# MapScribe vs Book Writer

The clearest difference is price: Book Writer at Free against MapScribe's $2.99. Book Writer also leads on rating (3.9 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). MapScribe's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and review sentiment (50% vs 19%). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Book Writer is free to download; MapScribe costs $2.99 up front. Book Writer sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. MapScribe asks for nothing beyond the download.

Book Writer holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 87 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of MapScribe's written reviews are positive against 19% of Book Writer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

MapScribe ships an update every 3 months, Book Writer every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MapScribe | Book Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.4 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapscribe/id1271371859/reviews) | **[3.9 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-writer-novel-writing/id1489462831/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 47 | **87** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 18.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Paid** | Subscription |
| Size | 36 MB | 107 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Eskridge](https://appshunter.io/developer/1271371858) | [Kaan Yildiz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473960483) |

## What reviewers say

### MapScribe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapscribe/id1271371859)

Easily create antique-styled maps on your iPad or iPhone.  Utilize a variety of "brushes" to paint features like mountains, trees, and towns.  Export your creations in multiple resolutions.

**Highlights:** Draw antique-styled maps, Finger swipe and tap interface, Variety of map feature "brushes", Multiple map resolutions, Selectable fonts for text, Color brushes for terrain

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for beginners
- 🗺️ Useful for fantasy map making
- 📱 Good mobile tool
- 💡 Simple and quick to grasp
- 🎨 Decent art style

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Waste of money (for some)
- 🤔 Not worth the price (for some)
- 🤷‍♂️ Hard to work with
- 😞 Frustrating to use
- 🤏 Limited functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when exporting
- App crashes with larger resolution canvases
- App shuts down or freezes phone
- Exporting map results in "eRrOr"
- Undo doesn't work on first item drawn when zoomed

**Requested features**

- Add more brushes (ships, camps, lighthouses, ruins, animals)
- Add town ruins and castle ruins
- Add a smaller text brush size option
- Add a military base building and outpost
- Add a map adding feature (attach maps)


### Book Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-writer-novel-writing/id1489462831)

This app provides tools for authors to organize and write novels or short stories. It allows for character creation, note-taking, and drafting, helping to streamline the writing process from idea to finished book.

**Highlights:** Book creation and organization, Character creation and notes, Drafting capabilities, Side note integration, Fast editing keyboard bar, Quick add and copy features, Cloud saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Book Writer Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Book Write Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Book Write Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Book Writer Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Book Write Yearly Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Book Write Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use for some
- 👍 Good for organizing work
- 👍 Character logging feature is good
- 👍 Cloud saving works for some
- 👍 Can be useful with patience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive subscription required
- 🐛 App doesn't save work
- 🐛 Work is deleted frequently
- 🐛 Cannot access notes of chapters
- 🐛 Character details not saved

**Reported bugs**

- Typing a word multiple times
- Saving and exiting unavailable
- App doesn't save text
- Lost account, cannot log back in
- Notes of chapters not accessible

**Requested features**

- Fix the issue of typing a word multiple times
- Add option to remove numbering
- Improve saving and exiting functionality
- Provide a user guide or tutorial
- Improve organization of characters for multiple books


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MapScribe free?

MapScribe costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Book Writer free?

Book Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, MapScribe or Book Writer?

Book Writer is rated higher. MapScribe averages 3.4 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while Book Writer averages 3.9 from 87 ratings.

### Do MapScribe or Book Writer have ads?

Neither MapScribe nor Book Writer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MapScribe or Book Writer?

MapScribe ships an update every 3 months, and Book Writer every 5 weeks. Most recently, MapScribe was updated on November 6, 2026 and Book Writer on November 11, 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.*