# Complete Reference for D&D 5 vs Writer Gadget

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Writer Gadget at none against Complete Reference for D&D 5's 2. Writer Gadget also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.7) and review sentiment (70% vs 50%). Complete Reference for D&D 5's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (273 vs 25). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Complete Reference for D&D 5 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Writer Gadget asks for nothing beyond the download.

Writer Gadget holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Complete Reference for D&D 5 has 273 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Complete Reference for D&D 5's written reviews are positive against 70% of Writer Gadget's.

Complete Reference for D&D 5 ships an update fortnightly, Writer Gadget every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Complete Reference for D&D 5 | Writer Gadget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (273 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/complete-reference-for-d-and-d-5/id1225927257/reviews) | **[4.1 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writer-gadget/id1621085053/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **273** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | 50.5% of reviews | **70.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 38 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.2** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [van Stein en Groentjes](https://appshunter.io/developer/550131050) | [Andrew Johnson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1621085055) |

## What reviewers say

### Complete Reference for D&D 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/complete-reference-for-d-and-d-5/id1225927257)

This app serves as a comprehensive guide for playing tabletop role-playing games, offering quick access to spells, items, and monsters without needing internet. It includes tools for Dungeon Masters and a character sheet manager, with the option to add custom content and print cards.

**Highlights:** Offline access to spells, items, and monsters, Searchable SRD 5 content, Online Content Creator for custom content, Printable spell, monster, and equipment cards, DM tools: map, name, loot, encounter generators, Character Sheet Manager with export and print, Initiative tracker

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Character Manager | $3.99 | one-time |
| DM Tools | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful reference for D&D players
- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 💡 Useful for DMs and new players
- 🚀 Great for quick lookup of information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when trying to access custom content
- 🐛 Deletes user-created content
- 🐛 Glitchy character sheet and DM tools
- 🐛 Missing important information (spells, classes, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to access custom content
- Deletes user-created content
- Issues with character sheet and DM tools
- Incomplete information compared to official sources

**Requested features**

- Add more official content (spells, classes, races, etc.)
- Improve search functionality and organization
- Allow backing up and restoring user-created content
- Provide better instructions and tutorials for features


### Writer Gadget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writer-gadget/id1621085053)

Plan, organize, and track your story ideas in one place. Write drafts, create character and world descriptions, and link them together. Seamlessly sync your work between mobile and web devices.

**Highlights:** Rich text story editor, Character and world item tracking, Outline creation with templates, Cross-device sync (mobile/web), Link ideas with tags and keywords, Import/export from Google Docs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Complete Reference for D&D 5 free?

Complete Reference for D&D 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Writer Gadget free?

Writer Gadget is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Complete Reference for D&D 5 or Writer Gadget?

Writer Gadget is rated higher. Complete Reference for D&D 5 averages 3.7 out of 5 from 273 ratings, while Writer Gadget averages 4.1 from 25 ratings.

### Do Complete Reference for D&D 5 or Writer Gadget have ads?

Both Complete Reference for D&D 5 and Writer Gadget show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Complete Reference for D&D 5 or Writer Gadget?

Complete Reference for D&D 5 ships an update fortnightly, and Writer Gadget every 3 months. Most recently, Complete Reference for D&D 5 was updated on September 19, 2026 and Writer Gadget on September 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*