Plain Org vs Folio Writer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Plain Org
Manage your org mode tasks and notes on the go. This app offers a rich editing experience with support for various markup features, filtering, and cloud syncing. It allows for outline-style editing, task management, and customization of display modes.
- Rendered org markup
- Filter by keyword, tag, priority
- Cloud file syncing
- Outline-style editing
- Interactive checkboxes
- Light/dark mode
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View and edit your org mode tasks while on the go. Org is a wonderfully rich markup language, so **please check** if your favorite feature is supported below (or check https://plainorg.com/#faq): - Beautifully rendered org markup. - Filter by keyword, tag, and priority. - High fidelity org roundtripping. - Sync your org files using your favorite cloud provider. - Control your display between regular and compact mode. - Toggle visibility for scheduling, tags, and stars. - Toggle recurring tasks. - Log state transitions. - Optimize wrapping using paragraph fill. - Regroup your tasks so active ones bubble up. - Create new files. - Outline-style editing with toolbar - Keywords - Indent - Priority - Tags - Formatting: bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, verbatim, and code. - Open files via the iOS Files app using its "Share" menu. - Add links from Safari via share extension. - Add new tasks via Spotlight. - Reorder headings via drag/drop. - Checkboxes - Interactive toggling. - Quickly reset multiple checkboxes. - Open local links (including id links). - Render latex src blocks (experimental). - Render LOGBOOK. - Show inline images. - Show property drawers. - File-local keywords and visibility. - Filter open/closed tasks. - Edit raw text. - Light/dark mode. - Open either .org or .txt files. - Quickly switch between open file and recently open (tap on title). NOTE: Cloud syncing support varies across providers. Please check for compatibility https://plainorg.com/#cloud-providers
Folio Writer
This writing studio allows you to work on long-form projects like books and manuscripts on your iPhone and iPad. It supports plain text formats like Markdown and Typst, syncing seamlessly with its Mac counterpart. Features include a special keyboard bar, project organization, and citation management.
- Plain-text writing (Markdown, Typst)
- iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Files integration
- Special Markdown key bar
- Typewriter scrolling and sentence focus
- Binder for project organization
- Snapshots for version control
- Project-wide search
- BibTeX citation support
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Folio Writer is a plain-text writing studio for long-form work — scholarly manuscripts, books, and novels. This is its iPhone and iPad companion: the same projects, the same files, in your pocket. Open a project from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or any Files location and pick up exactly where you left off on the Mac. Everything you write is a plain Markdown or Typst file you own, synced through your own cloud — no accounts, no lock-in. WRITE ANYWHERE - A Markdown key bar puts #, *, links, code, and $math$ one tap away — no hunting through the keyboard. - Typewriter scrolling and sentence focus for drafting on the go. - Live word count and writing targets for each document, the whole draft, and each session. - Hardware-keyboard shortcuts on iPad. YOUR WHOLE PROJECT - The full binder: browse, open, rename, reorder by dragging, indent and outdent, and create new documents from templates. - Snapshots you can take, browse, compare, and restore — nothing you write is quietly lost. - Project-wide search across every document, title, synopsis, and note. CITATIONS & PREVIEW - Insert citations from the project's BibTeX files by author, year, or key. - Preview the rendered document — headings, tables, images, and LaTeX math typeset with KaTeX — right on the device. - Preview a single section or assemble the whole manuscript. MADE TO SYNC WITH THE MAC - Opens the exact same .folio projects as Folio Writer for Mac, byte-for-byte. - Automatic, conflict-safe syncing: edits made on two devices merge when they don't overlap, and a losing copy is always preserved and recoverable. - Compiling to PDF and Word stays on the Mac (those tools are desktop-only) — but your writing is always in sync. PRIVATE BY DESIGN - No analytics, no trackers, no accounts. Your manuscripts never leave your own devices except through the cloud service you choose. Folio Writer for Mac is required to compile finished documents. The companion is for writing, organizing, and reviewing your projects wherever you are.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Folio Writer at Free against Plain Org's $14.99. Folio Writer also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Plain Org's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (156 vs 2). On ads 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
Folio Writer is free to download; Plain Org costs $14.99 up front. Folio Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Plain Org asks for nothing beyond the download.
Folio Writer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plain Org has 156 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Plain Org ships an update every 2 months, Folio Writer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Plain Org | Folio Writer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (156 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 156 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Xenodium Ltd. | Bin Chen |
Customer experience
Plain Org
Folio Writer
Bugs and requests
Plain Org
Reported bugs
11 issues- Text disappears when closing keyboard without saving
- Copy and paste doesn't work reliably
- Pasting from external sources fails
- Roam links fail to resolve
- 'What's New' dialog won't close when opening files via shortcuts
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- Sync hiccups requiring app restart
- File editing impossible on recent iOS versions
- Keyboard features missing in raw text editing mode
- Headings always start collapsed
- App automatically adds logbook entries to todos
- App auto-inserts 'Plain Org' text in new files
Requested features
17 requests- Widget support for home screen
- Agenda view across multiple files
- Apple Watch support
- Tag filtering and display
- Schedule/deadline date picker button
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- Clock-in/clock-out time tracking
- Template system for new files
- Keyboard shortcuts for iPad
- Refile functionality
- Todo state support
- Color support for text and headers
- Dropbox sync integration
- Animations when opening subheadings
- Settings screen (instead of context menus)
- Fullscreen mode for iPhone
- Table formulas and calculations
- Attached files viewer
Folio Writer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Plain Org
No in-app purchases
Folio Writer
- Unlock Pro Features$39.99









