# Byword — user reviews

> 327 indexed App Store user reviews of Byword by Metaclassy, Lda., rated 4.40/5 from 179 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byword/id482063361/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byword/id482063361.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 127 · 4★ 27 · 3★ 5 · 2★ 8 · 1★ 12

## What do users think of Byword?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Highly recommended, just works
- 🚀 Reliable, efficient, and aesthetically appealing
- 🚀 Excellent Markdown support
- 👍 Clean, simple, and distraction-free writing experience
- 👍 Seamless sync between devices
- 👍 Great for notes, journaling, and blog writing

**Cons**

- 🐛 Dropbox sync issues, including lost files and sync conflicts
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues, especially on newer iOS versions
- 🐛 Limited font and theme options
- 🐛 Lack of advanced features like search, word count, and dark mode
- 🐛 Unintuitive organization and file management

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Dropbox sync not working, files not syncing or disappearing
- Crashes on launch or when opening certain files
- Issues with file organization, renaming, and folder management

**Most requested features**

- Add support for rich text formatting (bold, italic, underline)
- Improve Markdown preview and rendering
- Implement more keyboard shortcuts and customization options
- Integrate with more cloud storage services beyond Dropbox and iCloud
- Add search and replace functionality

## Newest reviews (15 of 327)

### 2/5 — „Speichern unter“ fehtl mir.

*2025-11-18*

Ich vermisse meinen Texteditor. Also: Ich möchte einen Text schreiben, dann möchte ich Byword mit einem x schließen, dann möchte ich gefragt werden, wo ich dann abspeichern möchte und dann sage ich wo. Dann bin ich glücklich. ;)

### 2/5 — Dropbox sync no longer working

*2024-06-24, version 2.9.3*

Looks like in recent history Dropbox sync simply stopped working. Uninstalled, reinstalled, and re-authorized. Appears to work at first, but then any changes that get out of sync due to a changes from elsewhere get the app stuck now. 

Will need to change apps if not resolved.

### 4/5 — update frequency slowed

*2024-05-31*

This was by default Markdown for many years in both Mac and iOS. It is functional and very efficient. But for some reason frequency of updates slowed. The last update was 4 years ago. Markdown is multifaceted and newer apps has incorporated many of those additions to original markdown syntax, better formatted export options, and integration with other apps. I have started using other apps. This one is still very functional for basic markdown and cheaper than the competition. No subscription either.

### 3/5 — iCloudアクセスできず

*2024-05-21*

iOS更新のせいか、専用ディレクトリではない他iCloudディレクトリにアクセスできなくなりました。現時点でも非常に優秀なテキストエディタなので、更新を頑張ってもらえるとありがたい。

### 3/5 — Utile mais encore trop limité

*2024-03-09*

Le plus: edition très facile des fichiers markdown, et utilisable avec dropbox. 

Les moins: synchronization peu intuitive avec dropbox avec risque de perte de document s'ils sont modifiés avec d'autres appareils. Pas de support pour les formules mathématiques et l'accès au preview pourrait être plus simple. L'app aussi aisée à utiliser que typora n'existe pas encore sur iOS.

### 2/5 — No local search, does not remember position

*2023-08-07, version 2.9.3*

Used it for a while now. It works as expected for writing, but I ended up badly missing two simple features I am used to from other editors: Search. and Remember last position (when you re-open a file). There is a multi-file search, but you apparently can't search for instances of a word inside a document. For productivity I need both features, so I am looking for a replacement app.

There are also occasional sync issues, where it reports a conflict that really should not be (both versions are identical, which would be a simple check for an app to do?)

### 4/5 — Markdown king. Not maintained

*2023-01-20, version 2.9.3*

Hasn’t been maintained for years. Flaky sync. Narrow font selection. Export to email goes to mail.app (ignores your “default”). Else, fast, stable, minimal writer’s app. (Fair for notes, too.)

### 4/5 — Great app, but looks abandoned

*2022-11-27, version 2.9.3*

I love this app and use it every day to access and search Dropbox synced notes from nvAlt.

Unfortunately, Dropbox sync seems to be getting flaky, probably due to some Dropbox change that this developer hasn't updated. 

I hope the dev can do some maintenance updates.

### 2/5 — An abandoned app?

*2022-11-02, version 2.9.3*

Used to be great but hasn’t been updated in 3 years and seems to have been abandoned by the author. Shame to see really but unfortunately the rest of the world has moved onwards.

### 2/5 — Très bien mais…

*2022-09-14*

Très belle application qui donne de très beaux documents riches et lisibles. 
Suffisant pour ceux qui recherchent juste de quoi écrire mais peut accuser certain manque pour d’autres :

- Le support de tableaux
- Le LaText (symbole mathématique)
- Les sauts de page pour éviter d’avoir des titres en bas d’une page. 

Voilà pour l’essentiel.

### 2/5 — What happened?

*2021-12-03, version 2.9.3*

I used to love this app, the winner of my weeklong no expense spared iOS markdown editor review. Now I get sync errors, issues with Grammarly, and the greatest sin of all, lost text. Any editor that runs the risk of erasing text without any means of recovery does not deserve more than one star, unless you’re feeling generous. Please fix this app ASAP

### 4/5 — Tables work

*2021-07-30, version 2.9.3*

In my initial review, I was having trouble getting tables to export correctly. I entered the table syntax incorrectly and the problem I experienced was entirely my own fault! :-)

### 3/5 — Can’t login to Tumblr

*2020-12-22*

It’s an excellent app but can’t login to Tumblr. 
pls fix it.

