Free picks · iPhone
Best free writing apps for iPhone (2026)
Every pick is listed under Writing in our directory, runs on iPhone and iPad and is completely free or has a free plan. We rank them by our rating and popularity, then favour tools made mainly for writing and apps built for iPhone.
Short answer
The best free writing apps for iPhone are Google Docs, DeepL and LanguageTool, the top three of 19 matches in our directory. All 10 have a free plan with paid upgrades.
Updated
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
At a glance
Counted from the top 10 picks, except the total.
- Matching tools
- 19
- Completely free
- 0
- Open source
- 0
- Work offline
- 4
- Native apps
- 1
Comparison table
“Free plan” means a free tier with paid upgrades. A dash in Licence means our directory does not list the tool as open source.
| # | Name | Pricing | Platforms | Licence | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google Docs | Free plan | Web, Android, iOS | — | Free online documents you can write and edit together in real time. |
| 2 | DeepL | Free plan | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome | — | An AI translator known for natural-sounding text and document translations. |
| 3 | LanguageTool | Free plan | Chrome, Firefox, Web, macOS, Windows, iOS | — | A grammar, spelling and style checker for more than 30 languages, with a free plan. |
| 4 | Grammarly | Free plan | Web, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | — | Writing help that follows you into every app and inbox. |
| 5 | ChatGPT | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | — | A general-purpose AI assistant for thinking and drafting. |
| 6 | Wordtune | Free plan | Chrome, Web, iOS | — | AI rewrites that suggest clearer, shorter or more formal versions of your sentences. |
| 7 | Claude | Free plan | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux | — | An AI assistant that shines on long documents and careful writing. |
| 8 | Zoho Writer | Free plan | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | — | A free online word processor with every feature unlocked after sign-up. |
| 9 | Bear | Free plan | iOS, macOS | — | Fast, elegant markdown notes for Apple devices. |
| 10 | WPS Office | Free plan | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web | — | A free office suite for every platform, with documents, sheets, slides and PDFs. |
Why each pick made the list
Every reason is taken from the tool's own listing: its categories, platforms, features, rating and pricing.
Our top iPhone pick, rated 4.7/5, the highest here. Made mainly for writing, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Web and Android. Its listing says it works offline (4 of 10 here), syncs through the cloud (3 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (10 of 10 here). On our Android list it is number 1.
Watch out for: Files live in Google's cloud and are not end-to-end encrypted
Number 2 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.7/5. Made mainly for writing, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Web, Windows, macOS, Android and 1 more platform. Its listing says it has AI features (7 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (10 of 10 here). On our Android list it is number 2.
Watch out for: Free version limits text and file translations
Number 3 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for writing, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Chrome, Firefox, Web, macOS and 1 more platform. Its listing says it has AI features (7 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (10 of 10 here). It is not in the Android top 10 (not listed for Android).
Watch out for: Free plan limits how much text it checks at once
Number 4 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.3/5. Made mainly for writing, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Web, Chrome, Firefox, Safari and 3 more platforms. Its listing says it has AI features (7 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (10 of 10 here). On our Android list it is number 3.
Watch out for: Suggestions can flatten your voice
Number 5 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.7/5. Made mainly for AI productivity, it is one of 3 picks here that cover writing as a second use. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Web, Android, macOS and Windows. Its listing says it has AI features (7 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (10 of 10 here). On our Android list it is number 4.
Watch out for: Needs verification for facts
Number 6 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.3/5. Made mainly for writing, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Chrome and Web. Its listing says it has AI features (7 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (10 of 10 here). It is not in the Android top 10 (not listed for Android).
Watch out for: Free plan is limited to 10 rewrites a day
Number 7 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.7/5. Made mainly for AI productivity, it is one of 3 picks here that cover writing as a second use. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Web, Android, macOS, Windows and 1 more platform. Its listing says it has AI features (7 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (10 of 10 here). On our Android list it is number 5.
Watch out for: Usage limits on lower tiers
Number 8 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.4/5. Made mainly for writing, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux and 1 more platform. Its listing says it works offline (4 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (10 of 10 here). On our Android list it is number 6.
Watch out for: Extra automation credits cost money
Number 9 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for note-taking, it is one of 3 picks here that cover writing as a second use. An iOS app that runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on macOS. Its listing says it works offline (4 of 10 here), syncs through the cloud (3 of 10 here) and is privacy-focused (the only one here). It is not in the Android top 10 (not listed for Android).
Watch out for: Apple only
Number 10 of 10 for iPhone, rated 4.1/5. Made mainly for writing, one of 7 such picks here. Runs on iPhone and iPad, and also on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and 1 more platform. Its listing says it works offline (4 of 10 here), syncs through the cloud (3 of 10 here) and has AI features (7 of 10 here). On our Android list it is number 7.
Watch out for: Ad-free use needs Pro+
Running these on iPhone
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 iPhone picks are 4 AI tools (DeepL, ChatGPT, Wordtune and Claude), 2 browser extensions (LanguageTool and Grammarly), 2 web apps (Google Docs and Zoho Writer), 1 desktop app (WPS Office) and 1 iOS app (Bear).
- 1 of 10 are apps you install on iPhone and iPad, and Bear is made specifically for iPhone; the other 9 are web or cloud tools listed for iPhone.
- Every iPhone pick here also runs somewhere else. Grammarly reaches furthest, on 7 other platforms besides iPhone.
- 8 of 10 also run on a Mac, so the same tool can follow you between iPhone and Mac; Google Docs and Wordtune do not.
How this list compares
The same search on other platforms. Only the differences are named.
- Free writing apps for Android
7 of these 10 iPhone picks also make the Android top 10. 3 are on this list only: LanguageTool (not listed for Android), Wordtune (not listed for Android) and Bear (not listed for Android). In their place the Android list has UpNote, Google Gemini and Kit.
- Free writing apps for Mac
2 of these 10 iPhone picks also make the Mac top 10.
- Free online writing tools
1 of these 10 iPhone picks also makes the Web top 10.
- Free writing apps for Linux
None of these 10 iPhone picks makes the Linux top 10.
More matches
9 more free writing apps for iPhone in our directory, in ranked order.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free writing app for iPhone?
- Google Docs is our first pick. Free online documents you can write and edit together in real time. Google Docs has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features or usage.
- Are these writing apps really free?
- Yes, every pick is free to start. Google Docs, DeepL, LanguageTool, Grammarly and 6 others have free plans with paid upgrades.
- Which of these writing apps are open source?
- None of the picks on this page is tagged open source in our directory.
- Which ones work offline on iPhone and iPad?
- Google Docs, Zoho Writer, Bear and WPS Office are listed as working offline. The others need an internet connection for at least some features.
- Which are easiest for beginners?
- Google Docs, DeepL and LanguageTool are rated beginner-friendly, along with 7 other picks. None of them is rated intermediate or advanced.
- How many free writing apps for iPhone are in the directory?
- 19 match: listed under Writing, available on iPhone and iPad and free to start. This page ranks the top 10 and names up to 20 more under More matches. The Writing category page has every listing, paid ones included.
Keep exploring
Wider lists
Related free lists
- Free writing apps for Mac
- Free note-taking apps for iPhone
- Free writing apps for Android
- Free to-do list apps for iPhone
- Free writing apps for Linux
- Free calendar apps for iPhone
- Free online writing tools
- Free habit-building apps for iPhone
- Free open-source writing apps for Mac
- Free time management apps for iPhone
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