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12 Free Publishing Platforms for Writers to Publish Articles

Are you a writer looking to get your content more exposure? Then free publishing platforms are your solution!

Read on for our best selection of 12 free online platforms for writers to publish articles.

If you're a writer or even an aspiring writer, this blog was written for you. Publishing your articles online can be a great way to reach a number of different goals, whether you want to:

• earn money from your writing
• bring in email subscribers
• attract visitors to your website
• publish a book one day
• educate others on a topic you're passionate about

The list goes on. Whatever your goal, publishing your articles online is a great way to get there.

Before we start, this article is about finding spaces to publish blog articles and shorter pieces of work here. You'll need a different approach if you've got a book to publish.

So without further ado, let's get started.

Start Your Own Blog

The first thing I recommend doing is setting up your own blog. Not only does this allow you to publish what you want when you want, but you can also customize it to your brand's colors . It also means you can use SEO to bring more readers to your blog, whereas that's something that's out of your control when using third-party platforms.

Here are some of my favorite free blogging platforms.

1. WordPress

WordPress is a website and blog builder in one, so you get to choose which one most suits your needs. Do you have services to promote? Research projects or a portfolio to display? Then you could probably make use of the website function and have a blog attached to it, which you'll use to attract more visitors.

Just interested in writing for now? Use only the blog function. The great thing is if you decide later on that you want to start a website, you can do so without having to start all over again.

• WordPress has a free and paid option. The free option is more than good enough for basic blog publishing needs. The paid option offers some cool features, like the option of a custom domain name, which you can decide to go for later if that appeals to you.

Wix is a great runner-up to Squarespace in that it is incredibly user-friendly. WordPress, for all its flexibility, can be a little complex to navigate if you're a first-timer.

Wix has pre-made templates, so all you need to do is pick one, customize it to your heart's content, and get writing.

Oh, and it has SEO tools to help you optimize your blog to appear higher up in search results.

• Overall, a great one for beginners.

Blogger.com have been around for a long time, so they know what they're doing. It has some nifty added features, too.

The Google Analytics tool comes included, which allows you to track how your posts are doing. This feature is not to be underestimated because it means you can write more about what your audience wants to read.

Another included bonus is Google AdSense, which allows you to make money via ads that your readers will see when they visit your blog. Not everybody wants that, though, so you'll have to decide if it's for you. Still, it's great to have the option to earn a bit of cash while you're getting set up.

Independent Platforms

As far as free publishing platforms go, third-party, independent platforms to publish your writing are a pretty good option since they already have an established used database, so the hard work has been done for you.

• There will be a bit of a learning curve for you to learn about their algorithm and understand how to increase your articles' visibility, but once you know what you're doing, you can really grow your readership.

Medium is kind of like social media meets a publishing platform. The great thing is that its users are dedicated and serious about good writing. So if you think you have a talent for writing,

No doubt, you'll also find yourself pulled into reading some of the great articles you can find on there. And that's a great thing, of course, since avid reading is the best way to improve your own writing.

Longform content is received exceptionally well, so if you're into writing longer pieces, Medium might be for you.

• You can follow users whose writing you love, check out their other articles, message them, and generally keep up with their activity; this means, of course, that others can do the same with you.

5. LinkedIn

You've definitely heard of Linkedin. Who hasn't? Well, if you haven't, let me sum it up for you. Linkedin is a professional networking platform that features job advertisements, news relevant to your industry, the opportunity to connect with others in your field, and… article publishing.

There are many reasons to publish on Linkedin. First of all, not only does it have the potential to appear on your connections' own newsfeeds but also on second and third-degree connections' feeds.

You can also feature your top articles on your profile so visitors can see them immediately.

• But ultimately, the best reason to publish on Linkedin is that, hypothetically, most of your connections are people from your niche or industry, so chances are they have the same interests as you, which should make your articles appealing to them.

Tumblr is a little different from other publishing platforms. First of all, it isn't exclusively for blog articles. You can also publish images and videos, have discussions and share other people's content. This means if you're creatively inclined, you can entertain your followers via mixed mediums.

But even if you exclusively want to write, Tumblr is an excellent place for that. It offers suggestions to readers based on their listed interests and what they've been reading. So if you play your cards right, you can have your articles recommended to others.

• It's worth noting that Tumbl is probably better suited to shorter content,

7. Flipboard

Flipboard brings together news stories with social content and, in that way, highlights diverse voices.

• The platform allows you to publish directly onto the platform and helps it reach people who'll be interested in what you have to say. Use current news stories to make fresh and relevant content that your readers will eat up.

8. Scoop.It

Not only is scoop.it a content publishing platform, but it also comes with content curation tools, meaning you can publish curated content and reach the right audience.

• One hundred percent free and easy to use.

9. EzineArticles

EzineArticles is a submission website, which means you'll have to submit your articles for approval before they can be published. The great thing about that is the site attracts people who are fans of good writing. Grammatically correct, error-free writing.

• All articles on their website are organized into categories, making it easy for readers to access articles they'll be interested in.

10. Article Alley

Article Alley, as the name suggests, is a hub for quality articles about a range of different topics. So no matter what you're writing about, you're sure to find people who'll be interested.

• And the great thing is that you can earn royalties, too!

11. Substack

With Substack, you can also earn a little extra cash through paid subscriptions. That's right; you can use the platform to build a loyal readership, which is not only great in and of itself but also allows you to earn while you write.

• Therefore, a great option if you're looking for a long-term publishing platform.

Guest Blogging

There's one more area we haven't talked about when it comes to free publishing platforms, and that's the concept of guest blogging. That means writing for an established site that will publish your articles under your name.

12. Article submission sites

Guest blogging can be a great way for you to increase your readership for several reasons.

• First of all, you're accessing the website's readers, so that's a brand new audience for you to tap into.
• Second, they'll usually allow you to add a bio within your article, which means you can link back to your own website or blog. And backlinks are a fantastic SEO tool.

What you'll want to do is search for online magazines or websites within your niche (the specific topic you write about), then make a list of websites you'd be interested in featuring on.

These sites will usually have a section with guidelines for article submissions. Read those, and decide whether it fits your writing style and whether it's worth your while. Try to think of the return on investment you're getting. Do they pay a fee for published articles?

Will they allow you to link back to your website?

Bear in mind that often, you'll have to write the article and submit it before knowing whether it's going to be accepted. But all isn't lost if you go to all that effort and the article isn't accepted: you can simply go ahead and publish it on one of the many free platforms listed above!

Concluding Thoughts on Free Publishing Platforms

Well, that concludes this list of free publishing platforms for writers. I hope that you've found it helpful and that at least one of these will suit your needs. My recommendation is to use several different ones, however, so that you can make the most of what each one has to offer, tap into different audiences, and maximize the growth of your writing experience. Remember, experience is the best teacher!

If you found this article helpful, you might want to check out some of the others on our blog .

Learn More:

• Articles: What Are Articles? Definition and Types (Examples)
• The 5 Best Free Book Writing Software For Your Novel
• ‘Living Rent Free in Someone's Head’: Definition, Meaning, and Examples
• How to Write Height Correctly - Writing Feet and Inches
• How Long Does It Take to Write 1000 Words
• How to Write a Postcard (Tips and Examples)
• How to Write Comedy: Tips and Examples to Make People Laugh
• How to Write an Inequality: From Number Lines or Word Problems
• How to Write a Monologue: Tips and Examples
• Writing Meditation: How to Use Writing as a Meditation Technique
• How to Write Like Ernest Hemingway
• How to End an Email (Sign Off Examples)
• How to Write a Formal Email
• How to Write a 2-Week Notice Email
• How to Write an Out-of-Office (OOO) Email

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Just Publishing Advice For Writers and Authors

Free self-publishing advice, how to guides and tips

The Top 10 Free Article Submission Sites For New Writers

For new writers, free article submission sites are a terrific resource to help you publish your writing .

But another benefit is that writing and submitting your articles can also help you improve the off-page SEO of your new blog.

It’s challenging to find readers online, so it takes a bit of effort. Every new writer starts from scratch , but many find ways to succeed.

Publishing articles is one of the best ways to help you improve your writing, find readers and promote your blog.

What are free article submission sites?

These are sites where you can publish your articles for free and often with instant approval.

You can use them to publish articles to promote your brand, business, informational topics, or your area of expertise.

The biggest benefit for many content writers and bloggers is that you can include links in your articles.

For a new writer, understanding how links work is important.

There are two styles of links: dofollow and nofollow.

A dofollow link is of higher value because it can pass on some authority to your blog.

But a nofollow link still has some SEO value.

If you are using a free blogging platform, these links will help you a lot.

Experienced article writers look for free article submission sites that have a high Alexa domain ranking and allow dofollow links.

But if you only want to publish articles and don’t have a blog to promote, there is no need to worry about the SEO value of links.

No shortcuts to quality article writing

A great article incorporates all the features you need when you write a blog post .

You need to research your keywords and read some competitive articles to understand what you need to cover in your text.

As for your article title, you need to craft it to attract a reader’s attention.

You should also use paragraph headings to make your points clear.

Selecting relevant images, graphs, and screenshots can also add more value to an article.

Writing a quality article takes time. But it’s worth it because it will be online for a long time.

Can you publish an article on more than one site?

Yes, it’s possible. But it’s not a good idea.

When you publish the same article on different sites, it will diminish its value. Google will not know which one is the authoritative article, so it will stand little chance of being indexed.

A better idea is to use links between your articles. If you write about fruit in one article, add a dofollow link to your other article about vegetables.

It’s the same as how a blogger uses internal links between blog posts.

When you have published ten or twenty articles, your links between them will help you get more readers.

The links will also assist in possibly getting your articles indexed by search engines.

How to select sites for article submission

One of the best criteria you can use is to do a quick check of a site’s Alexa ranking.

The lower the number, the more popular it is.

To do a check, go to Statshow , and enter a site’s URL.

Here is the result for Google.

If a site ranks in the top 100,000 sites in the world, it means that it has a high Alexa page rank.

Other factors you might want to consider are how easy it is to use, how suitable it is for your type of article content , and how many dofollow links you can use.

There are hundreds of submission sites, so you should choose carefully and make sure each one is right for you.

But to help you along, here are the top ten for you to consider.

1. Google Sites

If you make a selection by page ranking, then Google Sites has to be your first choice because anything Google ranks at number one.

On top of that, you can choose from a range of ready-made templates to help your content shine.

It’s one of the most popular sites for content and article writers.

2. Ezine Articles

EzineArticles has long been a go-to site for free article submissions.

For new writers looking to publish articles and find an audience, it is a great site to get you started.

You can submit all your articles for free. Just ensure that your writing is up to standard and free of any grammar and spelling mistakes.

It is an excellent option to help you get backlinks if you are starting a new blog or website.

Update: In recent months, the site has been offline occasionally for days at a time, which is less than ideal for a popular site such as this. Therefore, I have removed the link. But you can find it with a Google Search.

3. Articlebiz

ArticleBiz gives you the opportunity for your articles to be picked up by online publishers.

You can submit your articles for free.

But you will need to fill in a resource box with a short bio. You can include your email and website address.

You can choose from a vast range of categories for your articles.

It has an Alexa ranking of 210,908. So it certainly does get traffic and readers.

If you are new to article writing, it is a great submission site.

You might think that Tumblr is only a hobby blogging platform.

But, in fact, it is a terrific site for promoting your articles because you can use as many links as you think you need.

All you need to do is set up your free account, and you can write and publish or reblog as many articles as you want.

5. LiveJournal

It’s been around for a long time, but article writers often overlook LiveJournal .

