One of the questions I get asked most by copywriters is: What tool did you use to do this? In fact, I’ve asked this question dozens of times myself on The Copywriter Club Podcast.
There are literally thousands of tools and resources—many of them free—designed to help you start, grow and scale your business. Other tools will help you write copy and content, find clients, and broadcast your thoughts to followers on social media.
This post is intended to be an easy way to share these resources.
Please note that while there are dozens of free tools listed below, I’ve also included several paid tools as well. Why? Because paid tools are often well worth the money you spend to use them. They often perform better, offer customer service, and are easier to use. Having said that, the tools you use are up to you. Feel free to only try the free tools if you are on a budget. But when it makes sense, check out the paid tools as well. If a paid tool helps you grow your business, it’s definitely worth the investment.
Some of the links below are affiliate links. That means that if you download or purchase one of these tool after clicking the links below, The Copywriter Club, may receive a commission. Your downloads and purchases help us continue to provide the resources that professional copywriters like you need to succeed.
Now, let’s check out the free (and paid) tools…
Writing Tools
Google Docs (Free)
Chances are you already use it, but just in case, Google Docs is a fully functional, reliable alternative to Microsoft Word. It’s free. All you need is a Google account. Get it here.
Apple Pages (Free)
If you use any Apple product, it almost certainly comes with Pages pre-installed for free. Like Microsoft Word and Google Docs, it’s a fully functional word processor capable of handling any copy or content writing project. Sorry PC users, this one is Mac only. Get it here.
Open Office Write (Free)
Don’t want Google to read and catalog everything you write? This is a great free alternative to word processing programs like Google Docs. It’s simple enough to write emails and blog posts and powerful enough to create books with indexs, diagrams, and more. Currently only available of Windows and Linus, though a Mac version is promised soon. Get it here.
Grammarly (Free/Paid)
Spell check and grammar check in the typical word processing apps is okay, but not good enough for experienced copywriters. In addition to grammar corrections, Grammarly provides helpful suggestions for rewriting complex copy as well as voice tools. There are both free and paid versions of this product. For many writers, the free version is enough. Get it here.
Hemmingway (Paid)
The thing I like most about Hemmingway is the readability checker. Most copy and content should be written at a 5th grade level, but you’ll be surprised how many times your copy will come in with a grade higher than 8—and thus, it’s too hard for many consumers to read. Hemingway’s a great tool for tightening up your writing. This is a paid tool, but well worth the small one-time payment. Get it here.
Headline Generator (Free)
Need ideas for headlines for your content? Title Generator will take your keyword and, in about 7 seconds, provide you with 700 potential headlines to choose from. Some are good. Some are ridiculously bad. But they will get you thinking and you just might find one that works. You’ll definitely find several you can iterate to make better. Get it here.
Alternative Headline Generator (Free)
Like the headline generator above, this app will generate dozens of headlines using the key words or ideas you provide it. It’s a great way to find ideas for your content when you’re stuck or need ideas to get you started. Get it here.
Headline Analyzer (Free/Paid)
Once you have your headline, why not test it to find out how good it is? This free tool from Coschedule grades your headline on length, the kinds of word you use, grade level, and more. Requires registration to get your report. There is both a free and paid version of this tool. Get it here.
Online Thesauruses (Free)
Looking for a word but just can’t find the right one? There are several great online thesauruses and dictionaries just waiting to help. My favorites include thesaurus.com, WordHippo, and RelatedWords. Click the links to check them out.
CopyScape (Free)
Want to double check your copy to see if it’s 100% original? Want to see if another writer has used your copy without permission? With Copyscape’s plagiarism checker you can search online for other sites that may be using your words without permission. Get it here.
Research Tools
Typeform (Free/Paid)
If you survey customers and prospects as part of your research process (and you absolutely should), this tool is fantastic. Thanks to it’s wide range of templates, creating a survey is easy. Adding conditions to your questions is also simple. You can use if for onboarding forms, customer research, follow-up surveys, collecting testimonials, and so much more. This is a tool we use at The Copywriter Club almost every day. The free version will get you started. Get it here.
Interact (Paid)
Another fantastic tool for gathering data is this quiz creation platform. It can be used as survey software, or you can use it more creatively to gather information about your prospects and customers while they have a bit of fun. To see what we mean, check out this quiz for copywriters. What’s more, lots of clients need quizzes for their email list building efforts. Sorry, there’s no free plan with this tool. Get it here.
