Comparison

Writemator vs vanilla.txt

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

Head to head
About

Writemator

This app provides a distraction-free writing environment for iOS and iPadOS. It offers robust text editing features, extensive customization options, and seamless integration with cloud storage and system tools.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free writing interface
  • Built-in Files App Support
  • Multiple Window and Drag and Drop for iPadOS
  • Search, Replace, Synonyms, and Antonyms
  • Dropbox Sync and TextExpander Support
  • Customizable fonts, colors, and line spacing
  • Keyboard shortcuts and extended keyboard row
Features
Read full description

◉ "New Apps We Love" - Apple ◉ "A solid new alternative to text editors like iA Writer and 1Writer" - Federico Viticci ◉ "I like the program very much" - Michael D. Shear ◉ "Best New App for iPad and iPhone" - imore.com ◉ "The original distraction-free writing app" - idownloadblog.com ◉ "WriteRoom for iOS lives on as Writemator" - Jesse Grosjean, founder of Hog Bay Software Writemator is based on the source code of WriteRoom app for iOS & iPadOS with all bug fixes and new features. FEATURES: • Based on WriteRoom source code for iOS & iPadOS. Fast handling of large documents. • Updated for the latest iOS and iPadOS with all bug fixes and new features. • Built-in Files App Support. • Support Multiple Window feature for iPadOS. • Drag and Drop Support (for items like plain text, xml, html, URLs, etc.) of iPadOS (in Split View). • Touch ID/ Passcode/ Face ID support. • Search tool that lets you search for and find every document that contains your search text. • TypeWriter Mode. • Live Word Counter. • Customizable System Dark Mode. • Reading Time option available. • Lined Paper option available. • Dropbox Sync API V2. Support both "Sync Automatically" and "Manual Sync". • Writemator allows you to choose the folder with which you link in your Dropbox account. • Keyboard Shortcuts. Toal 58 keyboard shortcuts are available (excluding iPadOS system keyboard shortcuts). • Quick Search & Replace text feature available. Works great even for a document with more than 500,000 words. • Synonyms, Antonyms, Rhyming words for a selected word. • Drag-to-scroll scroll bar for quick navigation bigger documents. Just like desktop app scrolling. • In full-screen view, tap margins to move cursor toward margin (iPad only). • Many new fonts are added like iA Writer Duospace, IBM Plex, SF UI Text, etc. More than 150 fonts are available. • Extended keyboard row with customizable keys. • Dark Mode keyboard. • Support TextExpander Touch Expansion. Updated to the latest SDKs of TETouch. • Document Picker Support. Support "Import" and "Export" methods of document picker. • Access Writemator files in iOS Files app. • Extra app icons available to change the app icon. • Customize your text and background color to any color, line spacing, font size to make your own writing room. • Line spacing is improved from the older version of WriteRoom. Margin option is available. • Siri Shortcuts. • Tint color option. • Sort the folder list by name or date, descending. • Hide or unhide status bar. Dark mode status bar for dark background • Scroll headings during typing to hide headings. • Rename your document or folder. • Swipe to delete a document or a folder. • Detect links in a document. • Support text right to left (useful for writers for languages like in Arabic) • Powerful URLs scheme support • Export and share file in PDF format. • Hide or show file extensions ;html, css, plain text, ft, etc.

About

vanilla.txt

Read full description

vanilla.txt is a minimalist editor purpose-built for plain text (.txt) on iPhone and iPad. Open or create files directly from the iOS Files app (including iCloud Drive), write with a clean, responsive editor, and your changes save automatically. It’s ideal for notes, drafts, outlines, logs, and code snippets you want to keep portable and future-proof. Features: - Real .txt files via the iOS Files app (incl. iCloud Drive) - Autosave while you type for reliable editing - Simple, distraction-free text layout - Readable typography with a default monospace font - Dark Mode support - System share sheet (Share / Open In…) - Appears in the iOS Share Sheet; save shared text as .txt - No analytics or tracking - Works offline; no account required Plain text stays lightweight, easy to back up, and compatible with every platform. Keep your writing simple, portable, and under your control.

Screenshots

Writemator4 screens
vanilla.txt4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: vanilla.txt at every 2 days against Writemator's every 6 days. vanilla.txt also leads on price ($0.99 vs $2.99). Writemator's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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

Writemator costs $2.99 and vanilla.txt $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Writemator ships an update every 6 days, vanilla.txt every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Writemator versus vanilla.txt: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWritematorvanilla.txt
Price$2.99$0.99 — better
Rating4.0 (58 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews53.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings58 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAmit ChaudharyAQPARD LLC

In-app purchases

None

Writemator

No in-app purchases

None

vanilla.txt

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Writemator free?
Writemator costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is vanilla.txt free?
vanilla.txt costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Writemator or vanilla.txt have ads?
Neither Writemator nor vanilla.txt shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Writemator or vanilla.txt?
Writemator ships an update every 6 days, and vanilla.txt every 2 days. Most recently, Writemator was updated on September 3, 2026 and vanilla.txt on September 7, 2026.

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