However, with an Alexa rank of 426, it proves that it certainly gets a ton of traffic and lots of readers.

That makes it a site that you should definitely consider.

6. Linkedin

My guess is that you already have an account with Linkedin. That makes it easy for you to publish your articles.

All you need to do is follow the instructions for publishing Linkedin articles , and you are ready to submit.

There are millions of daily users on Linkedin, so you have an excellent opportunity to find readers for your professional articles.

Linkedin must be one of the easiest ways to publish your articles for free.

If you are into writing about software and technology, Dzone is a site you might want to investigate.

It is high-ranking and very popular. But you need to read the submission guidelines carefully before you submit an article.

Also, expect to wait between seven to twelve business days for an assessment and approval of your article.

You might be wondering why I have included Quora in my list of free article submission sites.

It’s an open forum, so why is it here?

Well, it has enormous benefits when it comes to promoting your articles.

All you need to do is search for questions people ask about your topics of expertise or interest.

Then answer the question as fully as you can. An answer of around 200 words is usually sufficient.

But the significant advantage is that you can include a link back to your published article on the topic.

If you answer perhaps five questions on a topic, you will gain five backlinks.

9. Sooper Articles

It might not look as attractive as some other sites, but Sooper Articles has an Alexa ranking of 20,850.

That means it gets a lot of traffic. You can choose from a whole host of topics, so you will almost certainly find a niche for your articles.

It’s a free service for all writers. But in the FAQs, it says that a new article takes around five days to be approved and published.

10. Bored Panda

If you are looking to submit lightweight or funny articles, Bored Panda could be a choice for you.

It started in 2009, so it’s been around for a while now. Its style is a little like a tabloid newspaper, so your writing probably needs to be a bit clever.

But there are a lot of categories to choose from, such as fashion, food, nature, and social issues, so it’s not only about being witty.

It can be a bit daunting for new writers when there are so many free article submission sites to choose from if you do a Google search.

But as always, it’s about the quality of the sites you choose.

While some might seem quick and easy to submit, a low-ranking site may not get you many readers.

On the other hand, a top-ranking site might take longer to approve your articles.

It’s a balance you need to find.

With the ten sites I have listed in this article, you can’t go too far wrong.

But you also have another simple option. You can publish your articles in PDF , which is free and only takes a few minutes.

Related reading: The Differences Between An Article And A Blog Post

• ← How To Write An Advice Article To Gain More New Readers
• Wish In The Past Tense For Present And Future Wants →

Derek Haines

A Cambridge CELTA English teacher and author with a passion for writing and all forms of publishing. My days are spent writing and blogging, as well as testing and taming new technology. More about Derek

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Free writing software: 24 tools to help you create better content, faster

Find the best brainstorming, researching, writing, and editing tools.

As a freelance writer, I try to keep my app costs lean, so I'm a sucker for free writing tools. But with so many writing apps on the market, it's hard to tell which free options are actually valuable.

I've done some of the legwork for you by bringing together some of the best free writing apps on the internet. All of the options listed here are tools the Zapier team or I have used and enjoyed.

For this roundup, I prioritized completely free tools and freemium apps with a forever free plan that was sufficient for actual regular use. Many of the options have paid plans, but those plans are generally geared toward power users.

Researching and note-taking software

Writing software

Editing software

Proofreading software

The best free writing software at a glance

Free writing tools for brainstorming and organizing your thoughts, best free writing software for expanding your ideas.

MindMeister (Web, iOS, Android)

If you like to perform mind mapping to get your thoughts on paper and connect them, MindMeister gives you a virtual space to do it. It includes templates for the traditional mind map as well as more specific layouts for frameworks like SMART goals, case studies, and content plans.

Want to learn more about mind mapping? Check out Zapier's list of the best mind mapping apps , or discover nine ways to use mind maps to jumpstart your projects.

MindMeister pricing: Free for up to 3 mind maps; from $5.99/month for premium plans , including features like unlimited mind maps, advanced exporting, and group sharing

Best free writing software for creating content outlines

Workflowy (Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome, iOS, Android)

Outlines are a writer's best friend , and Workflowy lets you go as deep or shallow as you want. This tool organizes your outline into bullet points that you can click to nest and expand however you want.

Workflowy pricing: Free for up to 250 bullets a month ; from $4.99/month for the Workflowy Pro plan with expanded features like unlimited bullets and uploads

Best free writing software for brainstorming together

When you need to write something in collaboration with others, the brainstorming process is one of the trickiest to facilitate with technology. Miro lets you plot out ideas with mind maps, Kanban boards, virtual sticky notes, and whatever strategy you use to get your thoughts down. The free plan allows for unlimited team members to brainstorm with at the same time.

If whiteboards aren't your preferred brainstorming method, explore Zapier's picks for the top brainstorming tools for more collaborative and solo apps.

You can even use Miro with Zapier (also free), so you can automate your brainstorming workflows. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started.

Create Miro widgets with new Trello cards

Add Miro cards from new rows on Google Sheets

Miro pricing: Free for 3 whiteboards with unlimited team members; from $8/user/month for plans with unlimited whiteboards and advanced collaboration features

Best free writing software for brainstorming topics

Ryan Robinson's Keyword Research Tool (Web)

Go to the Ideas tab of Ryan Robinson's Keyword Research Tool , and it'll provide ideas related to your query. Since it's a keyword tool first and foremost, these ideas are designed to be less competitive on search results, too.

If you're looking for keyword research tools specifically for their main purpose, check out Zapier's roundup of the best free keyword research tools .  

Keyword Research Tool pricing: Free

Best free writing software for brainstorming ideas with AI

ChatGPT (Web)

With the rise of AI , some writers use GPT-based apps to brainstorm ideas and build the base for an outline. ChatGPT is the best free option—and the one you know and love—or you can check out even more GPT-powered writing apps in Zapier's list of the best AI writing generators . 

You can also combine GPT with Zapier to send ideas to your favorite project management tool.

ChatGPT pricing: Free; ChatGPT Plus is $20/month

Best free writing software for brainstorming out loud

Your computer's dictation software (MacOS, Windows)

If you process your thoughts best through speaking, there's a brainstorming app already on your computer. Boot up Windows 10 Speech Recognition on Windows or Apple Dictation on Mac to record your thoughts as you brainstorm out loud.

For mobile and premium dictation app options, check out Zapier's list of the best text dictation software .

Windows 10 Speech Recognition and Apple Dictation pricing: Free

Free writing tools for research and note-taking

Best free writing software for keeping everything in one place.

Notion (Web, MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android)

Notion's balance of organization and spontaneity make it a great place to hold your notes, links, social media posts, transcriptions, and any other resources you need to write that draft. Plus, depending on your writing preferences, you can then write the draft itself in Notion—all for free. 

Add Zapier integrations to the mix to bring even more of your writing life together. Here are some pre-made workflows to get you started.

Save new tasks in Google Tasks in Notion databases

Add new Microsoft Outlook calendar events to Notion databases

If Notion doesn't meet your needs, try one of these Notion alternatives . Zapier also has a list of the best note-taking apps for you to browse.

Notion pricing: Free plan available; from $8/user/month for team plans

Best free writing software for finding free copies of paywalled research

Unpaywall (Web)

Have you ever come across a search result for the perfect research article, only to discover it's behind a paywall? Unpaywall gets you across those paywalls ethically by looking for legitimate free versions of paywalled academic research. It looks at sources like journals' open-access repositories and university and government databases, so you're never infringing copyright.

Unpaywall pricing: Free

Best free writing software for transcribing interview and video content

oTranscribe (Web)

oTranscribe simplifies the manual transcription process by placing your audio controls and a word processor on the same screen. This tool has keyboard controls and speed adjustment, so you can seamlessly transition between your audio and transcript.

If you're willing to pay a bit, here's Zapier's list of the best transcription apps and services .

oTranscribe pricing: Free

Best free writing software for collecting research from other people

Google Forms (Web, iOS, Android)

When you need original quotes or data from other people, a free survey tool or form builder will help you organize it all. Google Forms is an accessible choice for most people because it's completely free and works with the rest of Google Workspace.

Turn your form responses into Trello cards, Notion database entries, or any other nugget of info that serves you well with Google Forms' Zapier integrations .

Create Trello cards from new Google Forms responses

Share Google Forms responses in a Slack channel

Google Forms pricing: Free

Free writing tools for solo and collaborative writing

Best free writing software for collaborative writing.

Google Docs (Web, Chrome, iOS, Android)

Google Docs' straightforward interface and ease of use make it a great tool for writing solo, but this app really shines through its collaborative features . Its suggestion, sharing, and version history features put it on par with its paid alternatives at no cost to you.

You can connect Google Docs to all the other tools you use with its Zapier integration . Here are some ideas for free automations you might set up.

Create new Google Docs from text with new rows in Google Sheets

Create new Google Docs when Trint transcripts are ready

Not a fan of Google Docs or don't want to create a Google account? Find another great option in Zapier's guide to the best collaborative writing apps .

Google Docs pricing: Free

Best free writing software for messages and blurbs

WordCounter (Web)

Sometimes you need to write a small amount of text, such as a message or a blurb, without the pressure of accidentally hitting the Enter button too early. WordCounter acts as a combination clipboard and editor with a word count that saves your work in your browser cache for the next time you visit.

WordCounter pricing: Free

Free writing tools for editing

Best free writing software for finding the perfect word.

OneLook Reverse Dictionary and Thesaurus (Web)

OneLook Reverse Dictionary and Thesaurus offers all the synonyms you could dream of like a regular thesaurus, but it stands out in its reverse dictionary capabilities. Enter a phrase—or even a full sentence—to get words that match that meaning. This feature comes in handy when you want to write more concisely or find that word that's on the tip of your tongue.

OneLook Reverse Dictionary and Thesaurus pricing: Free

Best free writing software for finding the right word—anywhere

Power Thesaurus (Web, Chrome, iOS, Android)

As a freelance writer, I find myself needing to switch up words when I write on various platforms across the internet. Power Thesaurus gives me synonyms, antonyms, definitions, and other forms of word assistance wherever I like to write. It can do the same for you—put it to use on its website, in your browser, on your phone, in Google Docs, in Word, and in Gmail.

Power Thesaurus pricing: Free for fundamental features; starting from $2.49/month for Power Thesaurus PRO , featuring filters and a wider selection of synonyms

Best free writing software for rewording what you write

Wordtune (Web, Chrome, iOS)

When you just can't get phrasing right in your writing, you might turn to a friend or editor to help you sort it out. Wordtune acts as that person by offering suggestions to reword, expand, and shorten your content using AI. It doesn't have as robust of a free plan as some of the other options on this list, but it provides enough if you need assistance here and there.

If you want more features and are willing to pay a monthly fee, you can put AI to work in your editing process with Zapier's list of the best AI rewording and grammar-checking tools .

Wordtune pricing: Free for up to 10 rewrites, three AI prompts, and three summaries a day; from $9.99/month for advanced plans featuring more rewrites, AI prompts, and summaries

Best free writing software for clear and concise writing

Hemingway Editor (Web, macOS, Windows)

Inspired by Ernest Hemingway's concise writing style, the Hemingway Editor points out opportunities to sharpen your writing. This tool highlights passive voice, complex sentences, and adverbs that make your work harder to understand. It also supplies a readability score to estimate how accessible your writing is to a broad audience.

