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As useful as it can be to get help with creating written content, sometimes you’re not ready for paid software yet. You may not have the budget for it or perhaps you want to test it out before you commit — both of which are understandable.
If you’re in either camp and are on the lookout for the best free writing assistant tools to make your workflow smoother, we’ve got you. We’re sharing 10 of the top free options in the market as well as a paid tool you can transition to whenever you’re ready.
In this article:
- 10 best free writing assistant tools
- The productivity-boosting benefits of using a writing assistant
- How to use a writing assistant
10 best free writing assistant tools
Whether you’re looking for writing tools to make outlining easier or a writing assistant that ensures your social media posts are free from grammatical errors, there’s a tool for you on this list. Many of these also have premium versions, but their free versions are robust enough to use for a long time.
- Dynalist
- Language Tool
- Zoho Writer
- De-Jargonizer
- gocopy
- Lightkey
- Linguix
- NaturalReader
- Author
- Notion
1. Dynalist
Best for: Brain dumps
Ever wish you had a notepad for brainstorming content outlines and articles? If you’re tired of creating several new Google Docs and want something designed for brain dumps, try Dynalist.
Pros
- Never run out of memory space with their unlimited free plan
- Designed for outlining and mind mapping
- Allows rich text formatting that transfers seamlessly to Word processing apps
- Use on your browser or download to Mac OS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android
Cons
- Needs internet access to sync
- Text formatting requires some basic “coding,” much like Windows Notepad
2. Language Tool
Best for: A Grammarly alternative
Looking to try a grammar checker that isn’t Grammarly? Language Tool may be just what you need. This free and open-source grammar checker works in up to five languages — English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and German.
Pros
- Checks spelling and grammar in multiple languages
- Browser extension works on every browser
- Integrates with Google Docs,
- Add-on for Microsoft Word, Gmail, Open Office, and others for error-free text
- Has desktop apps for Mac OS and Windows
Cons
- Reviewers say it’s not as good as Grammarly
3. Zoho Writer
Best for: A free word processor
Zoho Writer is a free word processing tool with an embedded grammar checker and other remarkable features that give it an edge over Google Docs and make it a great alternative to MS Word.
Pros
- WordPress integration allows you to publish blog posts easily
- You can send bulk forms for signing and track them right on Zoho Writer
- Integrated Zia grammar checker ensures your spelling and grammar are on point
- Works without internet access
- Allows you to collaborate with teammates on a document
Cons
- Out of the Google ecosystem — may be an adjustment for new users
4. De-Jargonizer
Best for: Editing
If you struggle with writing simply enough for your audience, De-Jargonizer will help you identify industry jargon worth rewriting. This free tool highlights moderate to difficult words that might confuse your audience, so your writing is always easy to understand.
Pros
- Easy to use browser-based tool
- Focuses on simplifying text, which improves readability
- Can work with pasted text or uploaded document
Cons
- Sometimes marks necessary industry terms as “jargon”
5. gocopy
Best for: AI-generated writing
gocopy uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help copywriters and marketers optimize their content. Select written text and it offers you the choice to rewrite, condense, simplify, or expand it.
Pros
- Quick onboarding process
- Free AI tool allows you to rewrite, shorten, or lengthen your sentences
- Minimalist user interface makes this tool enjoyable to use
- Editor allows for rich text formatting so you can copy and paste to your CMS
Cons
- Limited content templates (less than 15) might restrict some users
6. Lightkey
Best for: Text prediction
Lightkey is an AI text prediction writing assistant that helps you gain time by predicting up to 12 words ahead and speeding up your writing.
Pros
- Intuitive text prediction — down to punctuation marks
- AI learns your writing style and tone to replicate effectively
- Downloadable software for Windows OS
- Browser extensions for Chrome and Edge
Cons
- Most effective for short-form communication, not long-form content
7. Linguix
Best for: Grammar
Linguix is an AI writing assistant with a free grammar checker. The writing assistant is not part of the free plan. For free, users gain access to punctuation, spelling, and grammar corrections to improve their writing skills and avoid common grammar mistakes.
Pros
- Correct basic grammar and spelling errors with one click
- Free browser extension for all browsers
- Linguix keyboard works on Android and iOS devices
Cons
- Very limited free plan compared to competitors
- Corrections may be out of context at times
8. NaturalReader
Best for: Text-to-speech
NaturalReader is a text-to-speech widget that reads your writing back to you. This is great for writers who edit best by hearing their text read out loud.
Pros
- Robust free plan allows for unlimited listening with free voices
- Accessible for disabled writers
- Free Chrome extension
- Also reads pdf, txt, doc(x), pages, odt, ppt(x), ods, and non-DRM epub files
Cons
- Only 20 minutes listening time for paid voices (which may be better)
9. Author
Best for: Academic writing
Author is a Mac OS word processor for writing academic text. It allows for quick research and citation while writing and lets readers create mind maps while they write.
