Comparison

Writemator vs Notes

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

Notes

Features
Read full description

Notes is a private, offline notebook for voice notes, transcripts, reminders, and sketches. Record in any language, dictate on your device, and find any word in seconds. Works fully offline. No account, no ads, no cloud sync. CAPTURE ANYTHING • Voice notes and meeting recordings, transcribed on your device in your chosen language • Dictate notes with on-device speech-to-text, with a full language picker • Scan documents and turn them into text with on-device OCR • Sketches, photos, videos, and any file, including PDFs, spreadsheets, and audio, shown like mail attachments • Rich text, checklists, and bullet or numbered lists REMEMBER TO ACT • Voice reminders, set up from a dedicated screen • Reminders and categories on every note • Turn any note into a real checklist, a clean outline, or a quick summary TALK TO YOUR NOTES Ask in plain language and get answers from what you've written: "What did I decide about the trip?" or "Show me my last 10 entries." Summaries and translations run on your device, and your note content is never sent to a third-party AI service. FIND AND STAY ORGANIZED • Find within a note with the in-editor find bar • Fast search by keyword, date, or media type • Find Duplicate Notes scans your collection and helps you merge near-identical entries • Archive volumes for notes you want out of your daily view but not gone for good MAKE IT YOURS • Backdrops and app-wide themes • Adjustable text size and archive density • Home screen widget with your recent notes • A quick tour on first launch, replayable any time from Settings PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Notes stay on your device. Nothing is uploaded, synced, or sold. • Lock individual notes with a password or Face ID • Deleted notes go to Trash first, so a stray tap never costs you a note • No account required to use the app Whether you keep a journal, a running list, meeting notes, or a place to think out loud, Notes is built to be entirely, privately yours.

Screenshots

Writemator4 screens
Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Notes at Free against Writemator's $2.99. Writemator's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.6). On update cadence, 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

Notes is free to download; Writemator costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Writemator ships an update every 6 days, Notes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Writemator versus Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWritematorNotes
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (58 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews53.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings58 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAmit ChaudharyRahul pahuja

In-app purchases

None

Writemator

No in-app purchases

None

Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Writemator free?
Writemator costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notes free?
Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Writemator or Notes have ads?
Neither Writemator nor Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Writemator or Notes?
Writemator ships an update every 6 days, and Notes every 3 days. Most recently, Writemator was updated on October 6, 2026 and Notes on October 8, 2026.

Other comparisons