Moz Keyword Explorer (Free/Paid)
This free tool allows you to research 1.25 billion different keywords and combinations. Type in your keyword and Moz will suggest dozens of potential combinations to target, along with the monthly search volume and details about search intent. Get it here.
Similar Web’s Key Word Research Tool (Free/Paid)
This comprehensive tool includes data for more than 5 billion keywords in more than 200 industries. You’ll have to create an account to use the tool, but the free version will get you a long way in your key word research. The paid version adds even more data to your report. Get it here.
Free Keyword Research Tool (Free)
Although most keyword tools have a free option, they tend to be serverely limited. This tool doesn’t have a free option. And while not as robust as tools like HREFS and SEMRush, it will help you research keywords for blog posts and other content, show you the ranking difficulty, and more. Get it here.
Answer the Public (Free/Paid)
This handy website can give you the search volumes and trends for thousands of topics, brands and products. It provides a breakdown of other terms associated with your keyword so you have a better understanding of what your audience is thinking. The free version gets you 3 searches per day. Paid plans give you more. Get it here.
SparkToro (Paid)
This tool is different from most others you’ll find. It does audience research. That is, you provide your keyword and it uncovers the websites, podcasts, YouTube channels, and other platforms where your audience goes for information. More than that, it provides details about those channels that can be helpful in connecting with your audience. Another tool that’s simply too good to offer for free. Get it here.
Note Taking Tools
Notion (Free/Paid)
Actually Notion is far more than a note taking tool. That’s where it started, but today it can be used for habit tracking, CRM, to do lists, content creation, and a lot more. There are people who create websites entirely with Notion pages. If you don’t already use it, you should definitely check it out. There are both free and paid versions of Notion. You may not need to upgrade, but you probably won’t regret it if you do. Get it here.
Evernote (Free/Paid)
This was my go-to note taking app for more than a decade. And I still use it today to store notes I want to remember and come back to. The web clipper makes saving ideas you find online simple. The paid tool is dynamic and full of features. The free tool is a lot more limited. Still, it’s a solid notes app. Get it here.
Apple Notes (Free)
This simple notes tool is preinstalled on all Apple products and makes syncing your notes between phone, laptop and tablet via iCloud easy. It’s a great tool for capturing random ideas no matter where you are. If you use an Apple product, you already have it.
One Note (Free)
This is Microsoft’s note taking app so it syncs easily with other Microsoft products like Word or Outlook. This is more than a note taking tool, it’s a multimedia creation tool. And like Evernote, it has a web clipper that makes it easy to save ideas you find while browsing the internet. Get it here.
Obsidian (Free/Paid)
Obsidian is a note taking app that automatically links all of your related notes together so you can see how they’re connected in an interactive graph. Unlike other note tools, it runs offline so you always have access to your notes. And thanks to an API, developers have created lots of plugin tools to go with it. There are both free and paid versions. Get it here.
Napkin (Free)
Similar to Obsidian, Napkin automatically sorts and tags related ideas by topic. It’s a bit like keeping self-organizing Post-it notes. This is the perfect alternative for anyone who thinks note tools like Obsidian and Roam are hard to learn and use. Get it here.
Newsletter Tools
Kit—Formerly ConvertKit (Free/Paid)
This email provider has slowly become one of the best. Loaded with features, there is a free newsletter plan that allows up to 10,000 email addresses. The paid plans include recommendation features, multiple email sequences and automations and a lot more. I really like the standard templates that come with Kit. For most people, the free account will be more than enough. Get it here.
SubStack (Free/Paid)
One of the recent additions to the email/newsletter world, Substack is a lot more than a newsletter platform. It includes paid subscriptions, a recommendation engine, a Twitter-like sharing tool, and a lot more. It is free to use, though SubStack will take a small portion of your subscription revenue if you have paid subscribers. It’s a great tool for anyone who is just getting started or who wants to grow an audience quickly. Get it here.
Beehiiv (Paid)
Like SubStack, beehiiv is primarily a newsletter tool. It is a paid tool, but the only thing you pay for is your account. If you add lots of paid subscriptions, the amount you pay doesn’t go up, which can save you a lot of money if your newsletter grows. Get it here.