Hemingway Editor pricing: Free for editing in the Hemingway web app; $19.99 for the Mac or Windows desktop app

Best free writing software for creating compelling headlines

CoSchedule Headline Studio (Web, Chrome)

CoSchedule Headline Studio helps you write compelling headlines by analyzing the sentiment and word balance in your titles. Type in a headline to get a score and test different variations based on the suggestions you get. The Google Chrome extension and WordPress plugin let you analyze headlines wherever you go.

CoSchedule Headline Studio pricing: Free for basic features; from $8/month to buy "Premium Headline" credits that give you access to an SEO score, AI writing features, headline suggestions, and word banks for a certain number of headlines

Best free writing software for finding and removing cliches

Cliche Finder (Web)

Cut cliches out of your writing using Cliche Finder . After you paste your text into the textbox and click the Find Cliches button, the tool will highlight any cliches in bold, red text. It's up to you from there, but the tool is 100% free.

Cliche Finder pricing: Free

Best free writing software for finding jargon in your text

De-Jargonizer (Web)

Another writing mechanism that gets in the way of clarity is jargon—terms that only people in a specific role will understand. The De-Jargonizer highlights potential jargon in your writing in orange in red for you to consider rephrasing.

Once you identify jargon in your text with the De-Jargonizer, you can get suggestions for rewriting it from Zapier's Corporate Jargon Translator , built using Zapier's free AI chatbot builder .

De-Jargonizer pricing: Free

Best free writing software for varying your wording and sentence length

Expresso (Web)

Two of the best ways to amp up your writing are to switch up your words and sentence length. Expresso helps you achieve both of these goals by breaking your writing down into metrics based on word usage and sentence length, such as frequently repeated words and average sentence word count.

Expresso pricing: Free

Best free writing software for comparing your writing to AI content

GPTZero (Web, Chrome)

Due to the complexity of the AI situation, it can be tricky to truly detect AI writing with an AI content detector . But, as one writer discovered in our guide to standing out from AI , these tools work well for picking out human content that sounds like AI due to repetitive phrases and generic writing. GPTZero is a free option that judges text based on perplexity (complexity) and burstiness (sentence variation).

GPTZero pricing: Free for documents up to 5,000 words and batch uploads of up to 3 files; from $9.99/month for plans with higher word and batch limits

Free writing tools for proofreading

Best free writing software for catching spelling and grammar mistakes.

Grammarly (Web, macOS, Windows, Android iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

Check for spelling and grammar mistakes everywhere you write with Grammarly . It looks for even the nit-pickiest details, like missing dashes and incorrect prepositions. Stick to its web editor, add it to your favorite writing tool, or add the browser extension to check your writing wherever you go.

Grammarly pricing: Free for the basic spell- and grammar-checker; from $12/month for plans with advanced features like tone, vocabulary, and rewrite suggestions

Best free writing tool for proofreading short-form content

ProWritingAid (Web, macOS, Windows, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

ProWritingAid's free plan can analyze less text at a time than Grammarly , but it includes a word explorer, thesaurus, and rephrasing tool on top of its grammar-checking features. These capabilities make it a better fit for writers who like to get really granular with their improvement. ProWritingAid's free plan could be a better option for you than Grammarly if your total word count usually clocks at 500 words or fewer.

ProWritingAid pricing: Free for a 500 word count limit and 10 rephrases per day; from $10/month for a Premium plan with no word count limit, unlimited rephrases, and advanced grammar improvement features like in-depth analytics of your writing

Best free writing tool for making MLA citations

EasyBib (Web)

This one's for the academics out there. Enter your paper's sources into EasyBib , and it'll organize them into an MLA bibliography for you. I had to give everything a once-over and make minor changes, but EasyBib helped me win my college library's bibliography contest back in the day by getting it all together.

EasyBib pricing: Free

Free writing software FAQ

Here are some questions lots of people have about writing apps and how to choose the right one.

What's a good free writing tool?

Tools like Google Docs and WordCounter are free forever and very functional. Other apps, like Grammarly or ProWritingAid, have free plans that offer basic features, with more advanced features available via a paid plan.

But there are a lot of free writing tools available that perform a wide variety of functions—everything from brainstorming to research and note-taking to writing to editing to proofreading.

What writing tool do most writers use?

There's a wide variety of writing tools out there, and which one a writer uses really comes down to preference. A lot of writers use Google Docs to write because they already use Google for so many other things—but some may prefer a tool like Notion, where they can combine writing with project management.

What makes a good writing tool?

In short, whatever helps you write! If a blank page and no distraction is what helps you actually get words down, then open a new Google Doc and go at it. If you need to organize your thoughts before you even think about writing, consider adding a brainstorming tool to the mix. Each writer's process is different, and it's all about finding tools that enable your writing, not add another roadblock to your process.

Sharpen your craft with your new toolkit

As is the case with many skills, it can be easy to focus too much on improving your writing through tools alone. You'll maximize the results you'll get from your apps with a solid foundation in writing techniques. Grab the tools that appeal to you on this page, then brush up on your core writing skills to become a killer prose machine.

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Copywriting vs. content writing: How to do each one well

This article was originally published in June 2015 by Jane Callahan and has also had contributions from Jessica Greene. The most recent update was in August 2023.

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Melissa King

Melissa King is a freelance writer who helps B2B SaaS companies spread the word about their products through engaging content. Outside of the content marketing world, she sometimes writes about video games. Check out her work at melissakingfreelance.com.

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Last updated on Feb 07, 2023

The 50+ Best Writing Websites of 2023

The Internet is full of writing websites and blogs to help people reach their creative goals . If you’ve always dreamt of writing your own book, but don’t know how to get there — or if you’re in the process of writing, but feel unsure about what to do next — then it’s your lucky day! Here we have all the best writing websites of 2023 in one single place for your convenience. They’re also organized by category, and alphabetically within each of those categories, to make each one easier to find. Enjoy!

Best writing websites for writing craft and inspiration

1. Almost an Author

Offering up new content every day, Almost an Author covers a grand scope of writing topics. From genre-specific advice to emotional support on your writing journey, there's tons of useful info here for beginner and veteran writers alike.

2. Association of Writer & Writing Programs

Having just marked their 50th anniversary, AWP is one of the premier authorities on writing. The AWP website provides resources and ample opportunities for authors, teachers, and students at every point in their career. Here you’ll be able to find information about writing programs, career options, and conferences all over the world. Keep in mind, though, that access to some of these features is restricted to members only.

3. Creativity Portal

This is a wonderful hub for creative resources that has been around for a whopping nineteen years! Here you can find writing prompts , creative coaching, printable writing templates, and interviews with authors that will help nourish the right side of your brain.

4. Daily Writing Tips

As the name suggests, this site offers daily writing tips ranging from open-ended prompts and exercises to grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary. It also covers all writing levels and professions, so it doesn't matter how far along you are in your writing career — DWT is sure to help you out.

Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a master’s degree, you can get your own "DIY MFA" right here! This site (founded by Gabriela Pereira ) aims to cover everything you would learn in a graduate program, while giving you the freedom to choose your own areas of concentration and allocate your time as you please. 

6. Electric Literature

While not exactly a craft-focused website — so no straight-up writing advice or prompts — this nonprofit digital publisher showcases literature-related essays, criticism, and recommended readings. If you're looking to brush up on both literary theory and recent literary trends, Electric Lit is the place for you.

7. Fiction University

This virtual university, run by award-winning author Janice Hardy, contains tons of advice and concrete examples to help authors build a strong writing foundation. It's full of blog posts by professionals who share their own processes and techniques, providing tips not just on what you should do as a writer, but on how  to make it happen.

8. Helping Writers Become Authors

Longtime author K.M. Weiland offers writing advice that ranges from outlining and structuring to characterization and dialogue — plus all the little details in between. She updates her blog faithfully with topical posts that would pique any writer's (or non-writer's) interest.

9. Insecure Writer's Support Group

Writing is intimidating for everyone , whether you're a multi-published author or you're just starting out. That's why getting support, guidance, and motivation throughout the process is vital! On IWSG, you'll discover a wealth of information on writing, publishing, marketing, and anything else you might need to ultimately overcome your insecurities.

10. Literary Hub

LitHub boasts a superb selection of content for all things literary. Here you can get all the latest book-related news, posts on design and the craft, your daily dose of fiction, and sparkling reviews of new works. One of this site's best features is its section on literature in translation — a great resource for those who want to read books and authors from around the world.

11. LitReactor

The LitReactor blog consists of writing classes, workshops, and a myriad of posts on writing and books ( some of which are even written by us! ). There’s also an online magazine that includes interviews, criticism and analysis, and seasonally appropriate reads and recommendations.

12. LitRejections

An unfortunate occupational hazard of with writing is rejection. This is where a site like LitRejections comes into play! It offers personal stories to help discouraged writers persevere through rejection, and maintain hope and motivation as they move forward in their careers.

13. Live Write Thrive

In this website by professional writer and editor C.S. Lakin, you’ll find plenty of nuanced writing anecdotes and tips. Lakin also supplies annotated critiques that can help you prep your book for publication.

14. NaNoWriMo

Besides serving as the official information hub for NaNoWriMo , this site also lends constant support for those struggling to "win" National Novel Writing Month. Make sure to check out the NaNoWriMo forums, which are chock-full of other people's personal writing tips and strategies to get you through November — and every other month of the year — as a writer.

15. Now Novel

This comprehensive website, founded by author Bridget McNulty , is a go-to for just about every writing-related question you might have. Here you'll also find advice, courses, and even an author dashboard where you can keep track of your own writing progress.

16. Positive Writer

If you often feel uncertain about your creative abilities, this is the site for you. Bryan Hutchinson created Positive Writer to encourage and inspire all those who want to write, no matter how much experience or confidence they have.

17. ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid offers a fantastic manuscript editing software that analyzes your writing and creates reports for you to learn from! This tool also includes a thesaurus, grammar checks, style suggestions, and more — you can learn all about it on the ProWritingAid blog, or in our review of the app !

18. She Writes

A well-established writing website with a feminist bent, She Writes is "the largest online community and content site for women writers... all around the world." The site features thoughtful posts and resources to help writers on their journeys, as well as a personal She Writes blog page for every user who signs up.

19. Well-Storied

Here you can find recent articles, workbooks, tutorials, and fascinating discussions on writing. Kristine Kieffer has an extensive archive of posts as well, where you can procure information on just about any topic related to books and writing.

20. The Write Practice

Fulfilling the promise of their name, every single post on this site emphasizes putting theory into practice! There's simply no better way to become a writer than by creating a routine, and that’s exactly what The Write Practice helps facilitate.

21. Writer’s Digest

Writer's Digest is one of the most encyclopedic writing websites out there — after all, the print magazine has been around for almost a century now! Here you’ll find genre and vocation-organized articles, events and competitions, webinars, templates, tutorials, and so much more.

22. Writer Unboxed

Writer Unboxed features articles by authors and industry professionals, focused specifically on the craft and business of fiction writing.

23. The Writing Cooperative

Plain and simple, this is a group of people who want to help each other become better writers. On Writing Cooperative, you will find articles that cover just about every aspect of the writing life. They also have monthly writing challenges to keep you incentivized, and there’s even a space where you can submit your own article to the blog!

24. Writing.com

This is an absolutely all-inclusive community for writers . It’s open to all levels and provides a creative, supportive environment for all members, as well as portfolios to store and display their writing. Like most writing websites, it also includes a plethora of writing tools , contests, and rewards.

25. Catapult: Don’t Write Alone

Don’t Write Alone is a blog written by the Catapult team dedicated to helping writers grow their skills. As a publisher and magazine founded in 2005, Catapult has seen a lot of works and now they’re spilling all the details. From interviews, to craft essays, to writer lifestyle essays, Catapult covers it all.

