Comparison

Writerly vs ICAR AR

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Writerly

This app guides aspiring and experienced writers through creative writing with advice, exercises, and AI-powered tools. It offers features to spark creativity, brainstorm ideas, research, and develop characters, acting as a constant writing companion.

Highlights
  • AI Toolkit for research and brainstorming
  • Character development tools and exercises
  • Daily writing prompts
  • Techniques to combat writer's block
  • Sensory detail guidance
  • Built-in timer for exercises
  • Home screen widgets
Features
Read full description

Want to write? Start thinking like a writer! Writerly will show you how. Writerly is for everyone interested in creative writing. From first steps to advanced topics, Writerly is loaded with advice, exercises, ideas and prompts to help you develop as a writer, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro. Our new AI Toolkit unleashes the power of Apple Intelligence to bring you tools to spark your creativity, brainstorm your ideas, help you research books and novels, and create characters and writing exercises - it's like having an always-available creative writing friend! Writerly includes a huge amount of unique content that has been extensively tested and trialled by professional authors and creative writing students. So have fun, get inspired and get writing! Key features: - Available for your Mac, iPhone and iPad! - Learn how to observe the world like a writer - AI Toolkit (for research, exercises, brainstorming and more) - Like having an always-available creative writing friend! - Techniques to combat writer's block - Discover techniques to unlock your creativity - Unique 'generators' for Appearance, Mood, Character, Journeys and much, much more - Warm-up exercises - Meet your characters (like speed dating with your characters!) - Ways into Character (in-depth character development tools, techniques and exercises) - A Year of Prompts (a writing prompt for every day of the year) - How to work with sensory detail - Core character development exercises - Built-in timer for exercises - Widgets (daily prompts and character generation right on the home screen) - Progress tracker

About

ICAR AR

Explore augmented reality art installations in Washington, D.C. that reveal the hidden influence of corporations on public institutions and human rights. Discover five unique artworks geolocated at four significant sites, created by acclaimed artists.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality art installations
  • Geolocated artworks
  • Focus on corporate influence
  • Features five distinct artworks
  • Works by featured artists
Read full description

This is an augmented reality app for ICAR which features five artworks at four locations in Washington, DC. Corporate capture of our public institutions is one of the biggest threats to democracy and to the protection of human rights. And it is invisible by design. At ICAR, we’re committed to working with partners and artists to reveal the hidden world of corporate influence-peddling in D.C. This app features five AR artworks focused respectively on industries including big agribusiness/food systems, oil and gas/climate, and the private prison industry, geolocated in four distinct and related locations throughout Washington, DC. Featured artists include: Keith Calhoun and Chandra McCormick, Emma Robbins, Alfredo Salazar-Caro, and Stacy Lynn Waddell. The International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR) is a coalition of 40+ member and partner organizations committed to ending corporate abuse of people and the planet. We advocate for real protections and strong enforcement of the law to protect the public by enacting reasonable safeguards against corporate abuse, protecting those who speak out against corporate wrongdoing, and combating the rise of the corporate state. ICAR is fiscally sponsored by Tides Center.

Screenshots

Writerly4 screens
ICAR AR3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ICAR AR at none against Writerly's 4. ICAR AR also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). Writerly's advantage is ratings volume (111 vs 13). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Writerly sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. ICAR AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ICAR AR holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Writerly has 111 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Writerly ships an update every 10 months, ICAR AR every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and June 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Writerly versus ICAR AR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWriterlyICAR AR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (111 ratings)5.0 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings111 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB460 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRussell ArcherNancy Baker Cahill Studio, Inc

Customer experience

Writerly

All ratings111 ratings
Positive91.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral11.8%
Negative11.8%

ICAR AR

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Writerly

One-time4
  • A Year of Prompts$0.99
  • Ways into Character$1.99
  • Meet your Characters$1.99
Show 1 more
  • AI Toolkit$2.99
None

ICAR AR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Writerly free?
Writerly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ICAR AR free?
ICAR AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Writerly or ICAR AR?
ICAR AR is rated higher. Writerly averages 4.6 out of 5 from 111 ratings, while ICAR AR averages 5.0 from 13 ratings.
Do Writerly or ICAR AR have ads?
Neither Writerly nor ICAR AR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Writerly or ICAR AR?
Writerly ships an update every 10 months, and ICAR AR every 7 months. Most recently, Writerly was updated on September 17, 2026 and ICAR AR on June 2, 2026.

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