Comparison

iWriter 2 vs Raven

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

iWriter 2

A minimalist Markdown editor designed for distraction-free writing. It offers MultiMarkdown support with live preview, syntax highlighting, and seamless export to various formats. Organize and manage your documents with a built-in manager.

Highlights
  • Minimalist, distraction-free writing interface
  • Full MultiMarkdown support with live preview
  • Syntax highlighting and keyboard shortcuts
  • Automatic progress saving
  • Seamless export to HTML, PDF, EPUB, DOCX, LaTeX
  • Built-in document manager with search
  • Rebuilt with TextKit 2 for enhanced performance
Read full description

iWriter 2 is an elegant and minimalist Markdown text editor designed for distraction-free writing. # iWriter 2 is the next generation of the beloved iWriter text editor. "Simple & beautiful" App Store Review, 2019 "Terrific Writing and Notes App" App Store Review, 2015 "Great simple text editor" App Store Review, 2014 Immerse yourself in a minimalist writing environment designed to enhance focus and productivity. Say hello to structured, professional documents that effortlessly transform your ideas. ## MultiMarkdown Support iWriter 2 is a full-featured Markdown editor built for precision and flexibility. - MultiMarkdown support with live preview and syntax highlighting. - Wikilinks and Wiki-Embeds for connected notes. - Task lists and code blocks made simple. - Keyboard shortcuts for fast inline formatting. ## Built-in Document Manager A built-in document manager that lets you easily organize, browse, and manage all your files in one place — complete with powerful document search to quickly find exactly what you need. ## Rebuilt with TextKit 2 iWriter 2 has been completely rebuilt from the ground up using Apple’s modern TextKit 2 framework, delivering faster performance, smoother scrolling, and a more responsive writing experience. ## Multiple Export Options A refined, user-friendly interface designed for focus and productivity, offering intuitive formatting options and seamless export to multiple formats including HTML, PDF, EPUB, DOCX (Microsoft Word), and LaTeX. ## LaTeX and Mermaid Diagrams iWriter 2 offers LaTeX syntax highlighting, making complex math expressions easy to read and edit as you write. It also supports Mermaid diagrams, letting you create flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and more using simple text-based syntax. Both integrate seamlessly into your Markdown workflow, keeping technical writing and visual documentation in one place. --- Terms of Use: http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://serpensoft.com/privacy-policy/

About

Raven

This app allows you to quickly open and write markdown notes as plain .md files. It offers fast launch times, native performance on iPhone and Mac, and seamless syncing between devices. Your notes are stored directly in your file system for easy access and integration with other tools.

Highlights
  • Plain .md file storage
  • Under a second launch time
  • Native iPhone and Mac app
  • Full-text search
  • Nested folders and pinned notes
  • Syncs between Mac and iPhone
Read full description

Beautiful notes. Never locked in. Raven is a native Markdown notes app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Write, journal, capture articles, and turn checkboxes into reminders—without putting your work in a proprietary note format. WRITE WITH CONTEXT Create notes with tables, images, checklists, code blocks, wiki links, and backlinks. Organize them with folders and tags, pin what matters, and find anything with full-text search. TURN NOTES INTO ACTION A checkbox can become a task with a due date and time. Raven gathers open tasks from across your notes, keeps each one linked to its source, and can send a local reminder when it is due. Complete or snooze it from the notification. JOURNAL WITHOUT ANOTHER SILO Daily and weekly journals live beside the rest of your writing. Save articles to Read Later, or capture a thought from widgets, Shortcuts, and the share sheet. MARKDOWN YOU CAN KEEP Raven works offline without an account. Keep notes on this device, choose a folder on Mac, or use iCloud Drive to keep the same Markdown files available in Files and Finder across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. No proprietary note format. No forced account. One purchase, with no subscription.

Screenshots

iWriter 24 screens
Raven4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Raven at 5.0 against iWriter 2's 4.5. Raven also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 40%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). iWriter 2's advantage is price ($9.99 vs $12.99) and ratings volume (10 vs 3). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

iWriter 2 costs $9.99 and Raven $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Raven holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of iWriter 2's written reviews are positive against 75% of Raven's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iWriter 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, Raven every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
iWriter 2 versus Raven: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriWriter 2Raven
Price$9.99 — better$12.99
Rating4.5 (10 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB88 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSerpensoft GroupThomas Sivilay

Customer experience

iWriter 2

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

Raven

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

iWriter 2

No in-app purchases

None

Raven

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iWriter 2 free?
iWriter 2 costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Raven free?
Raven costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iWriter 2 or Raven?
Raven is rated higher. iWriter 2 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Raven averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do iWriter 2 or Raven have ads?
Neither iWriter 2 nor Raven shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iWriter 2 or Raven?
iWriter 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, and Raven every 2 days. Most recently, iWriter 2 was updated on October 15, 2026 and Raven on October 14, 2026.

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