Best Essayist Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 tools from writing apps ranked against Essayist on the same published basis.
- 1Essayist vs Celtx
- 2Essayist vs Final Draft
- 3Essayist vs WriterDuet
- 4Essayist vs Story Architect
- 5Essayist vs Campfire
- 6Essayist vs Fade In
- 7Essayist vs Overleaf
- 8Essayist vs Scrivener
- 9Essayist vs Etherpad
- 10Essayist vs DramaQueen
- 11Essayist vs Write.as
- 12Essayist vs Pendraic
- 13Essayist vs Substack
- 14Essayist vs Tolstoy Compose
- 15Essayist vs MyStory.today
- 16Essayist vs LyX
- 17Essayist vs Novlr
- 18Essayist vs Arc Studio Pro
- 19Essayist vs Lastslate
- 20Essayist vs bibisco
Essayist alternatives compared
| # | Tool | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtx | 9.5 | Free plan | $11.24/mo | Android, Browser, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Final Draft | 8.9 | No | $0.69/mo | iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 3 | WriterDuet | 8.9 | Free plan | Free | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
| 4 | Story Architect | 8.9 | Free plan | $4.17/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 5 | Campfire | 8.8 | Free plan | $19/mo | Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 6 | Fade In | 8.7 | No | $8.33/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 7 | Overleaf | 8.6 | Free plan | — | Browser, self-hosted, Web |
| 8 | Scrivener | 8.5 | No | $23.99/mo | iOS, Mac, Windows |
| 9 | Etherpad | 8.5 | No | — | Android, API, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 10 | DramaQueen | 8.5 | Free plan | $11.90/mo | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 11 | Write.as | 8.4 | Free plan | $6/mo | self-hosted |
| 12 | Pendraic | 8.4 | Free plan | $14.99/mo | Mac, Web, Windows |
| 13 | Substack | 8.3 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Web |
| 14 | Tolstoy Compose | 8.3 | Free plan | £5/mo | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
| 15 | MyStory.today | 8.3 | Free plan | €2/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 16 | LyX | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 17 | Novlr | 8.2 | Free plan | $8/mo | Android, iOS, Web |
| 18 | Arc Studio Pro | 8.2 | Free plan | $5.75/mo | iOS, Mac, Windows |
| 19 | Lastslate | 8.2 | Free plan | $10/mo | Mac, Windows |
| 20 | bibisco | 8.2 | No | — | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
Make your tool an alternative to Essayist
See the priceThe sponsored alternative slot on this page is labelled Sponsored.
Questions about Essayist alternatives
What is the best alternative to Essayist?
Celtx, number 1 in writing apps with a score of 9.5 out of 10. The others here: Final Draft, WriterDuet, Story Architect and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Essayist?
Celtx is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 15 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, the fullest spec sheet first: how deeply the product is documented, the platforms it runs on, a free tier or trial to test it, and its standing.