26. Kirkus Review’s Writers’ Center

Kirkus Review is known for its prestigious $50,000 dollar annual prize and its bi-monthly issues where they critique hundreds of recently published books. But, did you know they also have a section of their website devoted to helping emerging writers grow their skills and navigate the publishing industry? They’re always up to date on the latest trends — if they aren’t creating new trends themselves.

27. Writers Write

An invaluable resource for creative writers, business writers, or bloggers, Writers Write offers over 1400 articles, courses, and workbooks to help you take your writing practice to the next level. Alongside their educational content, they offer book reviews, trivia on famous authors, and prompts. Sign up for their inspirational newsletters for regular hits of motivation that will keep you writing.

28. The Narrative Arc

Beginning as a home to Andie R. Cranford’s writing journey, The Narrative Arc is now a treasure trove of practical tips and prompts to inspire your creativity. Breakdowns of popular books are particularly handy for the budding author — but whether exploring writing for the first time or tightening the bolts on your Franken-novel, the site's ideas on craft are elegant and inspiring.

Best writing websites in the publishing industry

29. Agent Query

This database allows authors to perform in-depth searches for literary agents . You can narrow your search by genre and keywords, view agents’ full profiles, and see if they are currently accepting queries — all for free!

30. The Creative Penn

Besides being a bestselling author on various topics, Joanna Penn is also a leading voice in self-publishing . On her punnily named site, you’ll find abundant information related to writing, self-publishing, marketing, and everything else you mind need to make a living as a writer.

31. Digital Pubbing

Digital Pubbing provides industry news, interviews with indie authors, and resources for learning all about ebooks and the publishing industry. In accordance with the name, this is the perfect site for any author hoping to absorb some serious digital knowledge.

32. The Independent Publishing Magazine

We know it might seem like we're repeating ourselves, but this website really is all about publishing (both independent and traditional, despite what the name indicates). Whatever info you need about self-publishing, trad pub, or hybrid publishing , you’ll definitely be able to find it here.

33. Publishers Weekly

And if you have a specific question about the publishing world, you’ll most likely find the answer here. This weekly magazine is packed full of news, reviews, announcements, and many other resources on the industry. It has been dubbed as "the Bible of the book business" and with its extensive archive, it’s easy to see why.

34. Publishing Perspectives

Publishing Perspectives is another leading source of publishing info, specializing in industry news and topical articles. Aimed at publishers, agents , and authors alike, it features a variety of posts that cover book fairs, distribution, education, and much more.

35. Query Shark

Not sure where your query letter is up to snuff? Query Shark offers the opportunity to have your query critiqued, and to read detailed query critiques of other authors' letters, so you can get the best possible results for your book. Be warned, though, that this sharp-toothed feedback isn't for the weak of heart.

36. Writer Beware

This amazingly thorough site compiles information on schemes and scams that affect authors , especially those run through email and the Internet. It’s sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, but obviously applies to authors everywhere. If you're a fresh-faced author trying to get published, definitely check it out — it could save you from losing thousands of dollars in an elaborate scam.

37. The Darling Axe

When the industry professionals at The Darling Axe aren’t working on manuscripts, they flock to the internet to share their hot takes on the publishing industry. They also host writing contests throughout the year to build a writing community and give unpublished authors the chance to get feedback from professionals.

Best writing websites for marketing and design

38. David Gaughran

An experienced author of historical adventures, short stories, and popular books for writers , David Gaughran is one of the definitive writing experts out there. His eponymous blog contains plenty of info on marketing and self-publishing, plus workshops to help aspiring authors. And similar to Writer Beware, he's the noble opposition of online publishing scams and scammers — so if you're frustrated by these issues, you'll discover a blissfully sympathetic voice on his blog.

39. Kikolani

Focused specifically on marketing, Kikolani offers tips and strategies for bloggers who want to grow their presence and attract more readers. Here you’ll find information on brand development , social media, customer retention, and other useful tips that you can put to good use as a blogger. (If you're just getting started, though, we'd recommend this course .)

40. Kindlepreneur

Dave Chesson is — in his own words — a “digital marketing nut.” His blog has all the information you could ever need about Kindle book publishing , how to write to market, increasing your rankings on Amazon, and lots more practical tips and advice.

41. Storiad

Storiad is a marketing platform that helps authors and publishers sell books. Go here for essential information on writing apps , databases, tools, and budgeting to help you run your own publishing campaign from start to finish.

42. Writers & Artists

Part of the distinguished Bloomsbury, Writers & Artists has quite a few articles on writing and the self-publishing process. They also offer editorial services and events on many different topics, like genre-specific writing courses and how to get connected with agents .

43. Your Writer Platform

Naturally, this site is dedicated to building your very own writer platform. There are tons of tips, resources, tools, how-tos, and even individual consulting services to help you build the platform that works best for you and your marketing needs.

Best writing blogs by industry professionals

44. Goins, Writer

Bestselling author Jeff Goins created this blog to share his thoughts on writing and to inspire others to chase their creative dreams. He's especially good at breaking complex topics down into digestible bits — new writers, go here for your primers.

45. Jane Friedman

With copious experience in the publishing industry, Jane Friedman offers online classes and articles on the entire process of book publishing. She's a real goldmine of business knowledge, so keep her in mind for when you're ready to publish your book.

46. Nail Your Novel

As a bestselling former ghostwriter who now publishes under her own name, Roz Morris provides advice about writing, self-publishing, and of course, ghostwriting . If you're interested in becoming a ghostwriter, be sure to check out her courses!

47. Nathan Bransford

Nathan Bransford is a former literary agent who posts all about the inner workings of publishing, as well and information on agents and self-publishing. He also does consultations, edits, and critiques . 

48. Rachelle Gardner

Skillful agent Rachelle Gardner has negotiated over 200 contracts with over twenty publishers and helped more than 100 authors fulfill their dreams of publishing. On her blog, she offers writing, publishing, and social media coaching, along with general writing and publishing tips.

49. Kris Writes

For regular insights from a New York Times bestselling author, look no further than Kristine Kathryn Rusch's blog. On Mondays, she posts free short stories for authors to find inspiration in, and Wednesdays she posts in her “Business Musings” collection where she breaks down news from the publishing industry and offers her inside opinions. 

50. The Marginalian  

Maria Popova describes her site as “a record of my own becoming as a person — intellectually, creatively, spiritually, poetically — drawn from my extended marginalia on the search for meaning across literature, science, art, philosophy, and the various other tendrils of human thought and feeling.” She sends out a Sunday newsletter with thoughtful deconstruction of the week’s best liberal arts goings-on to help broaden her readers’ appreciation of the creative world.

51. John August

For all the screenwriters out there, John August co-hosts a weekly podcast with fellow screenwriter Craig Mazin discussing both the craft and business of screenwriting while breaking down popular movies. To help screenwriters really get a feel for the process of working with a studio, John has posted multiple versions of scripts from different stages in the production process on films and series he’s written, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , Big Fish , and Chernobyl .

What are some of your favorite writing websites? Let us know in the comments below!

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Best free writing apps in 2023

Bring your words to life with the best free writing apps

• Best distraction-free
• Best with markup support
• Best free Word alternative
• Best word processor
• Best for Mac
• Best online
• How to choose
• How we test

The best free writing apps serve up more than just text tools - they also offer betters ways to manage and organize all your ideas, outlines, and projects. 

Like the best free word processors , writing apps help you get your thoughts on the page without breaking the bank (or your train of thought). But we’ve also made sure they’ll make it easier to save, share, and sync all your documents and keep them safe, whether you need a desktop writing app for work, school, or play. 

If you struggle to stay focused, we’ve tested some of the best free writing apps come with distraction-free layouts or gamification challenges to keep you in the zone. We’ve also reviewed those built for professional document creation, with advanced business features such as speech-to-text transcription and online collaboration tools. 

Our picks cover the best apps for writing on the web, Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS - so you’re always ready whenever and wherever creativity strikes. 

Scrivener: best writing software for authors Scrivener is packed with all the features a novelist needs, helping you track plot threads, store notes on characters and locations, structure your work and (most importantly) get some serious work done. It's not a free writing app like the tools below, but it's well worth the investment if your budget will allow it.

Best distraction-free writing app

1. focuswriter.

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

FocusWriter helps writers combat one of their biggest challenges: distractions. One of the best free writing software tools out there, it's specifically designed to let you just concentrate on your writing. 

The stripped-back interface is deliciously sparse - ideal for when you just need to get your head down and write - and not dissimilar to a moderately powerful version of Notepad, featuring support for TXT, basic, RTF, and ODT files. 

Even the toolbar is hidden until you actually need it. Just swoop your cursor to the top on the screen to reveal a barren menu, from basic formatting to themes and timers.

Features are light within the software, but FocusWriter isn’t made for heavy editing sessions. It’s designed to make the act of writing flow seamlessly onto the page. 

Elsewhere, the writing app boasts the ability to add themes and your own background images, which can help you stay motivated. 

The Daily Progress tool is a sweet extra, adding Duolingo-style gamification that lets you track your daily writing streak. For when it’s oh-so-easy to slip onto social media when you can’t find the perfect word, it’s a nice way to keep you within the app. 

Available for Windows, Linux, and macOS, the writing software also comes as a portable download, no installation required. So, you can pop it on a USB stick and plug it into any computer you’re working on. 

Read our full FocusWriter review

Best free writing software with markup support

2. writemonkey.

WriteMonkey is another piece of free writing software that cuts down on the clutter to deliver uninterrupted writing sessions. 

The free word processor, cleverly described as zenware, is unbelievably pared back compared to more traditional writing apps. 

There’s very little in the way of distracting ‘screen furniture’, which means you’re better positioned to concentrate on the writing process. And absolutely nothing else. 

But don’t let that stripped-back approach fool you. As one of the best free writing apps, WriteMonkey is still rich with the sort of core features that matter to writers. 

However, most options are hidden in a context menu (so you’ll need to right-click to view it). It also only supports TXT files, which may limit those looking to read, write, or edit across multiple formats. It is, at least, a portable download, letting you take it wherever you need.

If you’ve enjoyed Markdown, the simplified text-editing language that lets you format, annotate, classify, and link as you type, then great. WriteMonkey’s inner workings will instantly chime. 

First-timers should spend a little time with this free writing software, to uncover that intuitive simplicity. 

Read our full WriteMonkey review

Best free alternative to Microsoft Word

3. libreoffice writer.

Writer, the open-source, free writing software, serves almost all general writing needs.

LibreOffice is a near-perfect example of free office software - a familiar, feature-rich take on the office suite. What the veteran software package lacks in Microsoft polish (its interface is undeniably old-fashioned, for starters), it makes up for in its price-point: free. For that, you get access to six tools: Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, Math, and Writer. 

Earning it a slot on our list of best free writing apps is the fact that LibreOffice Writer packs the full editing toolbox. 

This isn’t just a note-taking app for staving off distractions when you’re deep in the zone; it’s for when you’re in pure writer-mode. 

If you’re at all proficient with Microsoft Word, you won’t have any problems using the Writer software. Layouts and functions are almost identical, and there’s support for DOC and DOCX file types, making it efficient to switch out of the Microsoft garden.

This free writing app is ideal if you’re hunting for a tool that almost perfectly replicates the Word experience without the cost. 

Read our full LibreOffice review

Best free writing app for word processing

4. microsoft word.

When it comes to word processors, Microsoft Word is probably the baseline against which all others are compared. It’s the one most of us use at school, home, and work. It’s familiar, comfortable - and it’s available free on the web and mobile devices. 

