# IdeaPad vs Novelist

IdeaPad and Novelist both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of Novelist's written reviews are positive against 50% of IdeaPad's. Novelist also leads on ratings volume (214 vs 12). IdeaPad's advantage is iOS requirement (11.2 vs 13.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for IdeaPad against 4.4 for Novelist. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Novelist has 214 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of IdeaPad's written reviews are positive against 79% of Novelist's.

IdeaPad ships an update every 4 weeks, Novelist every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IdeaPad | Novelist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ideapad-practice-creativity/id1332782353/reviews)** | [4.4 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelist-write-novels/id1564737393/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **214** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **79.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 20 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.2** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Three Green Wedges](https://appshunter.io/developer/792187187) | [Alessandro Riperi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1564737395) |

## What reviewers say

### IdeaPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ideapad-practice-creativity/id1332782353)

This app helps you develop your idea generation skills by encouraging daily practice. It provides a simple interface to record your thoughts without judgment, fostering creativity and problem-solving abilities. You can export your ideas to develop them further outside the app.

**Highlights:** Daily idea generation practice, Write or speak ideas, Save and track ideas, Inspiration prompts for topics, Export ideas via email, No editing or deleting past ideas

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Novelist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelist-write-novels/id1564737393)

This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools for authors to write, organize, and plot their novels. It offers features for scene creation, story structuring, goal setting, and manuscript export. The platform is designed to support the entire novel-writing process, from initial ideas to the final draft.

**Highlights:** Plotting with customizable story elements, Scene writing with rich formatting, Story organization into acts and chapters, Word count goals and deadline scheduling, Manuscript export in EPUB, ODT, HTML, Autosave and version history, Companion web app

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazingly different application
- 🔒 Completely free, with no ads or in-app purchases
- 👍 Well-organized all-in-one app for writing, plotting, outlining, and scheduling
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Helps with organizing and keeping things clean

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Confusing menu options and backup/restore process
- 🐛 Glitches when editing text, cursor behaves unexpectedly
- 🐛 Crashes or freezes on some devices
- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
- 🐛 Lack of font customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Backup/restore process can lead to data loss
- Cursor and text editing issues
- Crashes and freezes on some devices
- Syncing problems between devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to import/export in various formats (PDF, Markdown, etc.)
- Improved syncing and cloud integration
- More font and formatting options
- Ability to add images/illustrations to the book
- Collaboration/co-writing features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IdeaPad free?

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

### Is Novelist free?

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

### Which has better reviews, IdeaPad or Novelist?

IdeaPad is rated higher. IdeaPad averages 4.5 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Novelist averages 4.4 from 214 ratings.

### Do IdeaPad or Novelist have ads?

Neither IdeaPad nor Novelist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IdeaPad or Novelist?

IdeaPad ships an update every 4 weeks, and Novelist every 6 weeks. Most recently, IdeaPad was updated on October 14, 2026 and Novelist on October 24, 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.*