A.I. Chat Tools
Note: If you’re not sure how to use A.I. Chat tools and are ready to find out, check out this course: A.I. for Copywriters. It walks you through everything you need to know to start using A.I. for content and copy creation.
ChatGPT (Free/Paid)
This is the chat tool that started it all. Since it’s release, it has been upgraded several times and is more powerful (and accurate) than ever—though there are still hiccups so double check everything. ChatGPT can be used to brainstorm ideas, do key work research, outline strategy and content, come up with names, analyze data, plot novels, generate images (paid version) and so much more. The paid version gives you access to more data and better results, but for many people, the free version is good enough. Get it here.
Claude (Free/Paid)
This is currently my favorite chat tool—I just like the results I get back a little better than what I get from the other tools. I’ve used Claude as a brainstorming partner, a strategic guide, as to answer various research questions. If you provide it with data and examples, you’ll be amazed at how helpful it is. Get it here.
Mistral (Free/Paid)
This is one of the newer chat tools on the block. Called, Le Chat, it’s a multilingual conversational assistant. Which is really just another way to say it’s like Claude and ChatGPT with a different training database. For many projects I like to provide the same data and prompts to each chat tool to see which one gives me the best results. Get it here.
HuggingFace (Free/Paid)
Another chat tool trained on a slightly different data set, HuggingFace includes options like web search, image generation, document parsing and more. Get it here.
Gemini (Free/Paid)
This tool has had a few growing pains, but it’s getting closer to being ready for primetime. Gemini is Google’s chat tool so it’s ability to find information from the web should be better than it’s competitors. Get it here.
A.I. Writing Tools
WordTune (Paid)
WordTune is an all-purpose writing tool. It is designed to help you write, check your spelling and grammar, rewrite in different voices, summarize and more. Unlike a lot of A.I. tools, this one is designed to preserve your creativity and voice, so the output feels human, not artificial. I really like it. Get it here.
Copymatic (Free Trial/Paid)
This application includes 76 different tools to help you generate copy for emails, web content, social media posts, blogs, ads, and much more. And it does it in 25 languages. The output isn’t perfect. You’ll need to do some editing, but you’ll have plenty to work with in less than 10 minutes. Get it here.
Writer (Free Trial/Paid)
This may be the best A.I. writing tool on the market today. It allows you to create style guides for the tool to follow, creates transcripts and recaps of recordings, writes blog posts, job descriptions, product descriptions, FAQs, and more. You can even use it to create images. Get it here.
Productivity Tools
Stay Focused (Free)
This is an app/site blocker plugin for Chrome. When you don’t want to be distracted by the applications and websites you visit or use regularly. It blocks everything so you can focus and get things done. Get it here.
Cold Turkey (Free/Paid)
This is another app and website blocker. You can choose what to block and for how long—everything from specific YouTube channels and search terms to domains or the entire internet. You can also block specific files, folders, apps and more. Get it here. Another alternative I like is Freedom.
TidyCal (Paid)
This is the scheduler I use. It’s an inexpensive (one time payment) alternative to more popular schedulers like Calendly is ful of features. Set up variable meeting types, schedule buffer time, customize with your brand colors, connect to your calendar, and add paid bookings for a small additional one-time charge. Get it here.
Todoist (Free/Paid)
This to-do list app will help you go from overwhelmed to total control. It syncs across all your devices, keeping you on track as you work through your project list. Get it here.
Matter (Free)
This reading app makes it easy to find everything you want to read in one place. Save arrticles from the web, threads from social media and more. Matter puts it all on your phone, tablet, or computer. Get it here. Two alternatives that are equally useful: Pocket and Instapaper.
Client Finding Tools
Note: If client finding is a painful, sproradic process for you, you should check out the P7 Client Attraction System. It will help you identify your ideal clients, write the perfect pitch, warm up the relationship and book work. It’s so effective, it’s guaranteed. Get it here.
LinkedIn (Free/Paid)
This won’t come as a surprise, but the world’s largest business network is the best place to connect with prospects and develop a relationship that can turn into paid work. The content sharing features allow you to post thought leader content that will attract prospects to you. And LinkedIn’s paid features can be incredibly useful when looking for clients. Get it here.