That may not be the best way to write your masterpiece (unless you’ve hooked up a Bluetooth keyboard). But it’s a great way to jot down ideas on-the-go. When we tested the browser-based version we found it could be a bit slow at first, and we were typing faster than the words appeared on screen. This settles down (mostly) after a minute or so. 

Microsoft’s free writing apps on Android and iPhone had no such issues. Using these was velvety smooth. We especially appreciated the option to switch between mobile view and desktop view, so we could gauge how the document would appear in full-screen. 

As with Google Docs, you’ll need to sign up with a Microsoft account. And, like Google, that also lets you use free versions of PowerPoint, Excel, and the like. While Word offers one of the best free writing app experiences, there’s no denying that the paid-for upgrade is superior, offering more tools, and a true desktop app. 

Read our full Microsoft Word review

Best free writing software for Mac

Author promises to make it easier to ‘think, write, and cite’. It’s a promise capably delivered, with a clean interface and bags of writing features designed to make it easy to go from first draft to final copy. 

If you're an Apple user in search of the best free writing apps on macOS, this one demands your attention. 

Concept Maps is one of the best features. It’s a great mind-mapping tool to visualize and lay down all your thoughts while they’re fresh in your head without constraint. You can worry about whipping them into shape later. 

Students and report writers will appreciate Author’s ‘fast citing’ tools - speeding up assignment-writing by correctly adding and formatting citations, references, and contents. 

A paid-for upgrade of the writing software that offers exporting options is available. However, unless you need automatic formatting on export, you can stick with the free version. 

Best free writing app online

6. google docs.

Google Docs is a great free writing platform for any writer. It’s an extremely clean, quick word processor available in the browser, on desktop, and phone and tablet apps. So, you can take notes wherever inspiration strikes. 

Docs is more or less Google’s spin on Microsoft Word. The interface is a bit more simple than the professional office software - although it’s no less powerful. 

You’ll find heaps of writing tools, including a pretty accurate speech-to-text transcription tool (just enunciate and don’t talk too fast). Keyboard shortcuts are very well-supported. 

For best results, you’ll need an internet connection, though documents can be used offline. They’ll be synced, and in our experience, that happens swiftly behind the scenes. 

To take advantage of the free writing app, you’ll need a Google account, which may be a deal-breaker for some - but that also opens up the rest of the Google-stuff in the Google-sphere, such as Sheets, Slides, and . With a free account, you get 15GB of storage, which should be more than enough for word documents. A Google One subscription upgrades your storage space, amongst other things. 

Additionally, Google Docs is great if you want to collaborate with one or more other writers. Just be warned to stay in Google Docs for that, because exporting the data into Word or other writing applications can result formatting errors.

Read our full Google Docs review

Best free writing app: FAQs

What's the difference between a writing app and an ai writer.

AI writers vs writing apps - what's the real difference?

Artificial intelligence is growing in a big way - and when it comes to writing, it's ChatGPT that's been snatching all the headlines of late, with its ability to generate short- and long-form content based on user prompts.

Generally, an AI writer will write your content for you, based on its current learning (although often without 'understanding' the context). A writing app simply lets you write your way, in your own voice. 

Some platforms, such as Canva , have even integrated AI into its Canva Docs and Canva PDF Editor services. However. its Magic Write tool acts as a writing assistant, serving up suggestions and ideas, leaving real writers to work their magic on the content. Though usually hiding in the back-end, you can also find AI integrated in other ways across other the best PDF editor apps (and even the best free PDF editor apps, too).

As always with AI-generated content, whether it's the written word or an artwork masterpiece, human involvement is usually necessary and always desirable. Even if you're using the best AI writers out there, editing and proofreading is essential to give the content accuracy and emotional resonance.

How to choose the best free writing app for you

When deciding which free writing app is best, start by figuring out what sort of writing you want to do. 

Do you need a handy tool for quick scribbles and jotting down ideas here and there, or are you using the writing software to write and edit an epic novel? Tools like FocusWriter and Write Monkey are great for getting thoughts on the page without friction.

It’s also worth considering if you need a writing app with a distraction-free design, so you can concentrate on what really matters to you. Again, FocusWriter performs admirably here, but as a result, you lose core typography and editing functions. Unlike LibreOffice, this isn’t the best Microsoft Office alternative if you need those tools. In that scenario, it may be worth considering looking at some of the best free office software , which includes MS Word-style apps, alongside other tools similar to Excel, PowerPoint, and so on. 

Access is an important factor when using your writing software. A tool like Scribus needs to be downloaded to your machine. Lightweight apps like FocusWriter, however, offer a portable download that can be downloaded to a USB and carried with you. 

Check what file formats your chosen writing app supports, too. While some let you create and edit the common DOC and DOCX files, others only allow TXT or RTF documents.

But most of all, it’s important to choose the best free writing app for your unique creative flow. 

How we test the best free writing apps

Testing the best free writing apps and software, we assess how easy it is to get your words down on the page with the least amount of friction. Portable writing apps rank high, because they let you use the program on whatever computer or laptop you’re using. 

We also look at performance for its intended audience. For distraction-free writing apps, do they really foster focus? For word processor-style software, does it offer good formatting and editing options? 

Most importantly, we expect to see free writing apps that are genuinely cost-free - no-one wants to stumble across hidden fees and charges in the contracts. 

• Best laptops for writers : Tested for typing 

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Steve is TechRadar Pro’s B2B Editor for Creative & Hardware. He explores the apps and devices for individuals and organizations that thrive on design and innovation. A former journalist at Web User magazine, he's covered software and hardware news, reviews, features, and guides. He's previously worked on content for Microsoft, Sony, and countless SaaS & product design firms. Once upon a time, he wrote commercials and movie trailers. Relentless champion of the Oxford comma.

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Of course! Here is a 1,300+ word article written using Writecream: https://bit.ly/writecream-ai-blog

Including parenthetical citations when writing your research papers is an important part of doing good research. If you include citations, you are being a responsible researcher. Our citation generator will solve your problems and provide the source by title with author names. You've shown readers that you found valuable, high-quality content elsewhere, placed it appropriately within your own project, created an amazing piece and acknowledged the original author(s) and their work.

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Get Paid to Write Articles: 21 Amazing Sites That Will Pay You $100+ Per Article [2023 Update]

Try these tools and services:

• Jasper.ai is an AI content tool that ensures your brand's tone is maintained in your content creation.
• Copymatic can automatically generate content both text and image for your website or blog.
• Fiverr allows you to find your ideal freelance service effortlessly.
• SimpleTraffic can drive real visitors to your blog. Try 5 days for free and cancel anytime!

Whether you’re a writer looking for established outlets to spread your word or you’re a guest blogger looking to promote your brand and get traffic , you can get paid to write articles.

Many sites will pay you to contribute content , while still allowing you to have a bio and retain a link to your site – but very few sites will pay you really well .

Tip:  Jeff uses BuzzSumo to generate content ideas, create high-performing content, monitor its performance, and identify influencers.

Listed below are 20 sites that will pay you at least $100 per article, upon acceptance or publication, and most will allow a bio with a link back to your site.

Here we go:

BONUS: Want to use your writing skills to earn a side income? Join the Side Hustle Strategies Membership Community to get the inspiration, resources, and community to start and grow your side hustle. 

Sites where you can get paid to write articles:

Fiverr is a freelance marketplace where you can get paid to write articles by creating a “Gig” and becoming a seller.

A gig is purchased every 4 seconds on Fiverr, with freelancers and experts making anywhere from $5 to $15,000+ per project.

The best writers on Fiverr easily make more than $100 per article, so if that’s what you’re after, it’s a great place to start.

2. Greatist

Niche : Mental Health/Relationships/Getting Healthier

Amount : $125+

Payment Method : Unspecified

Greatist is a blog focused on relationships, mental health, and life as it affects 20- and 30-somethings.

They are looking for articles about mental health, relationships, and getting healthier. Greatist also accepts career-related articles (especially when it comes to achieving work/life balance and being more productive), struggles with substance abuse, and social media/technology.

They expect articles to be between 1,000 – 1,500 words and pay at least $125 for each article they accept.

3. Longreads

Niche : Anything

Amount : $250 – $1,500+

Longreads is looking for well-written, well-told, and easy to follow stories that illustrate relatable human experience that their readers can identify with.

They want blog posts, reading lists, short interviews, personal essays, memoirs, critical essays, book reviews, investigative projects, and long-form journalism.

Depending on what category your submission falls into, it can be between 800 to 6,000 words. They pay a minimum of $250 and up to $1,500+ per article.

4. Listverse

Niche : General

Amount : $100

Payment Method : Paypal

Listverse is possibly the foremost authority when it comes to lists online, and they boast an audience of over 15 million readers a month.

They are looking for unique lists of 10 items, usually at least 1,500 words, and they pay $100 upon acceptance of your list.

5. Copyhackers

Niche : Copywriting/Startups/Marketing/Freelancing

Amount : $325

Copyhackers is interested in practical content for startups, marketers, freelancers , and designers.

They are looking for articles that discuss topics that include launching and growing a business, freelancing for lifestyle/money, conversion copywriting, UX and A/B testing, product design, persuasion, and psychology, etc.

Copyhackers expect articles to be in-depth and thoroughly researched. They rarely accept articles less than 2,000 words and want articles to feature a first-person story/account.

They pay $325 per article.

6. Photoshop Tutorials

Niche : Photoshop/Design

Amount : $25 – $300

They are looking for tutorials related to Photoshop, and they pay anything from $50 to $300 per accepted article depending on whether you submit a “quick tip” or a full tutorial.

7. Informed Comment

Niche : Policy/Foreign Policy

Informed Comment is a leading publication about policy and foreign policy. They are looking for articles that can contribute to policy decisions and foreign policy.

Informed Comment is particularly interested in content focused on US foreign policy as well as Middle Eastern and South Asian politics. They also want content that addresses religion, human rights, women’s rights, workers’ rights, religious discrimination, energy, and climate change.

They expect pieces to be between 800 – 1,000 words and pay $100 per accepted piece.

8. The Travel Writer’s Life

Niche : Travel

Amount : $50 – $200

They are looking for articles about the business of getting paid to travel, whether this is through writing, photography, tours or other means.

They pay $50 – $200 per article depending on the type of article.

9. Bitch Media

Niche : Feminism

Amount : $150 – $1,000

Bitch Media is looking for feminism pieces that are well-researched and backed up with evidence and statistics.

They want articles to be discussion-provoking and to make a connection between the writer’s personal experience and larger social forces; they want articles to be a feminist response to pop culture. Articles can be around 1,200 – 3,000 words.

They pay between $150 to $1,000 per article depending on what category your article falls into.

10. UX Booth

Niche : User Experience

UX Booth is an authority when it comes to User Experience, and they are looking for research-backed articles on how to create better user experience.

They prefer articles to be in the 1,200 – 1,800 words range.

11. Cracked

Niche : General/Humor

Cracked is looking for funny and clever articles, mainly in list format, and they pay $50 – $200 per article depending on the type of article.

12. Tuts+ Code

Niche : Web Development

Amount : $100 – $250

They are looking for articles on anything related to web development; this could be PHP, HTML5, CSS3 or anything in between.

They pay $100 for a “quick tip” tutorial and $250 for a regular tutorial.

13. Smashing Magazine

Niche : Design/Coding/User Experience

Smashing Magazine is looking for articles related to web design, graphics design, UX design, WordPress or mobile, and they pay $50 – $200 per article.