### 2/5 — Very basic - I was hoping for rich text md for jekyll/hugo pages

*2020-12-02, version 2.9.3*

I realized the app didn’t have what I was looking and looked for requesting a refund but couldn’t. So I guess I’ll try to find some use for it. Seems to have more IOS filesystem support than IA Writer, but without rich markdown support, there’s no difference opening up the file in any other text editor.

### 5/5 — 曾經的神器！

*2020-11-15*

剛出來的時候還真的用過很長一段時間，也確實好用，還買了Mac版，只是後來也沒什麼東西可寫了，這類純文本編輯器就用得少了，今天重新下載看看，竟然還在更新，而且還不換版本再收費，更沒有走內購這條路，真的被驚到，感動！謝謝陪伴我度過一段快樂時光，你是我愉快的記憶，是一種情懷～

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — Synchronized files problem

*2026-09-02, version 2.9.3*

Several files are not synchronizing for some reason.   They are too important start screwing around with and I see no help or tutorials.  Help!

### 1/5 — Dropbox sync not working any more

*2023-10-07, version 2.9.3*

The last version of this app was 3 years ago. Please fix the dropbox issue. Otherwise it's useless to me.

### 1/5 — Outdated

*2022-11-16, version 2.9.3*

App hasn’t been updated in 2 years, and is lacking some of the most essential features in newer iPadOS versions, like multiple windows, search, etc.

### 1/5 — TextExpander Doesn’t work and no support

*2022-06-10, version 2.9.3*

I bought Byword specifically to get a Markdown app with TextExpander support. TextExpander doesn’t work with it, I wrote to the dev and no answer. Then I found out the app hasn’t been updated in 2 years, and their Twitter account hasn’t responded to anyone in over 500 days. Evidently this is a dead app.

### 1/5 — Deleted my documents

*2022-05-16, version 2.9.3*

It told me I needed to set up Dropbox again to fix upload failure, so I did. Now, my documents aren’t there anymore. Not happy at all.

### 1/5 — Can’t add document on 13.4!

*2020-04-01, version 2.9.2*

Longtime fan of the app...but can’t add documents (using plus symbol) now that I’ve upgraded to iOS 13.4!

### 1/5 — Crashes on launch

*2019-10-20, version 2.9.1*

The last couple of versions crash on launch. I can’t believe even the update that was meant to fix that crashes on launch too. I can’t believe Apple approved the updates either. Such a shame as this used to be such a good simple app.

### 1/5 — Can’t download

*2019-07-01, version 2.8.5*

At first I thought I couldn’t download because I was not on the latest iOS, but I fixed that and it still won’t download. Any help?

### 1/5 — Развод

*2019-01-21*

Не покупайте, приложение архаичное, лет 5 назад было актуально. Верните мне деньги за эту херню.

### 1/5 — Needs updating

*2019-01-15, version 2.8.5*

Come on guys. A year and nothing. One and done developers :(

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — Highly recommend! No fuss, just works!

*2025-07-15, version 2.9.3*

This Is one of my oldest writing apps yet still used regularly on my iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It's so simple vet very effective for writing any kind of markdown or text document, short or long form. The files are saved as simple text files in the file system so backups are easy and safe. Solid, reliable, highly recommended!

### 5/5 — This app has been my go-to for 13 years.

*2025-05-31, version 2.9.3*

No other comment, really. It works brilliantly. I hope the devs are still supporting it.

### 5/5 — Great app.

*2024-05-16, version 2.9.3*

As of may 2024 byword will not sync with Dropbox anymore. 

Totally love this app but it hasn’t been updated in at least 4 years and my be on its last legs. I get Dropbox token errors nearly everyday.

### 5/5 — Still works well

*2022-12-10, version 2.9.3*

Seems to still work well but I am seeing the occasional delayed sync. I don’t need any more features but am curious if it would be fixed if it broke with a system update

### 5/5 — Markdown for OSX and iOS

*2022-07-04, version 2.9.3*

I've been using this app for years now and it's still on my home screen.

### 5/5 — Solidly does what I need

*2022-01-15, version 2.9.3*

I have used this for years and have found it dies exactly what I need. 

I use it exclusively for note-taking and journaling. I used to use it on Dropbox, but once iCloud got reliable enough, I seamlessly switched over there. 

The markdown display is clear and instant. 

I fell over when the livetext integration in iOS 15 came through without a hiccup. Now it's more useful than ever.

### 5/5 — 记录随时随刻的灵感

*2021-02-28*

用的很舒服的应用，没有采取订阅制。能够静下心来写作，喜欢。

### 5/5 — Gone?

*2021-01-22, version 2.9.3*

It is (was?) one of the best with ia Writer. But it does not seem to be in development anymore. What a shame.

### 5/5 — The best

*2021-01-15, version 2.9.3*

Love, love, love this text editor, and have for years.

One question/suggestion: can the app be configured to use cloud storage like pCloud?

### 5/5 — Clean and simple

*2021-01-12, version 2.9.3*

Byword is excellent for a clean and simple way to write with no distractions

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-09.*