/mo) |
| Reedsy Studio | Craft add-on (optional add-on, Outline add-on $7.99/mo, annual saves 10%) | $4.99/mo | - | None |
| Ulysses | Ulysses (or $39.99/yr billed annually, student pricing available) | $5.99/mo | $39.99 | Writing Tools on supported devices, languages, and regions |
| iA Writer | iA Writer for Windows (Mac $49.99, iPhone and iPad $49.99, major updates may be paid) | $29.99 one-time | - | None |
| LibreOffice Writer | None, completely free | Free | Free | None built in |
Moving your writing between apps
- From Word. Save a
.docx. Revise, Scrivener, Google Docs, and LibreOffice open it. For Ulysses or iA Writer, paste the text. - From Google Docs. Download a
.docxand open it in any of the apps above that read one. - From Scrivener. Compile to Word for any app that opens
.docx, or to plain text or MultiMarkdown for Ulysses and iA Writer. - From Ulysses or iA Writer. Export to DOCX for an editor, or to Markdown for another Markdown app.
The bottom line
Start with the part of the work that is hardest for you. For structure, use Scrivener, and for sharing, use Google Docs. For a free book workflow, use Reedsy Studio. For focus, use Ulysses, or iA Writer on Mac, Windows, iPhone, and iPad. For AI edits you review as tracked changes, use Revise. If cost matters most, use LibreOffice, and if you want broad all-around coverage, use Word.
Sources
Prices and plan details were checked against each vendor’s own pages on October 4, 2026. Prices are in US dollars as each vendor lists them, and some include local tax. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on the linked page before you buy.
- Microsoft Word: AI capabilities and access, Previous versions, Track Changes, Navigation pane, Real-time co-authoring, Save as PDF, Compare documents (legal blackline), Microsoft 365 plans, Word for the web, Revise's AI review test, Copilot in Word, Track Changes in Word for the web, Word options: General, Print a document, Office for the web in OneDrive, Microsoft 365 mobile apps, Removed Windows features (WordPad), Word for the web service description, Similarity checking, Editing with Copilot and Track Changes (Microsoft 365 Copilot), Copilot and document length, When you need a Microsoft 365 subscription
- Revise: Pricing, Supported models, Agent capabilities, Word compatibility, Import and export, MCP server, Suggesting mode, AI usage limits
- Scrivener: Scrivener overview, Scrivener features, Store, FAQ
- Google Docs: Edit Office files, Version history, Suggest edits, Workspace pricing, Google AI plans, Gemini in Docs, Gemini features by plan, Gemini usage limits in Google apps, Edit Office files in Google Drive
- Reedsy Studio: Reedsy Studio, Pricing, FAQ
- Ulysses: Ulysses, Pricing, Releases, Export, FAQ
- iA Writer: iCloud and offline use, iA Writer, Buy
- LibreOffice Writer: Writer guide: advanced text, Writer guide, LibreOffice 26.8 release, Download, Track changes, LibreOffice, System requirements, Using Microsoft Office files
- Apple Pages: App Store listing, Collaborate in Pages, Word files in Pages, Pages, Creator Studio in Pages, Writing Tools
- Claude for Word: Claude for Word, Pricing