Hunter.io (Free/Paid)
This amazingly helpful application helps you discover contacts, search and verify their contact information, connect to your own email account, and track responses to your outreach. Get it here.
QuickMail (Paid)
This tool helps you engage and close hundreds or even thousands of potential prospects on autopilot. You know all those experts who promise to find you leads? This is the tool most of them use. Takes about 5 minutes to set up, then it goes to work for you. Get it here.
Apollo.io (Free/Paid)
This is a robust tool includes everything you need to build a pipeline of prospects by finding the right leads, creating engaging outbound messages, and closing clients. It’s probably more than most copywriters need, but serious writes or those building an agency will appreciate a tool like this. Get it here.
CrunchBase (Paid)
This tool allows you to research companies and find funding data (so you know if they can afford to invest in marketing). This tool may be overkill for most copywriters who will find connecting on LinkedIn easier, but for those who want to work with enterprise level and funded companies, this tool provides lots of useful information. Get it here.
BDOW (Free/Paid)
This website plug-in makes it easy to capture leads from your own website. Includes a simple auto-responder (in case you haven’t set one up with your email tool), and comes with testing features so you can optimize your capture forms. Get it here.
The Find Clients Now Report (Free)
This isn’t a tool so much as it’s resource filled with more than 21 different ideas for finding the clients who are ready to work with you. You’ll learn the four mistakes you can’t afford to make if you want to land clients, as well as the 5 things that will make prospecting easier. Get it here.
Books and Reports
The Copywriter’s Handbook by Bob Bly. (Paid)
This is an old book that’s been updated several times as the internet has added to the types of projects copywriters take on. It covers the basics: suggestions for writing all kinds of projects and ideas for making your copy better. Get it here.
The Well-fed Writer by Peter Bowerman. (Paid)
Focused on the business side of “commercial writing”, this book is a bit dated, but it includes a lot of information that will help you get started. If you’re struggling to create a pipeline of regular, high-paying work, this book may be useful. Get it here.
The Advertising Secrets of the Written Word by Joseph Sugarman. (Paid)
Also known as The Adweek Copywriting Handbook, this book covers all kinds of copywriting advice from clarity and testimonials to establishing authority and selling a cure (rather than prevention). A very good primer on creating copy that converts potential customers into buyers. Get it here.
Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy. (Paid)
This book is often referred to as a classic. Written by one of the original Mad Men, this book is all about creating effective advertising. The old ads featured in the book are charming and perhaps a bit dated, but the advice is still applicable to copywriters today. Ogilvy’s other book, Confessions of an Advertising Man is also a good read. Get it here.
Hey Whipple, Squeeze This by Luke Sullivan. (Paid)
If Ogilvy’s book had been written in the 90s, it may have resembled this excellent book about creating advertising that not only works, but is loved by consumers. A good read filled with principles for creating copy that connects emotionally with customers. Often mentioned as a favorite by the copywriters we know. Get it here.
The Elements of Style by Strunk and White (and Pearson). (Paid)
If you didn’t pick up a copy of this book during your high-school or college writing course, it’s time to do that now. This is the go-to desk reference when it comes to questions about grammar and style. Get it here.
The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy. (Paid)
This book is a fantastic resource for anyone who writes sales letters or online sales pages. It steps through the process of assembling an effective sales message, no matter what medium you write for. We’ve listed this book in our “less experienced” section because it’s an easy read. But don’t be fooled, the principles taught here are all “advanced”. Get it here.
Want more book recommendations? You’ll find some good ones here.
Bencivenga Bullets (Free)
This collection of 29 short reports could be its own copywriting course that sells for hundreds of dollars. But, Gary Bencivenga, widely known as the best living copywriter today, has made them free. Every copywriter should be familiar with these ideas. They will make you a better writer. Get them here.
The Gary Halbert Letter (Free)
Similar to the bullets, this is a collection of newsletters and other writings from the legendary copywriter Gary Halbert. They are packed with copywriting tips and tricks, as well as a lot of strategic thinking that will help you become a better marketer—and a better resource for your clients. Get it here.
Podcasts
The Copywriter Club Podcast (Free)
We may be a little biased, but this podcast is the world’s most popular show for copywriters, content writers and marketers who write. Experts share their best ideas, processes, and insights so other copywriters can skip the line and grow their business and skills faster. If you only listen to one copywriting podcast, this should be it. Get it here.