14. A List Apart

Niche : Internet

Amount : $200

They accept articles about coding, design, content strategy , user experience and basically internet industry/business.

They prefer articles to be between 1,500 to 2,000 words and they pay $200 per article within a month of publication.

Niche : Web Design/Web Development

Amount : $150

Scotch is looking for articles about web design and development. Articles can be about React, JavaScript, Node, Laravel, Angular, Python, Vue, CSS, and other web development related topics.

They pay $150 per article.

16. Metro Parent

Niche : Parenting

Amount : $35 – $350

Payment Method : Check

Metro Parent is a leading parenting publication looking for parenting articles. They pay $35 – $350 per article and they want features to be within 1,000 – 2,500 words.

Metro Parent has a preference for articles from local freelance writers in the following communities: Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties.

They pay via Check upon publication of your article, within the first week of the month of publication.

17. International Living

Niche : Living Overseas

Amount : $250 – $400

Payment Method :

International Living is a publication focusing on living and retiring overseas, and they are looking for articles about living and retiring overseas.

They pay $250 for 840 words, and $400 for 1,400 words. They also pay $50 for one-tine use of your photographs, and they pay upon publication of your article.

18. Sitepoint

Amount : $150 – $200

Sitepoint is an authority when it comes to web development, and they are looking for in-depth articles about HTML, CSS and SASS.

They pay $150 for articles and $200 for tutorials, and they often pay more for articles that are more comprehensive and that they feel will do well traffic-wise.

19. Digital Ocean

Niche : Linux

Digital Ocean is looking for beautifully-written tutorials about Linux and FreeBSD cloud hosting and, besides potentially gaining exposure to their millions of readers, you can also make up to $200 per article.

Your article can come in form of Updates, Simple Tutorials and In-Depth Tutorials, and you can earn $50, $100 or $200 respectively depending on what category it falls into.

20. Tuts+ Vector

Niche : Vector

Tuts+ Vector is looking for articles related to Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, CorelDRAW and other vector-related tutorials.

They pay $50 – $200 depending on the nature of your contribution.

21. The Penny Hoarder

Niche : Finance

Amount : Up to $75

The Penny Hoarder is a leading personal finance publication, and they are looking for articles mostly based on personal experience. Especially ones containing detailed numbers, strategies and advice about saving or earning money.

They prefer articles to be 700 – 900 words, and they pay up to $75 per article depending on a lot of factors; you might need to reach out to their editor first to discuss payment.

Bonus: 50 Websites that Pay You to Write [PDF]

Do you love the above list? Awesome. There’s more where it came from.

As a bonus to Jeff Bullas’ readers, you can also get my report featuring a total of 50 websites that pay writers, most of which pay more than $50 per article, for free.

The report features websites in more than a dozen categories and contains all the information you need to pitch these sites and get paid to write articles for them. If you’re a writer looking to get paid for your content, this list is invaluable.

Get paid to write articles by downloading the PDF below:

Download the PDF List

Faqs about freelance writing

How much do freelance writers get paid per word.

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Wondering what the average rate is for a freelance writer? According to our sources, 28.9% of writers charge between 21 cents and 30 cents per word. Not bad if you ask us!

How much do freelance writers make per month?

If you’re thinking about kickstarting a career in freelance writing, you might be wondering how much freelance writers get paid per month on average. According to the data we found, the majority (42%) of writers make between $2000 and $5000 per month, with an impressive 21% making between $5000 and $10,000 per month.

How much do pro bloggers pay per article?

How much can you expect to charge per article? The majority of pro bloggers are willing to pay $50 to $100 per article. Not too shabby!

How many clients do freelance writers have?

Lots of writers prefer to work with clients long-term rather than having to go out and find new work every month. According to this data we found, almost half of the writers surveyed work with three clients at any one time.

Guest author:   Bamidele Onibalusi is a world-renowned blogger and freelance writer. Huffington Post calls him an “ultimate business success story” and he’s been featured in Forbes and Digital Journal amongst others. He blogs at Writers in Charge .

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The ultimate guide to blogging for small business, you may also like, how to set up multiple blogs and why it’s worth it, 6 ways to find blog topics when you’re stuck, 6 ways to make money with advertising on your blog and the websites to help you.

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Since the early days of the internet, people have been using bots to generate content for them. From blogs to news articles, bots can help you quickly and easily create content that looks like it was written by a human. And one of the best bots for content generation is Botowski.

Botowski is an AI-based article generator that can help you write high-quality articles in minutes. It uses natural language processing and machine learning to create well-written text that is SEO friendly and plagiarism free. You can even use Botowski to generate summaries of long articles or to create lists of ideas for your next blog post .

So if you're looking for a quick and easy way to create high-quality content, be sure to check out Botowski. It's the perfect tool for bloggers, entrepreneurs, and anyone else who wants to produce great content without spending hours writing it themselves.

Can Botowski replace real human writers?

The answer is yes – to a certain extent. While it’s not perfect, Botowski can definitely help you save time and money while producing high quality content for your business.

There are some skeptics who believe that AI will never be able to truly replicate human creativity and writing skills. However, as technology continues to evolve at an alarming rate, it's likely that AI will become increasingly capable of producing high quality content on its own - rendering human writers obsolete.

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When it comes to creating unique articles, Botowski is the best there is. All of its articles are completely original, and no two are alike.

To get started, simply enter a few keywords or phrases into the generator, and it will automatically create a new article based on those terms. You can then modify the article to make it more personalised and specific to your needs.

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20 Websites That Pay You To Write (Updated for 2023)

Looking for freelance writing jobs and sites that pay writers for their contributions? Here’s a list of 20 most reliable websites that pay you to write across different genres and categories.

Tomas Laurinavicius

Co-Founder & Chief Editor, Best Writing

Many budding and seasoned writers look for reliable websites that pay you to write.

That’s why we researched 20 websites offering excellent opportunities for content writers and bloggers alike.

The only catch with websites is you need to be patient. Getting your submission selected often takes a while.

Let's dive to help you find a few websites that pay writers.

🤑 Want more?   Get access   to 500+ sites that pay writers. Only $99.

As its name suggests, this website focuses on listicles, so freelance writers should submit their articles in list format. Listverse has been around for ages and still looks for unique pitches and submissions focusing on uncommon knowledge, rare finds, and offbeat news.

The website also takes everyday topics with a quirky or unique approach. Avoid listicles related to self-help, sports, gaming, or personal stories, as your chances of getting published decline.

The pay is  $100 per submission , and your listicle needs to be around 1,500 words. Payment is usually processed via PayPal.

Note:  Listverse only accepts submissions from Ireland, Canada, Australia, the US, UK, NZ, and South Africa.

Listverse is also highly open to inexperienced freelance writers with a keen sense of humor and a love for unusual topics.

Pay:  $100 per submission contains at least ten items per list.

Niche and topics:  General, Offbeat

Submission guidelines :  Listverse

Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan doesn't need a formal introduction. Writers can pitch their ideas for both online and print publications.

Before pitching, we highly suggest perusing their website or previous volumes to see whether they have covered the same topic in the past. If yes, we advise presenting the subject from a fresh angle for a unique story. Your pitch should also have a proper headline, and the body should have the article summary with no more than 200 words.

However, pay attention to the acceptance rate before shooting a pitch email. The print publication always takes 1-2 pieces, while the digital magazine allows a maximum of 10-15 articles per month.

Your chances of selection increase if you attach a few links to your previous work related to the topic. Since Cosmopolitan is well-known, you must put your best effort forward to cut the crowd.

Pay:  $250 per 1,000-word submission

Niche and topics:  Sex, Health, Beauty, Fashion, LGBTQ+, Work-life

Submission guidelines :  Cosmopolitan

3. Transitions Abroad

This website is dedicated to travel and takes submissions that fit their exact criterion.

Since the website is unlike your regular travel blog, the article needs to follow a particular writing style to get published.

You can refer to their submission guidelines and previously published articles.

Transitions Abroad mostly lean towards submissions with a journalistic writing style. The topics mainly include working abroad, volunteering abroad, studying and student travel abroad, and cultural immersion travel topics. Since Covid, however, this website prefers articles related to virtual internship programs, virtual learning, virtual volunteering, online teaching, etc.

Payment is  $75 to $150 per post,  depending on the submission's topic, length, and content. You can opt either for a PayPal transaction or a check.

Pay:  $75 to $150 for 1,250-3,000+ word count

Niche and topics : Travel

Submission guidelines :  Transitions Abroad

4. What Culture

What Culture offers entertainment coverage, news, and opinions to millions of users each month. This UK-based magazine famously covers the popular zeitgeist around the world.

You can submit drafts related to gaming, music, sports, television, film, and more. Wha Culture team publishes nearly 700 articles weekly, giving you a high chance of acceptance.

Their primary focus is listicles, but they are open to galleries, quizzes, news pieces, or video submissions. Payment is usually processed via PayPal.

Pay:  $25-$500 per submission

Niche and topics : Listicles, Quizzes, News pieces, Soft News on Film, TV, Gaming

Submission guidelines :  What Culture

5. Vibrant Life

Vibrant Life is a health and wellness-related website that accepts submissions related to mental health, spirituality, healthy living, stress prevention, nutrition, and more.

The articles should have a gender-neutral flair that attracts both male and female demographics while reading. We highly suggest contributing to the site if you have a few rough ideas or write-ups related to a holistic approach with a purely Christian perspective.

Pay varies depending on the topic, but the standard rate is  $100-$300 per submission . However, ensure that you avoid hard-to-understand medical terminology so readers can understand and enjoy the article.

Pay:  $100-$300 per submission

Niche and topics : Health, Self-help, Family, Spiritual Balance, Environment

Submission guidelines :  Vibrant Life

If Listverse has caught your attention, meet the big fish of the listicle world—Cracked.

The website has been serving fresh, funny content since 2007 and is famous for publishing articles by new writers.

Cracked usually accepts articles in listicle form. Apart from that, you can write on any topic under the sun, from science, technology, history, sex, and movies. The article needs to be highly creative or funny to publish.

The site also pays to create charts, infographics, memes, and more.

The pay differs based on the topic and article type, but writers usually receive  $50-$200 per submission .

Pay:  $50-$200 per submission

Niche and topics : General, Humor

Submission guidelines :  Cracked

7. Chicken Soup for the Soul

You’ve probably heard of Chicken Soup for the Soul's book series, but now you can get the opportunity to have your writing featured in an upcoming edition.

The book requires you to write a funny, heartwarming, or exciting story in first-person narrative.

The only drawback of the publication is you must wait several months or even years to get your write-up published in the book. Once published, you will receive  $200 for your story  or poem and ten free copies of the book.

If you have a decently heartwarming story or an anecdote that you can turn into a story write-up, we highly recommend submitting it.

You may not receive instant payment, but you’ll be a part of a long tradition of touching stories once published.

Pay : $200 per submission

Niche and topics : First-person essays

Submission guidelines :  Chicken Soup for the Soul

8. Money Pantry

Money Pantry is a well-known personal finance blog that usually covers money-related topics and ways to earn and save money.

If you have decent ideas on saving money, paying off debt, and retirement preparation, consider submitting your idea to the website.

The strategies and ideas related to your article need to be unique and should have a fresh personal perspective that people can implement with ease.

Consider running a quick search on the website to see whether a particular topic has been covered.

Money Pantry only accepts previously unpublished content, and payment is sent via PayPal as soon as the post goes live.

Pay : $30-$150 per submission

Niche and topics : Finance

Submission guidelines :  Money Pantry

9. Barefoot Writer

The Barefoot Writer is a freelance writing-based website that seeks articles on interesting yet practical topics that writers can use in their daily life.

