# Writer! vs Storyist 4

The clearest difference is update cadence: Writer! at every 4 weeks against Storyist 4's every 4 months. Writer! also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Storyist 4's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (44% vs 34%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Writer! sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Storyist 4 sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Storyist 4 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 118 and 384 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of Writer!'s written reviews are positive against 44% of Storyist 4's.

Writer! ships an update every 4 weeks, Storyist 4 every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on July 5, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Writer! | Storyist 4 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writer/id1419254875/reviews) | **[4.3 (384 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyist-4/id1423912340/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 118 | **384** |
| Positive reviews | 34.4% of reviews | **44.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Binary Kitchen, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/348779830) | [Storyist Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/438008297) |

## What reviewers say

### Writer!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writer/id1419254875)

This application provides a straightforward platform for writing and organizing your thoughts. It allows users to manage entries with tags and folders, search content, and export their work. Customize your writing experience with various themes and accent colors.

**Highlights:** Simple user interface, Organize with tags and folders, Search entries by content or tags, Export entries, Light and dark themes, Customizable accent colors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Giant Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Enormous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Pro | $5.99 | one-time |


### Storyist 4

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyist-4/id1423912340)

This app provides a robust writing environment for authors and screenwriters. It allows for detailed story outlining, manuscript creation with rich text editing, and seamless revision on any device. Organize all your writing projects in one place for easy access and collaboration.

**Highlights:** Rich text editor with comments and images, Index card outlining and story sheets, Manuscript and screenplay formatting, Cloud storage and collaboration support, Import/export text and images, Support for various file formats

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Storyist 4 Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |
| Storyist 4 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean, intuitive user interface
- 🚀 Fast iCloud synchronization across devices
- 💰 One-time purchase with no subscription fees
- 📝 Excellent for organizing long-form writing projects
- 🔄 Seamless Mac-iPad-iPhone sync

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Data loss and file deletion issues
- 💔 Upgrade from v3 to v4 requires full repurchase
- 😤 Misleading free trial presentation
- 🔧 Clunky navigation requiring multiple taps
- ⚠️ Significant bugs in version 4 compared to v3

**Reported bugs**

- Files and projects mysteriously disappear
- App crashes when opening manuscripts
- Freezing during typing sessions
- Auto-capitalization in middle of sentences
- Spell-check suggestions showing duplicate words

**Requested features**

- Footnotes and endnotes support
- Word and Pages format export compatibility
- Better backup system with cloud storage
- Folder tree navigation on mobile
- Non-fiction templates with query tracking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Writer! free?

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

### Is Storyist 4 free?

Storyist 4 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Writer! or Storyist 4?

Storyist 4 is rated higher. Writer! averages 4.0 out of 5 from 118 ratings, while Storyist 4 averages 4.3 from 384 ratings.

### Do Writer! or Storyist 4 have ads?

Neither Writer! nor Storyist 4 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Writer! or Storyist 4?

Writer! ships an update every 4 weeks, and Storyist 4 every 4 months. Most recently, Writer! was updated on July 5, 2026 and Storyist 4 on September 28, 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.*