Artificial intelligence or ChatGPT, most writers, bloggers and journalists still write their own texts. They use either full-blown text programs such as Microsoft Word and Libre Office Writer or a simple editor without functional overkill and formatting frills.
So why a special text program for authors? Because a writing project – be it a novel, short story or diploma thesis – usually involves much more than just typing. There’s a lot to plan and structure, store and organize researched material, keep track of narrative curves, arcs of tension, plot chronology, and character and location details. When working with a classic text program, either separate tools or a jumble of notes have to be used.
The five writing programs for Windows and macOS in this comparison promise to help in juggling all these tasks. DramaQueen, Papyrus Autor, Patchwork, Scrivener and yWriter have very different priorities. Which tool is the most suitable depends not least on the way you work.