You can contribute to their ongoing series of monthly motivators, productivity secrets, becoming a better writer, or thinking like a writer.

Payment is  $100-$300 per submission , and you can get published quickly if the content follows their content style and guide.

Niche and topics : Motivation, Freelance writing

Submission guidelines :  Barefoot Writer

10. Edible Seattle

Edible Seattle primarily relies on freelancers for most of their food stories across departments.

Since the website has no strict rules related to the topics, writers have complete freedom to select their favorite food-related topics.

However, we highly recommend keeping an eye on their submissions call page as the editor sometimes asks for specific topic-related assignments based on the issue.

The rates of your article usually depend on your experience and department.

Payment is always sent when the article is published, along with a copy of the issue.

Pay:  $0.20-$0.30 per word

Niche and topics : Food

Submission guidelines :  Edible Seattle

11. Strong Whispers

Strong Whispers offers a wide range of articles related to the environment, lifestyle, and various societal issues. The content range is vast, and so are your chances of getting published.

Your articles can cover education reform, environment, world leadership, and exploitation of resources. The minimum rate per submission is between  $50-$150 , but the final rate is negotiable depending on the topic and research.

To submit, we recommend following their guidelines: send a neat outline of your article along with your pay expectation. You can also attach your previous published work if it’s relevant.

Once the idea gets approved, try to write according to their style guide. As soon as the publication decides to publish, you will receive your payment via PayPal.

Pay:  $50-$150 per submission

Niche and topics : Social Issues, Environment, Lifestyle

Submission guidelines :  Strong Whispers

12. Focus On The Family

Focus On The Family is a Christian ethics-based website that promotes good behavior, ethics, parenting, faith, and culture via well-written articles.

Currently, they have a few topics that you can explore and write about.

The new issues include parent-kid time, gratitude, gift-giving, candy and young children, historical Thanksgiving fiction based on family stories, hacks, facts, and biblical worldview.

Each topic has a detailed submission guideline wherein the editor explains the topic, word count, payment, due date, format, audience, and much more in extreme detail.

These details can help you whip out the perfect content based on their liking and guidelines.

Pay : $0.25/word for 1,200-1,500-word articles

Niche and topics : Parenting, Faith, Culture, Marriage

Submission guidelines :  Focus On The Family

Extra Websites Worth Exploring

13.  Blog Paws

14.  Lady Qs

16.  Reader's Digest

17.  One Story

18.  Fireside

19.  Healthy Mummy

20.  Gray's Sporting Journal

We hope our list helped you find a few websites worth pitching. To curate this list, we have thoroughly checked the background of each website so we can vouch for their reliability.

We highly recommend visiting  Who Pays Writers  to better understand rates before pitching. This website contains a crowd-sourced list that is frequently updated, so you get a list of the websites and their standard payment rates.

Additionally, you can browse through the directory to find more websites that take submissions based on your niche and get paid. Happy hunting!

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Travel & Adventure

The book by patrick symmes, shipping out by david foster wallace, death of an innocent by jon krakauer, the place to disappear by susan orlean, trapped by aron ralston, 75 more great travel articles, words and writing, on keeping a notebook by joan didion, autobiographical notes by james baldwin, how to talk about books you haven't read by pierre bayard, where do you get your ideas by neil gaiman, everything you need to know about writing by stephen king, 20 more great essays about writing, short memoirs, goodbye to all that by joan didion, seeing by annie dillard, explicit violence by lidia yuknavitch, these precious days by ann patchett, 100 more short memoirs, tennis, trigonometry, tornadoes by david foster wallace, losing religion and finding ecstasy in houston by jia tolentino, a brief history of forever by tavi gevinson, 50 more great articles about growing up, the female body by margaret atwood, the tyranny of the ideal woman by jia tolentino, grand unified theory of female pain by leslie jamison, 50 more great articles about women, revelations about sex by alain de botton, safe-sex lies by meghan daum, my life as a sex object by jessica valenti, sex is a coping mechanism by jill neimark, 50 more great articles about sex.

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Bad feminist by roxane gay, what the hell am i (and who the hell cares) by neko case, 10 more great articles about feminism, men explain things to me by rebecca solnit, the end of men by hanna rosin, 10 more great articles about men, linguistics/language, who decides what words mean by lane greene, the world’s most efficient languages by john mcwhorter, tense present by david foster wallace, 40 more great articles about linguistics, pigeon wars by jon mooallem, violence of the lambs by john j. sullivan, 25 more great articles about animals, quitting the paint factory by mark slouka, nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich, shop class as soul craft by matthew b. crawford, 40 more great articles about work, to have is to owe by david graeber, why does it feel like everyone has more money than you by jen doll, the austerity delusion by paul krugman, the blind side by michael lewis, 25 more great articles about money, science & technology, how life (and death) spring from disorder by philip ball, a compassionate substance by philip ball, your handy postcard-sized guide to statistics by tim harford, on being the right size by j. b. s. haldane, 100 more great science & tech. articles, the environment, the fate of earth by elizabeth kolbert, state of the species by charles c. mann, the real reason humans are the dominant species by justin rowlatt and laurence knight, 30 more great reads about the environment, climate change, losing earth by nathaniel rich, sixty years of climate change warnings by alice bell, beyond catastrophe by david wallace wells, we should fix climate change — but we should not regret it by thomas r. wells, 35 more great climate change articles, the tinkering of robert noyce by tom wolfe, creation myth by malcolm gladwell, mother earth mother board by neal stephenson, i saw the face of god in a semiconductor factory by virginia heffernan, 50 more great articles about computers, the internet, forty years of the internet by oliver burkeman, escape the matrix by virginia heffernan, you are the product by john lanchester, a nation of echo chambers by will leitch, the long tail by chris anderson, 50 more articles about the internet.

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The machine always wins by richard seymour, my instagram by dayna tortorici, why the past 10 years of american life have been uniquely stupid by jonathan haidt, 15 more articles about social media, m by john sack, blackhawk down by mark bowden, hiroshima by john hersey, the ai-powered, totally autonomous future of war is here by will knight, 35 more great articles about war, the hinge of history by joan didion, how america lost its mind by kurt andersen, the problem with facts by tim harford, constant anxiety won't save the world by julie beck, 75 more great articles about politics, crime & punishment, the caging of america by adam gopnik, the crooked ladder by malcolm gladwell, cruel and unusual punishment by matt taibbi, 20 more great articles about crime, the body in room 348 by mark bowden, the art of the steal by joshua bearman, true crime by david grann, the crypto trap by andy greenberg, 35 more great true crime stories, does it help to know history by adam gopnik, 1491 by charles c. mann, a history of violence by steven pinker, the worst mistake in history by j. diamond, 25 more great articles about history, notes of a native son by james baldwin, how to slowly kill yourself and others in america by kiese laymon, magic actions by tobi haslett, 30 more great essays about race, cities and ambition by paul graham, here is new york by e. b. white, 25 more great articles about cities, we are all confident idiots by david dunning, fantastic beasts and how to rank them by kathryn schulz, the problem with p-values by david colquhoun, what is the monkeysphere by david wong, 100 more great psychology articles, love & relationships, love by lauren slater, masters of love by emily esfahani smith, this is emo by chuck klosterman, 50 more great articles about relationships, what makes us happy by joshua shenk, social connection makes a better brain by emily esfahani smith, the real roots of midlife crisis by jonathan rauch, 20 more great articles about happiness, success & failure, you can do it, baby by leslie garrett, what drives success by amy chua and jed rubenfeld, the fringe benefits of failure, and the importance of imagination by j.k. rowling, 10 more great articles about success, health & medicine, somewhere worse by jia tolentino, race to the vaccine by david heath and gus garcia-roberts, an epidemic of fear by amy wallace the score by atul gawande, 50 more great articles about health, mental health, darkness visible by william styron, the epidemic of mental illness by marcia angell, surviving anxiety by scott stossel, 50 more great articles about mental health, the moral instinct by steven pinker, not nothing by stephen cave, the greatest good by derek thompson, 15 more great articles about ethics, getting in by malcolm gladwell, learning by degrees by rebecca mead, the end of the english major by nathan heller, 20 more great articles about education, the string theory by david foster wallace, the istanbul derby by spencer hall, the kentucky derby is decadent and depraved by hunter s. thompson, 50 more great sports articles, why does music make us feel good by philip ball, one more time by elizabeth margulis, how to be a rock critic by lester bangs, 50 more great music articles, the arts & culture, inhaling the spore by lawrence weschler, death by harry potter by chuck klosterman, a one-man art market by bryan aappleyard, welcome to airspace by kyle chayka, 35 more great articles about the arts, fx porn by david foster wallace, flick chicks by mindy kaling, the movie set that ate itself by michael idov, 15 more great articles about movies, the last meal by michael paterniti, if you knew sushi by nick tosches, consider the lobster by david foster wallace, 50 more great articles about food.

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10 Great Places to Find Articles Worth Reading on the Web

The Internet is arguably the best news morgue on the planet right now. And apart from that great collection of old articles, thousands of new ones are added every day.

The internet unquestionably has masses of content that is enjoyable to read. But there is also a fair amount of clickbait rubbish. How do you find interesting articles to read while avoiding all the low-effort ones?

Here are some of the best article reading sites to find thoughtful and engaging content.

1. Longform

Longform is an article curation service. It recommends both new and classic non-fiction articles from a variety of different online sources.

It encourages submissions from its engaged community of readers, thus giving rise to a diverse and delightful selection of interesting articles to read on any given day. Furthermore, it also accepts readers' own work, though the work has to pass through a strict editorial filter before it is recommended on the site.

The core focus of the Longform site is non-fiction, though a spinoff fiction service launched in 2012 has become perennially popular.

Although Longform retired its article recommendation service in September 2022, you can still check out the “Best Of” annual archive for a rich trove of suggestions from bygone years, or browse by sections to discover topics that interest you. The sections on this article reading site include Arts, Business, Crime, History, Politics, Science, Sports, Tech, and World.

2. Longreads

Another one of the most popular article reading sites is Longreads, a direct competitor of Longform. The different categories of articles you can dig into include food, crime, sports, current events, arts and culture, and more. On Longreads, a section called Shortreads if you prefer having short articles to read.

The site also produces its own stories (often revolving around gun violence, genocide, and environmental destruction), with the work funded by its membership pass. The membership costs $5/month and $50/year.

And in case you still doubt the quality of the work on Longreads, be aware that it has been nominated for four National Magazine Awards and has been highlighted as a quality source by both the Online News Association and the Peabody Awards.

3. The Browser

If you’re drowning from the mindless content on social media, finding interesting articles to read is one of the best things to do when you’re bored online . The Browser sifts through hundreds of articles every day to bring you the finest content from across the web in the form of a newsletter. All the content is handpicked.

The free newsletter itself offers five interesting articles to read per day, and subscribers will also get access to a daily podcast, a daily video, a daily quote, and more.

For this site, subscription plans start at $5/month and $48/year. It offers a free preview, so you can try out their service before you commit. The higher tier plans offer you a special letter from the editor every week, a unique merchandise item every year, and a spot on their London Amble Tour.

4. r/InDepthStories

Reddit has no shortage of enjoyable content posted across its thousands of Subreddits. But as any Reddit user will know, there is also an enormous number of poor submissions that you should not waste your time with. These tips to find your next favorite Subreddit will help you discover content you’ll love the most.