Pros
- Uniquely designed to support academic writing
- Quickly find citations for your academic articles from books, websites, or other articles
- Automatically formats citations, saving writers the additional hassle
Cons
- For Mac OS only
10. Notion
Best for: Having an all-in-one workspace
Notion is a multi-faceted workspace that allows users to take notes, create databases, and manage multiple projects among other things. More and more writers are finding it an invaluable writing tool.
Pros
- Minimalist, distraction-free writing
- All-in-one workspace to outline, research, draft and format text in
- Vast array of text formatting options
Cons
- Learning curve may be too steep for some users
Productivity-boosting benefits of using a writing assistant
- Saves time
- No writer's block
- Saves energy
- Maintains creativity
- Allows you to scale
- SEO
- Objective content
1. Saves time
Instead of the hours spent generating, drafting, and writing content, you can get through the first two phases in minutes. While writing will take more time, it would be less time than if you did it alone.
2. No writer’s block
With an assistant already clearing the path for you, you’ll never have to look a blank doc in the face again. Writing assistants get you off the ground so your creative juices flow more quickly and you get in the writing groove more quickly.
3. Saves energy
Content marketing involves more than planning content. You still need to analyze how published content is doing and do research for future work. Without writer’s block and with work getting done faster, you’ll conserve energy for other important work tasks.
4. Maintains creativity
Writing assistants ensure that you never fall into the trap of formulaic content or stale content trends. They’re creative and — literally — endless wells of inspiration. And all you have to do is click a button for more fresh ideas to pop up.
5. Allows you to scale
More time + more creativity + more energy sounds like the recipe for more productivity and higher earnings if you ask us! Writing software, combined with your smarts, can take your business to the next level.
6. Search engine optimization
One of the great things about writing assistant tools is that they work with SEO in mind. SEO is a crucial ingredient for any digital marketing content and these tools always include the keywords and relevant SEO content in your copy.
7. Objective content
AI writing assistants are as neutral as writers come. They’ll draw on available research and statistics to present you with the most factual, authoritative content out there.
How to use a writing assistant
Wondering how a writing assistant fits into your workflow? Here are some specific ways you can use the software to lighten your load.
Brainstorming ideas
Figuring out what to write about can be the toughest step for many marketers. Granted, keyword research helps out a lot with that. However, in-depth keyword research can be tedious for many. Writing assistants give you an easier jump-off point to get the ball rolling.
Here are some ideas AI writer Jasper generated in under 5 minutes. All we had to do was provide the information on the left.
Writing an outline
Writing without an outline can feel like charting a new course without a map. Writing assistant software can help here, too. These tools draw on SEO and already existing content patterns on the internet to generate comprehensive, SEO-relevant outlines.
Generating headlines
Don’t let a poor headline make your article unappetizing. After working hard on skyscraper content, crafting an appealing headline may feel like one more draining task. Happily, you don’t have to go it alone. Let your assistant pick up the slack.
Crafting an intro
We don’t know about you, but many writers agonize over the perfect intro. Should you lead with an emotion-evoking stat, a personality-charged one-liner, or a straight-to-business approach? Before you waste half an hour typing and deleting, delegate the task to an AI writer.
At least, you’ll have a dozen samples (you didn’t write) to choose from. Here’s what we mean.
Writing all kinds of copy
Whether you’re writing copy for landing pages, long-form articles, social media captions, product descriptions, video scripts for YouTube, or cold emails, writing assistants have a template for you!
Improving content
We all know that first drafts can be messy. Allow writing assistants to clean up your work by clarifying sentences, checking for grammar and spelling, rephrasing for simplicity, and much more.
Writing a conclusion
You’re near the finish line, but how do you close things with a memorable bang? You use a writing assistant tool. Whether you’re after that catchy call-to-action or the concise sentence to wrap things up, you’re covered.
Now, you’re all set! It’s time to meet our favorite writing assistant software picks.
Want to see what a paid writing assistant can do?
Everyone loves free stuff, but sometimes free options lack the capabilities you need to scale your work as a content marketer. If you’re feeling ready for a paid writing assistant that tackles all aspects of your content creation in less than half the time, we have a recommendation: our very own Jasper.
Jasper is a top-notch AI writer trained by real copywriters and fed up to 10% of the internet’s knowledge. With natural language processing (NLP), Jasper has learned how to imitate the way humans write, resulting in content that sounds like a human writer crafted it!
With over 52 brilliant writing templates, Jasper is equipped to create a wide variety of content from product descriptions to press releases and long-form blog content. Because Jasper’s content is 100% unique, you never have to worry about plagiarism.
Some of the templates that help you create excellent content at a faster rate include:
- Long-form Assistant
- Personalized Cold Emails
- Amazon Product Descriptions
- Press Release Title and Intro
- Product Description
- Content Improver
- Video Script Outline
Wanna see how it works? Here’s the Press Release Title and Intro template in action. All we gave the AI was the information on the left side of the page — and look what it came up with!
Your Jasper subscription also grants you access to a highly engaged Facebook community of fellow writers and entrepreneurs who share helpful tips for using the program. Finally, the Jarvis team provides resources in the Jasper Bootcamp, which makes using Jasper much easier.
