# Novelist vs AI Author

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Novelist at none against AI Author's 3. Novelist also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). AI Author's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (88% vs 79%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AI Author sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Novelist asks for nothing beyond the download.

AI Author holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 214 and 270 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Novelist's written reviews are positive against 88% of AI Author's.

Novelist ships an update every 6 weeks, AI Author every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Novelist | AI Author |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelist-write-novels/id1564737393/reviews) | **[4.6 (270 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai-author-write-like-writers/id6445870532/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 214 | **270** |
| Positive reviews | 79.5% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 54 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alessandro Riperi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1564737395) | [faisal khalid](https://appshunter.io/developer/671706631) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### AI Author

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai-author-write-like-writers/id6445870532)

Transform your writing with AI by emulating the styles of over 1000 renowned authors. Easily generate books, articles, and stories, then export them as professional PDFs. Seamlessly integrate with note-taking apps like GoodNotes.

**Highlights:** Emulate 1000+ author writing styles, AI-powered book, article, and story writing, Add custom author styles, Convert text to professional PDF, Copy text to GoodNotes, Unlimited writing and conversions (premium)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WEEKLY | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| MONTHLY | $9.99 | per month |
| YEARLY | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Novelist free?

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

### Is AI Author free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Novelist or AI Author?

AI Author is rated higher. Novelist averages 4.4 out of 5 from 214 ratings, while AI Author averages 4.6 from 270 ratings.

### Do Novelist or AI Author have ads?

Neither Novelist nor AI Author shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Novelist or AI Author?

Novelist ships an update every 6 weeks, and AI Author every 2 weeks. Most recently, Novelist was updated on November 3, 2026 and AI Author on November 3, 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.*