Now, to use Reddit as a good article reading site, you need to know where to look. If you are specifically keen on long-form journalism, you should subscribe to r/InDepthStories for interesting articles to read. It started life as a forum for investigative journalism, but has since grown to become a repo of all forms of high-quality long-form content.

Standards are kept high by the Subreddits mods, who rule with an iron fist. Anything that is not considered long-form will be removed, and they also do not allow political long-form articles. The ban on political content might seem Draconian, but it is done to keep the community civilized and make sure the comments on each article remain focused and thoughtful.

Pocket is best known as a read-it-later bookmarking service. By using browser extensions or mobile apps, you can save stories that pique your curiosity. Later, when you have the time, you can revisit these interesting articles to read and give them your full attention.

However, Pocket also offers a list of curated stories for you. Stories are partially sourced by the company's own editorial team, but are also pulled from the content that its users are saving most frequently on a given day.

The main section focuses on “essential reads”. However, there are also subcategories for topics such as business, career, education, self-improvement, tech, personal finance, science, food, health and fitness, entertainment, and more.

6. CoolTools: The Best Magazine Articles Ever

If you want to delve into some of the most iconic and memorable magazine articles of all time, check out The Best Magazine Articles Ever subsection of CoolTools. This article reading site is a great place to start your journey.

The list is based on suggestions by readers and is not vetted, but there is still a tremendous amount of fantastic and interesting articles for you to read and enjoy.

The best part is The Top 25 Articles list. It rounds up some of the best articles going back as far as the 1960s. Some of the pieces that have made the cut include 1996's Mother Earth, Mother Board: Wiring the Planet by Neal Stephenson in Wired, and 1971's Secrets of the Little Blue Box by Ron Rosenbaum in Esquire.

You can also use the filters to browse by decade. The 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, and 2010s are all available.

Medium is a social journalism platform that launched back in 2012. As one of the most popular article reading sites on the internet, it offers content from a mix of professional journalists and writers, as well as amateur writers who want to discuss a topic in which they are an expert.

Users can subscribe to writers or topics that they are interested in to curate their own feed of relevant content, but Medium also offers browsable sections in case you want to digest something that is outside of your usual wheelhouse when you’re looking for interesting articles to read.

Although you can read some content for free, Medium is designed as a paid platform. It costs $5/month or $50/year, and you get unlimited access to every story with no ads or additional paywalls. Check out our article if you want to get started on Medium today .

Aeon is digital magazine that covers philosophy, science, psychology, society, and culture. The majority of Aeon's articles today are long essays. However, you can still find short articles to read in its archive as the magazine used to publish a category of content called Ideas.

Aeon is a registered charity and all the articles are free for everyone to read. There are no ads, and the organization promises that its content will never have a paywall. Therefore, you don't have to worry about subscriptions. The site only asks you to consider donating if you enjoy the published work and would like to help support them.

9. Nautilus

Nautilus is a great site to get your daily dose of science . You'll find articles on anthropology, neuroscience, the environment, sociology, astronomy, and many more.

Don't worry about being bombarded with jargon or dry facts, though. The content is written in a vivid style, along with gorgeous illustrations, so it feels as though you're being drawn into story after story on the site.

As a free user, you can only read a limited number of articles. The digital membership costs $9.99/month or $59/year. If you like reading and collecting physical copies, you can opt to subscribe to the digital and print membership, which costs $89/year.

10. MakeUseOf

Come on; you've got to let us have this shameless plug! If you want to read the best how-to articles, reviews, listicles, buying guides, and more, you're already in the right place. We’re the trusted article reading site to cover all your tech needs.

Make sure you also check out MakeUseOf’s YouTube channel for the latest insight into the world's newest gadgets. We also release an episode every week on The Really Useful Podcast to discuss tech news, as well as other tips and tricks!

Find the Best Article Reading Sites to Read More of What Matters

If you only read articles from the sites we've recommended and never visit another site again, you can be sure that you're going to become more educated, understand the world more fully, and avoid wasting your time on content that does not deserve your attention.

With new stories suggested almost every day, you’ll never run out of interesting articles to read. So, what are you waiting for? Start reading more today.

9 Simple and Free Budgeting Tools

Having the right tools is essential to tracking expenses and monitoring income, and you don’t have to break the bank buying expensive software to do that.

Simple and Free Budgeting Tools

Having the right tools is essential to being able to track expenses and monitor income. (Getty Images)

Not everyone relishes the idea of proactively managing money and maintaining a budget. However, creating a budget – and sticking to it – are key first steps toward reaching financial goals large and small.

Having the right tools is essential to being able to track expenses and monitor income and, fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank buying expensive software to do that. There are many free options available, but don’t simply download the first app you see.

“If you can’t keep it (updated), it doesn’t get you to the end goal,” says Hong Bloom, head of customer engagement and experience at TD Bank.

And the goal is being able to comfortably purchase the things you need while saving for the things you want, whether that be a fabulous vacation or an early retirement.

To help you reach that level of financial freedom, here are nine simple and free budgeting tools to keep your spending on track – from old-school methods to the latest apps.

• Pen and paper.
• Expenses OK.
• Goodbudget.
• Spreadsheets.
• Worksheets.
• Banking tools and apps.
• SoFi Relay.

Please note that the popular app Mint will be shut down by owner Intuit as of Jan. 1, 2024, so it's not in this list; Intuit will integrate its user base into Credit Karma.

1. Pen and Paper

While budgeting apps and software are popular, you don't need anything more than a pen and some paper to write a budget.

That’s the preferred method of budget tracking for some clients of Annette Harris, owner of Harris Financial Coaching. “Logging in to a computer is difficult, and they may let updating (a) spreadsheet go by the wayside,” she says. Instead, some of her clients keep a notebook by their bedside and jot down the total from any receipts or bills they paid during the day.

Using this method, the basic budgeting process involves writing down all your expenses , from monthly bills to small discretionary purchases, such as morning coffee or lunches. Then, categorize those expenses according to whether they are needs or wants. Next, add up your income. Earmark your income for your needs first and any money left over can be spent on wants.

If your expenses exceed your income, you'll need to determine what changes to make. You may be able to balance your budget by cutting out wants, such as dining out or a gym membership. But in some cases, you may need to consider more significant changes, such as moving to an area with a lower cost of living.

2. Expenses OK

The free app Expenses OK mimics the process of budgeting with a pen and paper but the recordkeeping is digital.

“It does not link to your bank accounts; you manually enter each transaction,” says Lisa Whitley, an accredited financial counselor and owner of the website MoneybyLisa. “It’s like using a notebook and pen, but more convenient and just a bit more fun.”

Unfortunately for Android users, the free Expenses OK app is available only for iOS devices.

3. Envelopes

An envelope system involves placing cash into envelopes marked for major budget categories, such as groceries, clothing and dining out. It makes it easy to see how much money is available for each spending category. When money in a particular envelope is gone, it signals that no more spending should occur in that category until the cash is replenished.

Young Pham, a project manager with business finance publication BizReport, used this method as a college student. It was a system his dad taught him, and it ended up being easier than trying to manage the digital options that were available 15 years ago.

“The only thing you have to do is write down a list of financial expenses that you have for a given month on an envelope,” he explains. “When the salary or the money comes in, you decide how much you want to spend on each expense and then go ahead and set that money aside in the envelope.”

Pham also recommends creating a final envelope for “leftovers.” At the end of each month, he would move any money remaining in other envelopes to this envelope to see how much he could save. Then, cash in the leftovers envelope could be used for any purpose.

4. Goodbudget

This savvy budgeting software is intended for those who like the idea of an envelope cash management system but don't want the hassle of carrying physical envelopes.

“You can create virtual envelopes for your regular expenses, such as rent, groceries, or utilities, and fill them with your income,” says Gene Caballero, co-founder and CFO of GreenPal, an on-demand lawn-mowing platform. “Goodbudget is great for people who want a visual and intuitive way to budget and save.”

The app will track expenses and sync and share budget information across devices too. The free version includes 10 regular envelopes, 10 more envelopes, one year of account history and access to community support forums.

5. Spreadsheets

While Bloom has used a free budgeting app in the past, she eventually decided it couldn’t compare to a spreadsheet. “I really like being able to customize,” she says. Her initial budgeting spreadsheets were very basic, and she has since added some features. However, they continue to be focused mainly on adding income and subtracting expenses to keep her on track for her financial goals.

She isn’t alone in her love of spreadsheets.

“I've tried many apps that allow you to put in future expenses and estimated income, but seeing the numbers and a history of income and expenses took a lot of work,” Harris says. So today, she uses an Excel spreadsheet for her individual account and joint family account. Using built-in formulas makes it easy to automate calculations, and spreadsheets can be quickly updated if numbers need adjustment.

Both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets offer free budget templates to users. Free budget templates are also available on websites such as Life and My Finances and Vertex42. You can also create your own, though there can be a learning curve to using the programs. Microsoft provides free online training lessons on its support website for Office products. Otherwise, plenty of tutorials can be found on YouTube.

6. Worksheets

If you’re making a budget for the first time, a worksheet can eliminate some of the guesswork. These papers often have recommended percentages to indicate how much of your earnings should be spent on each category each month.

Several organizations offer free budgeting worksheets online. American Consumer Credit Counseling, a nonprofit credit counseling provider, has sheets for household budgeting, expense tracking and budgeting for specific needs.

Meanwhile, Regions Bank has free worksheets anyone can download from its Next Step Financial Education website, including a personal spending plan worksheet and daily spending tracker.

7. Banking Tools and Apps

Free budgeting tools may be as close as your bank's website. Bank of America, Chase and even local credit unions are among the institutions to provide customers budgeting resources that can track expenses , run spending reports and export data to spreadsheets or computer software.

For instance, Bank of America has an AI-driven virtual assistant, called Erica, within its app. “(It) helps millions manage their financial goals by providing proactive and personalized insights to optimize their cash flow, monitor transactions, alert clients of saving opportunities and more,” says Teron Douglas, chief digital executive at Bank of America.

Meanwhile, the TD Bank app allows users to set up personalized alerts, pay bills automatically and transfer money between accounts. With the Chase Mobile app, customers can use a budget feature to track their spending throughout the month and determine how much is available after bills and transfers.

Standing for Money Left Over, MoLO is a relatively new app that, unlike many free apps, is ad-free.

“MoLO provides a simple method for users to gain a better understanding of their spending, predict their monthly cash flow and identify unnecessary or non-essential spending,” says Brad Stroh, co-CEO and co-founder of Achieve, a digital personal finance company that offers the app as one of its services.

Users can connect all their financial accounts to MoLO which will automatically track spending, organize it into categories and predict how much you’ll have left each month. Achieve promises that it does not sell personal data and uses bank-level security within MoLO. The app is free for both Apple and Android devices.

9. SoFi Insights

Previously known as SoFi Relay, this is another free budgeting app. SoFi Insights allows users to link accounts, review balances and set spending targets. It aggregates accounts and makes it easy to review spending by category.

The app also provides access to VantageScore 3.0 credit scores and makes it simple to connect with a professional to discuss financial goals and strategies. SoFi Insights users are entitled to a complimentary 30-minute call with one of the company's in-house financial planners.

“There are many different budgeting methods and what we find is that different types of budgets work best for different personality types,” says Kendall Meade, a certified financial planner with SoFi. Talking to an advisor can be a good way to review budgeting options and decide what approach is best for you.

Regardless of which budget tool you use, Bloom encourages people not to wait to begin tracking their finances. “Don’t start tomorrow,” she says. “Start right now.”

8 Ways to Manage Money Stress

Geoff Williams May 22, 2023

Tags: personal finance , personal budgets , money , financial literacy

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