# Storyist 4 vs ZIG Inspector

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ZIG Inspector at none against Storyist 4's 3. ZIG Inspector also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Storyist 4 sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. ZIG Inspector asks for nothing beyond the download.

Storyist 4 ships an update every 4 months, ZIG Inspector every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Storyist 4 | ZIG Inspector |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (384 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyist-4/id1423912340/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **384** | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 4 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) | [Zed Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/1332742918) |

## 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


### ZIG Inspector

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zig-inspector/id6754589521)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Storyist 4 free?

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

### Is ZIG Inspector free?

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

### Do Storyist 4 or ZIG Inspector have ads?

Neither Storyist 4 nor ZIG Inspector shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Storyist 4 or ZIG Inspector?

Storyist 4 ships an update every 4 months, and ZIG Inspector every 3 days. Most recently, Storyist 4 was updated on September 28, 2026 and ZIG Inspector on September 20, 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.*