The High-Income Business Writing Podcast (Free)
Hosted by Ed Gandia, this podcast is a mix of Ed’s advice and guests who share details about their businesses and how they work. Ed often focuses on the financial aspects of freelancing and how to make sure you charge your worth. Get it here.
The Copywriter’s Podcast (Free)
Copywriter and coach David Garfinkle hosts this podcast. David’s success as a direct response copywriter informs the advice he gives. This podcast mixes interviews with David’s own expertise. Lots of good information shared on this one. Get it here.
Copy Chief Radio (Free)
This podcast is a little less frequent than the ones above, but always packed with good insights and things to learn. This podcast focuses more on direct response copy than content or brand oriented work, but it’s worth a listen. Get it here.
The Fix (Free)
Come for the accents, stay for the copywriting advice. This podcast runs a wide gammit from direct response to branding. This one is both audio and video. Get it here.
Online Guides
What is Copywriting: The Definitive Guide (Free)
There are a lot of free “ultimate guides” that try to explain what copywriting is and how to do it. Most are so simple, they’re practically worthless unless you don’t already know what copywriting is. This guide from backlinko is better than those. If you’re just getting started or you want to polish up your skills, you might check it out. It’s free. Get it here.
Beginner’s Guides to SEO (Free)
If you want to learn the ins and outs of search engine optimization there are a couple of free online guides worth checking out. This collection of resources at Moz is pretty good. This guide from Yoast is also good.
Ultimate Guide to Content Creation (Free)
Most marketers treat copywriting and content creation as two separate beasts. So there are several free online resources especially for content writers. This Ultimate Guide to Content Creation from Hubspot is worth a read, especially if you’re just starting out. It talks about strategy and planning in addition to creation. And this article from Backlinko talks about what it takes to create content like the guides I’ve mentioned here.
Social Media Tools
Hypefury (Free Trial/Paid)
If you’re using X (Twitter) to attract followers, share thoughts and grow your audience then you need Hypefury. This tool is designed to help you sell products and move followers from X/Twitter to your email list. It also connects to LinkedIn to help fuel your audience growth even more. Get it here.
Buffer (Free/Paid)
This tool is a social media scheduler that allows you to manage several different social media channels, schedule posts, and publish a simple landing page. Get it here.
Later (Paid)
This social media scheduler allows you to pre-load up to 30 posts per social profile and provide analytics so you can see how well they perform. Also includes tools to help create content. Get it here.
Click to Tweet (Free)
This simple tool makes it easy to share the content you post on X/Twitter. It generates a link that takes users to a tweet written by you that they can then easily post in their own content or X/Twitter stream. Get it here.
LinkTree Free/Paid)
This tool is designed to help you sell your products and services on social media. You’ve seen the “link in bio” calls to action so many influencers post? Well, this is the tool that makes it possible. Get it here.
ManyChat (Free/Paid)
Hate the phrase “link in bio” or are you tired of saying it but having too few of your followers actually click it? There’s a better solution. ManyChat allows you to automate conversations, share links and files, and acquire customers in your post comments. Get it here.
Copywriter Club Tools
The Copywriter Club Podcast (Free)
The world’s most popular copywriting podcast. Copywriters of all skill levels reveal their secrets and insights for writing high-converting copy and content as well as the processes they followed to create successful businesses. Listen here or subscribe to get it deliverd in your podcast app.
The Copywriter Club Free Facebook Group (Free)
More than 15,000 copywriters use this group to connect with each other, ask questions, share answers, ideas and even leads. Copywriting is a lonely activity a lot of the time—this is the best place to connect with other writers. Join here.
The Copywriter Underground (Paid)
Something magical happens when you start investing in your business. Surrounding yourself with other motivated, hard-working copywriters in a paid membership like this one helps you grow your skills and business. The Underground includes dozens of trainings and other resources that will help you avoid the mistakes and progress faster. Compared to other paid communitites, this one is an amazing value. Learn more here.
Copywriting Mastery Course (Paid)
Want to get better at copywriting? This three part course focuses on research, copywriting and persuasion to help you build the skills you need to write engaging, high-converting copy. Get it here.
That’s it. Have a favorite tool we missed? Let us know at help@thecopywriterclub.com.
