# Byword vs 1Writer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Byword at none against 1Writer's 5. Byword also leads on iOS requirement (10.3 vs 13.0). 1Writer's advantage is review sentiment (84% vs 60%) and price ($4.99 vs $5.99). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Byword costs $5.99 and 1Writer $4.99 up front. 1Writer sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Byword asks for nothing beyond the download.

1Writer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 179 and 388 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Byword's written reviews are positive against 84% of 1Writer's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Byword | 1Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **$4.99** |
| Rating | [4.4 (179 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/byword/id482063361/reviews) | **[4.6 (388 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1writer-markdown-text-editor/id680469088/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 179 | **388** |
| Positive reviews | 60.1% of reviews | **83.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | #140 | **#63** |
| Size | 9 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.3** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Metaclassy, Lda.](https://appshunter.io/developer/420212500) | [Ngoc Luu](https://appshunter.io/developer/476810735) |

## What reviewers say

### Byword

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

**Currently charting:** #140 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

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


### 1Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1writer-markdown-text-editor/id680469088)

**Currently charting:** #63 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app is a powerful text editor for creating, revising, and sharing ideas efficiently. It supports plain text and Markdown, with advanced features like an extended keyboard, photo insertion, and custom URL actions. Sync with cloud services and personalize your writing experience.

**Highlights:** Markdown syntax highlighting and preview, Extended keyboard with custom buttons, Photo insertion with Dropbox integration, Sync with iCloud, Dropbox, and WebDAV, Custom URL actions and JavaScript support, In-app web browser for research, Passcode and biometric app protection

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Nice Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Massive Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Byword free?

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

### Is 1Writer free?

1Writer costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Byword or 1Writer?

1Writer is rated higher. Byword averages 4.4 out of 5 from 179 ratings, while 1Writer averages 4.6 from 388 ratings.

### Do Byword or 1Writer have ads?

Neither Byword nor 1Writer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Byword or 1Writer?

Byword ships an update every 2 months, and 1Writer every 2 months. Most recently, Byword was updated on October 16, 2026 and 1Writer on October 16, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Byword or 1Writer?

Byword currently peaks at #140 in the App Store charts, and 1Writer at #63. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*