Beyond the Blank Page: The 5 Best Writing Apps for Mac to Perfect Your Thoughts in 2025

Writing is more than just typing text. It is a creative process of structuring thoughts, organizing materials, and ultimately crafting a finished piece. Today's Mac users are looking beyond simple word processors for tools optimized for their specific workflows and writing styles. Here at selectd.tech, we have selected the five writing apps that are receiving the highest praise from a wide range of macOS users in 2025, from minimalist writers to researchers handling vast amounts of data. Find your partner for your next great work right here.

1. Ulysses: The Complete Subscription-Based Writing Environment

Best for: Bloggers, long-form authors, and any creator who works across multiple devices.

Ulysses perfectly combines a distraction-free writing environment with powerful organizational features. All your texts are managed within a single library, seamlessly synced across Mac, iPad, and iPhone via iCloud. The clean, uncluttered interface helps you focus solely on your writing, while the Markdown-based editor lets you concentrate on the flow of your content without worrying about formatting. Features like writing goals, keyword tags, and exporting to various formats (PDF, DOCX, ePub, HTML) make it a reliable assistant for the entire process, from first draft to final publication.

• Key Features: Unified library management, flawless Apple ecosystem sync, robust Markdown support, goal setting and statistics.
• Pricing Model: Subscription (monthly/yearly).

2. Scrivener: The Command Center for Complex Projects

Best for: Novelists, screenwriters, academic researchers, and writers who need to manage extensive research.

Scrivener is less a writing app and more a "writing project management tool." It goes beyond a simple writing space by organically integrating a 'Corkboard' for visually arranging ideas, an 'Outliner' for structuring, and an 'Editor' for the actual writing. You can manage every element—chapters, scenes, character sheets, reference materials—within a single project, providing overwhelming convenience for complex, long-form writing. The highlight is its 'Compile' feature, which allows you to freely combine and output your manuscript into any desired format.

• Key Features: Binder-based systematic structure, Corkboard and Outliner, split-screen for referencing materials, powerful Compile function.
• Pricing Model: One-time purchase (discounted upgrades may be available for major updates).

3. iA Writer: The Art of Minimalism and Focus

Best for: Short-form writers, journalists, and pure text enthusiasts who want zero distractions.

iA Writer's philosophy can be summed up in one word: 'focus.' It strips away all unnecessary features, leaving only you and your text. Its 'Focus Mode,' which highlights only the current sentence or paragraph, dramatically increases immersion. Another unique feature is 'Style Check,' which helps you refine your prose by visually highlighting parts of speech (adjectives, nouns, conjunctions, etc.). It supports iCloud and Dropbox sync and is the ultimate choice for those who desire the purest writing experience.

• Key Features: Focus Mode, Style Check (Syntax Highlight), full Markdown support, clean and refined interface.
• Pricing Model: One-time purchase (purchased separately for each platform).

4. Bear: Blurring the Line Between Beautiful Notes and Writing

Best for: Users who prefer a fast and flexible writing process, from sketching ideas to drafting articles.

Bear started as a powerful notes app but has evolved into a beloved writing tool for many. Its flexible organization system using hashtags (#) allows you to break free from rigid folder structures and organically link and categorize your writing. Its elegant themes and typography add to the joy of writing, while features like Markdown support and code block highlighting also appeal to developers. If you want to capture your thoughts at the speed they come, from quick memos to structured articles, Bear is an excellent choice.

• Key Features: Flexible tag-based organization, beautiful themes and typography, inline image support, voice memos via Apple Watch.
• Pricing Model: Basic features are free; sync and advanced features require a subscription (Bear Pro).

5. Obsidian: The Second Brain for Connecting Thoughts

Best for: Knowledge workers, researchers, writers, and anyone who wants to build their own personal knowledge base.

Obsidian holds the most unique position on this list. It aims to be more than just a writing app; it's a 'knowledge management tool' and a platform for building a 'network of thought.' All files are stored locally on your computer as plain Markdown (.md) files, ensuring complete data ownership. The core of Obsidian is 'backlinks,' which connect notes, and the 'Graph View,' which visually displays the relationships between your ideas. It offers an incredible experience of weaving fragmented thoughts into a cohesive knowledge system as you write. Its extensive plugin ecosystem, which allows for limitless feature expansion, is also a major advantage.

• Key Features: Local-first data ownership, powerful backlinks and Graph View, infinitely expandable plugin ecosystem.
• Pricing Model: Free for personal use; paid options for services like Sync and Publish.

Conclusion

There is no single "best" writing app—only the "best app for you." If you want a complete experience within the Apple ecosystem, choose Ulysses. If you need to command a massive project, select Scrivener. For the pure joy of focused writing, iA Writer is for you, and for fast, beautiful notes and writing, Bear is the answer. And if you want to connect all your thoughts into a vast network of knowledge, we highly recommend diving into the world of Obsidian. Try the trial versions of these apps to find the creative partner that best fits your hands and your mind.