# Storyist 4 vs Stratword

The clearest difference is ads: Storyist 4 at none against Stratword's shown. Storyist 4 also leads on ratings volume (396 vs 97). Stratword's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Storyist 4 sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Stratword sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Storyist 4 against 4.4 for Stratword. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 396 and 97 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of Storyist 4's written reviews are positive against 47% of Stratword's.

Storyist 4 ships an update every 4 months, Stratword every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Storyist 4 | Stratword |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (396 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyist-4/id1423912340/reviews) | **[4.4 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stratword-script-writing/id1550223099/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **396** | 97 |
| Positive reviews | 44.3% of reviews | **47.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Storyist Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/438008297) | [Patrick Pierre](https://appshunter.io/developer/1550223101) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Stratword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stratword-script-writing/id1550223099)

This app is a mobile screenwriting studio that guides users from initial ideas to a formatted final draft. It offers tools for outlining, character development, and industry-standard formatting, along with a community hub for collaboration and feedback.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step story engine, Deep character development tools, Industry-standard formatting, Community hub for writers, Script exchange and feedback, Seamless cloud sync, Access to study scripts

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Screenplay Editor Monthly Sub | $5.99 | per month |
| Stratword Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Editor Yearly Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Stratword Premium Yearly | $99.00 | per year |
| Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coverage | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User friendly and easy to use
- 👍 Good platform for beginners
- 👍 Helpful for new writers
- 👍 Great for first-time writers
- 👍 Simple and effective approach

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Everything deleted/lost work
- 🐛 Distorted conversions to PDF
- 🐛 Unusable PDF exports
- 🐛 Purchase problems/app not installing
- 🐛 Unable to login/sign in issues

**Reported bugs**

- Previous projects suddenly deleted
- Conversions result in distorted PDFs
- PDFs are unusable for edits or sharing
- Paid app does not install
- Unable to login

**Requested features**

- Paste text copied from notes within script section
- Add feature of pasting and copying texts
- Option to insert images


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Storyist 4 free?

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

### Is Stratword free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Storyist 4 or Stratword?

Stratword is rated higher. Storyist 4 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 396 ratings, while Stratword averages 4.4 from 97 ratings.

### Do Storyist 4 or Stratword have ads?

Stratword shows ads; Storyist 4 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Storyist 4 or Stratword?

Storyist 4 ships an update every 4 months, and Stratword every 3 weeks. Most recently, Storyist 4 was updated on November 6, 2026 and Stratword on November 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*