Best Essayist Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from writing apps ranked against Essayist on the same published basis.
- 1Essayist vs Celtx
- 2Essayist vs Overleaf
- 3Essayist vs Story Architect
- 4Essayist vs Write.as
- 5Essayist vs Final Draft
- 6Essayist vs WriterDuet
- 7Essayist vs Campfire
- 8Essayist vs Pendraic
- 9Essayist vs DramaQueen
- 10Essayist vs Lastslate
- 11Essayist vs Scrivener
- 12Essayist vs Substack
- 13Essayist vs Fade In
- 14Essayist vs HackMD
- 15Essayist vs Calmly Writer
- 16Essayist vs LyX
- 17Essayist vs Hashnode
- 18Essayist vs HedgeDoc
- 19Essayist vs Novlr
- 20Essayist vs Arc Studio Pro
Essayist alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtx | 9.6 | Free plan | $11.24/mo | Android, Browser, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Overleaf | 9.0 | Free plan | — | Browser, self-hosted, Web |
| 3 | Story Architect | 9.0 | Free plan | $4.17/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 4 | Write.as | 8.9 | Free plan | $6/mo | self-hosted |
| 5 | Final Draft | 8.7 | No | $0.69/mo | iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 6 | WriterDuet | 8.7 | Free plan | Free | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
| 7 | Campfire | 8.7 | Free plan | $19/mo | Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 8 | Pendraic | 8.7 | Free plan | $14.99/mo | Mac, Web, Windows |
| 9 | DramaQueen | 8.7 | Free plan | $11.90/mo | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | Lastslate | 8.6 | Free plan | $10/mo | Mac, Windows |
| 11 | Scrivener | 8.4 | No | $23.99/mo | iOS, Mac, Windows |
| 12 | Substack | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Web |
| 13 | Fade In | 8.4 | No | $8.33/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 14 | HackMD | 8.3 | Free plan | $5/mo | Web |
| 15 | Calmly Writer | 8.3 | Free plan | — | Android, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 16 | LyX | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 17 | Hashnode | 8.2 | Free plan | $4.17/mo | API, Web |
| 18 | HedgeDoc | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | self-hosted, Web |
| 19 | Novlr | 8.2 | Free plan | $8/mo | Android, iOS, Web |
| 20 | Arc Studio Pro | 8.2 | Free plan | $5.75/mo | iOS, Mac, Windows |
Make your platform 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 9.6 out of 10. The others here: Overleaf, Story Architect, Write.as and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Essayist?
Celtx is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 17 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.