How we test writing software
One manuscript. Every app. The same seven scores.
Reviews of writing software usually compare feature lists. We think the only fair test is to do the actual work, so we do.
The test manuscript
We use the same manuscript in every app: a long, multi-chapter draft with notes, research files, images and a few messy restructures. Using one manuscript means differences in the score come from the app, not from the material.
The process
- Buy or start a public trial, exactly as a reader would. We don't accept special review builds.
- Draft new chapters in the app and move existing ones around.
- Organise: split, merge and reorder scenes, attach research, use the app's planning tools.
- Format and export to the formats writers need (manuscript DOCX, EPUB and print PDF where supported).
- Sync across every platform the app supports and note anything that breaks.
- Contact support with a real question and time the answer.
- Check the price on the official site and record the date.
The seven scores
Every app is scored from 0 to 10 on the same seven criteria:
| Criterion | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Drafting comfort | How it feels to write for an hour: focus, speed, typography |
| Organisation | Moving chapters, keeping research and notes beside the text |
| Formatting and export | Clean DOCX, EPUB and print output without manual fixing |
| Sync and platforms | Which devices it runs on and how reliable sync is |
| Value | What you pay for what you get, including one-time vs subscription |
| Support | How fast and how useful the answer to a real question was |
| AI and extras | Useful extras, and whether AI features respect your work |
The overall score is our judgement across these, not a strict average: an app that loses your work can't score well however good its other features are.
Keeping reviews current
Every article has a review interval. When it passes, the article goes back into our refresh queue. Prices are re-checked at least every 30 days, and each article lists what changed and when.