Most people tell you that you shouldn’t use your notes app for writing in. I stead you should use a dedicated writing application. Especially if it allows you to upload directly to your blogging site. Over the years I have used a lot of apps to write in. Now, I do it all in UpNote. So here are some mini-reviews of the apps I have used for writing – and why I love using UpNote.
For this post, I am only talking about short form blogs and articles.
Blogo
This is a Mac app that I used very briefly for writing my early blog posts in.
I really did like it at first but I moved away from it quickly in the end. This app doesn’t exist anymore so I won’t review it further.
I stopped using it as it was apple only, and whilst it did sync, in theory, from Mac to iOS, my iOS apps kept crashing. Avoid!
SimpleNote
I enjoyed using this app and would recommend it highly for a writing app. https://simplenote.com/
It’s free, syncs between devices and platforms so can be used on apple, windows and android. You can use markdown if you want. You used to be able to upload directly to WordPress from your phone app as Simple is operated by the same company. This feature is not available anymore sadly.
I loved using this app as I could start on my phone, finish on my computer and then publish direct from my phone.
I stopped using it as I moved to Medium and wanted an app I could publish to Medium from.
Inspire Writer
At this point I paid about £25 for a lifetime licence for InspireWriter.
This is a Windows only Markdown writing app that can publish directly to many different blogging services, including Medium and WordPress.
I loved this app. The interface was perfect and it created one of the best environments for distraction free writing I have ever used. Many posts were written in this app.
The downside (or upside depending on your view) would be that all your writing is stored locally on your computer and there is no native sync to anywhere else. However, you can sync these .MD files via any cloud storage and syncing service like Google drive or Dropbox and access them on any other windows computer with InspireWriter installed.
In theory therefore, using a third party syncing app or a markdown writer on your phone that also can sync with folders in these cloud services, you can sync it to your phone as long as you have another app that can access it.
What this also allows is you to access these .MD files using a similar markdown editor on a Mac. For example Byword or even Obsidian if you want.
I did try Byword for writing on a Mac but I didn’t like it.
Why I now use UpNote
UpNote is the best writing experience I have had for this kind of thing. Using focus mode, typewriter mode and getting rid of the formatting bar creates the most distraction free interface I have ever used.
I can format the writing however I want using markdown and now using slash commands as well.
I am writing this in UpNote on my phone. In a moment, I will edit and publish it from my Mac. It syncs quickly.
I tend to store these posts in multiple notebooks that represent the status of the post in its production process. I have a draft notebook for stuff I have written some or all of. Posts would then move to my ‘In production’ notebook when I am actually working on to getting them ready to publish. And finally a published notebook.
Having these in my notes app means I can use my own work as reference material for future work
I cannot publish directly from UpNote. I have separated out writing from publishing. This is good and I actually prefer having them separate. So this lack doesn’t bother me.
Of all the writing apps I have used, UpNote would get my strongest recommendation. You can find my full review of it here – and my YouTube playlist about UpNote here.
So, those are the apps I have used for writing – and why I love writing in UpNote.
