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There are a multitude of reasons to need offline writing apps from wanting to work on a plane to needing to minimise the distractions of the internet. Once upon a time, an app working offline was a given, however, in today’s WiFi-obsessed world, they’re a little harder to come by.

As a content writer, I’ve tried pretty much every piece of free writing software on the market (the good and the bad) and have put together this complete guide to the best offline writing apps including writing platforms, thesauruses, and tools for writing in English as a second language.

• Free Offline Writing Apps
• Free Offline Apps to Improve Your Writing
• Free Offline English Writing Apps
• Free Offline Note-Taking Apps
• The Next Step in Your Writing Journey

Free Offline Writing Apps

Starting with the most important category, these are the three writing software apps I recommend using as your actual writing platform that do not need a connection to the internet to work. And don’t worry, they’re all completely free!

1. LibreOffice

Probably the most popular Microsoft Word alternative, LibreOffice has everything you need to write without a price tag or WiFi dependency. It’s open source, has an in-built grammar and spelling checker, and is super easy to use if you already know how to use Word.

You can download the desktop app straight to your Windows, Mac, or Linux device for free and get to writing immediately – no matter where you might be.

2. Zoho Writer

Zoho Writer is an offline word processor that’s free to download and use. My favourite thing about it is the clean UI that genuinely limits distractions and keeps me focused on the literal words on the page.

I don’t really need all the bells and whistles to get writing so I appreciate that the desktop app keeps things simple with editing and formatting tools and doesn’t require any type of sign-up to download and use it.

3. Google Docs Offline Mode

The majority of my content writing clients like to have work submitted as a Google Doc, and to be blunt, it’s one of the best writing platforms on the market. Not only is it free, collaborative, and automatically synced with your Google workspace, but it also has offline capabilities!

Be aware, you must be connected to the internet to turn on offline mode, so make sure to do the following steps before leaving the WiFi zone:

• Go to your Google Drive
• Click ‘Settings’
• Tick the box under ‘Offline’

You’re now able to access and work on documents without the internet. They’ll sync up automatically once you’re connected again, so just beware things can get a little funky with shared/collaborative docs.

Free Offline Apps to Improve Your Writing

Free offline writing apps don’t end with just writing platforms. Here are three other free tools that I use to improve my writing that don’t require any WiFi connection.

4. Duplicate Word Finder

I LOVE this app. All the time, I reread old work and notice how I’ve used the same word over, and over, and over again. For some reason, I can never notice this when I’m writing the piece and it bothers me to no end.

That’s where Duplicate Word Finder comes into play. The free desktop app shows you the exact number of each word used with helpful sliders to adjust the word length and number shown. It’s a basic tool but a complete lifesaver that I cannot recommend enough.

5. WordWeb

WordWeb is a free dictionary and (more importantly to me) thesaurus that covers American, British, Canadian, Australian, Indian, and global English. Having a thesaurus at my fingertips is an absolutely non-negotiable as a marketing content writer, and WordWeb has saved me on many no-internet occasions.

6. Focus To Do

Focus To Do is a really simple Pomodoro method-inspired timer. If you’ve never heard of the Pomodoro method, it’s a productivity hack where you work for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and then repeat the process four more times.

One of the hardest things about writing full-time is staying focused, and using an offline timer app is just one of the tools in my concentration toolbox. Focus To Do is free, easy to use, and even includes some additional task management features.

Free Offline English Writing Apps

Writing is hard enough in your native language, let alone in a second or third. I want to share three free offline apps designed to help English as a second language (ESL) writers level up their work.

7. Google Translate Offline Mode

Many people already know this, but in case you don’t, Google Translate has an offline mode! You can download a language to look up translations on the go and without WiFi so you’re never without a direct translation.

It goes without saying that Google Translate is not a perfect translation app, however, having it ready to look up a particular word or phrase is a game changer (take it from someone living in Japan and studying Japanese).

8. Anki

Anki is probably my favourite free flashcard app and if you’ve ever studied another language, you’ll know flashcards are a must. Using Anki, you can easily create a new flashcard for every new word or phrase you learn when out and about, as well as test yourself regardless of the internet connection situation.

9. Pronuncian

This app is all about improving your real-world English as a second language. As you write and practice using new words, you can check their pronunciation using Pronuncian. The app is free and works offline, using native voices to help teach you how to sound out and spell new words.

Free Offline Note-Taking Apps

Truth be told, the most useful offline apps for me as a content writer are note-taking software. I’ll get ideas for pitches or blog posts when out and about all the time, and there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to write them down immediately.

10. Apple Notes App

Here’s the thing – sometimes the simplest answer is the best one. The Apple Notes app does everything you need it to with automatic synching between your Apple devices. I particularly appreciate being able to format text and use different headings and sub-headings to keep my notes looking at least somewhat organised.

11. GoodNotes

I recommend GoodNotes all the time, especially if you’re an iPad or tablet user like I am. The app is essentially a digital notebook with the added pleasure of choosing your perfect cover and page style. The free version includes three notebooks which can be written in either by hand using an Apple Pencil/stylus, or by typing with a text box.

Personally, I love this app so much that I upgraded to have access to unlimited notebooks. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I use GoodNotes literally every single day.

12. OneNote

OneNote is a free Microsoft product that provides essentially everything you could need when it comes to digital note-taking. It has both a desktop and mobile app which lets you create and organise your folders and notes with potentially unlimited use cases.

OneNote can be used for creating tables, works with a stylus, and is collaborative thanks to its cloud software. It works just the same offline (minus the synching) and is a great desktop alternative to the Apple Notes app.

The Next Step in Your Writing Journey

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