# Byword vs Notebooks

The clearest difference is price: Byword at $5.99 against Notebooks's $17.99. Byword also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 17.0). Notebooks's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (82% vs 60%). On ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Byword costs $5.99 and Notebooks $17.99 up front. Notebooks sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Byword asks for nothing beyond the download.

Notebooks holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Notebooks has 1.1K ratings behind it against 185, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Byword's written reviews are positive against 82% of Notebooks's.

Byword ships an update every 2 months, Notebooks monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Byword | Notebooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$5.99** | $17.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (185 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byword/id482063361/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebooks-write-and-organize/id1490084838/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 185 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 60.1% of reviews | **82.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#194** |
| Size | 9 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.3** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Metaclassy, Lda.](https://appshunter.io/developer/420212500) | [Alfons Schmid](https://appshunter.io/developer/297571754) |

## What reviewers say

### Byword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byword/id482063361)

This app simplifies writing on mobile devices with robust Markdown support. It offers cross-device syncing, offline access, and seamless publishing to popular blogging platforms. Enjoy features like dark mode, word counts, and accessibility options.

**Highlights:** Markdown writing and editing, Cross-device syncing, Offline document access, Publish to blogs (Medium, WordPress, etc.), Dark mode support, Word and character counters, Export to PDF and HTML

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly recommended, just works
- 🚀 Reliable, efficient, and aesthetically appealing
- 🚀 Excellent Markdown support
- 👍 Clean, simple, and distraction-free writing experience
- 👍 Seamless sync between devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Dropbox sync issues, including lost files and sync conflicts
- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues, especially on newer iOS versions
- 🐛 Limited font and theme options
- 🐛 Lack of advanced features like search, word count, and dark mode
- 🐛 Unintuitive organization and file management

**Reported bugs**

- Dropbox sync not working, files not syncing or disappearing
- Crashes on launch or when opening certain files
- Issues with file organization, renaming, and folder management

**Requested features**

- Add support for rich text formatting (bold, italic, underline)
- Improve Markdown preview and rendering
- Implement more keyboard shortcuts and customization options
- Integrate with more cloud storage services beyond Dropbox and iCloud
- Add search and replace functionality


### Notebooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebooks-write-and-organize/id1490084838)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app helps you write, organize, and manage documents, tasks, and files. It offers flexible writing modes, robust organization tools, and task management features, all while ensuring your data remains accessible and under your control.

**Highlights:** Formatted text, plain text, and Markdown writing, Create documents with styles, tables, and attachments, Organize with nested hierarchies and 'books', Task management with due dates and checklists, Wiki-style linking and backlinks, Full-text search, Cross-device synchronization

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Custom Storage Locations | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and flexible organization
- 🔒 Respects user data and privacy
- 👍 Reliable and stable
- 👍 Responsive and helpful developer
- 👍 Elegant and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and sync issues
- 🐛 Formatting and editing limitations
- 🐛 Steep learning curve for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Data loss after iOS upgrades
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Improved Markdown support
- More font and color customization options
- Better Apple Watch integration
- Export to Word format


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Byword free?

Byword costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Notebooks free?

Notebooks costs $17.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Byword or Notebooks?

Notebooks is rated higher. Byword averages 4.4 out of 5 from 185 ratings, while Notebooks averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Byword or Notebooks have ads?

Neither Byword nor Notebooks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Byword or Notebooks?

Byword ships an update every 2 months, and Notebooks monthly. Most recently, Byword was updated on November 10, 2026 and Notebooks on November 7, 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.*