Long-form & books tools
Articles, ebooks and manuscripts. 7 tools we track, checked .
Short answer page: What's the best long-form & books tool?
Ranked by fit for solo businesses: tools we profile in depth first, then those used in our research notes, then the rest. Affiliate status never changes the order.
- 1
Claude
Pick this if you want long documents, careful writing and code.
Anthropic's AI assistant, strong at long documents, writing and coding.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes · $0 · then $20/mo, or $17/mo billed yearly ($200 upfront) · Difficulty 1/5
- 2
ChatGPT
Pick this if you want all-purpose drafting, research and analysis.
OpenAI's general AI assistant for writing, research, analysis, images and custom GPTs.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes · $0 · then $20/mo (Plus); Go: USD price not published for our region · Difficulty 1/5
- 3
ProWritingAid
Pick this if you want novelists and long-form writers.
Grammar checker and style editor with reports for fiction and long-form writing.
Free plan + paid plans · Free plan: Yes · Difficulty 2/5
- 4
Sudowrite
Pick this if you want drafting and brainstorming fiction.
AI writing tool made for fiction writers.
Paid plans only · Free plan: Trial only · Difficulty 2/5
- 5
Atticus
Pick this if you want formatting books for KDP without Vellum.
Book writing and formatting tool for ebook and print interiors.
One-time purchase · Free plan: No · Difficulty 2/5
- 6
Vellum
Pick this if you want professional book formatting on Mac.
Mac app that formats beautiful ebooks and print books; you pay when you export.
One-time purchase · Free plan: Trial only · Difficulty 2/5
- 7
Novelcrafter
Pick this if you want planning and drafting novels.
Novel-writing workspace with a story codex that works with your choice of AI models.
Paid plans only · Free plan: Trial only
Side-by-side
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $20/mo, or $17/mo billed yearly ($200 upfront) | 1/5 | You own or may use output commercially | Long documents, careful writing and code |
| ChatGPT | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $20/mo (Plus); Go: USD price not published for our region | 1/5 | You own or may use output commercially | All-purpose drafting, research and analysis |
| ProWritingAid | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 2/5 | – | Novelists and long-form writers |
| Sudowrite | Paid plans only | Trial only | See official site | 2/5 | – | Drafting and brainstorming fiction |
| Atticus | One-time purchase | No | See official site | 2/5 | – | Formatting books for KDP without Vellum |
| Vellum | One-time purchase | Trial only | See official site | 2/5 | – | Professional book formatting on Mac |
| Novelcrafter | Paid plans only | Trial only | See official site | – | – | Planning and drafting novels |
"Starting price" is shown only for tools we profile in depth, where we read the official pricing page on . For the others, check the official site.