Comparison

Byword vs iWriter Pro

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

Head to head
About

Byword

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
Read full description

Byword makes writing easier on your iPhone and iPad. # Key features of Byword - Designed to make writing with Markdown easier - Sync text documents across all your Mac, iPhone, iPad devices - Take all documents offline to access them anytime - Filter documents by searching all text (Find & Replace inside documents coming soon) - Alternate dark theme for extra comfort in low-light situations - The most complete Markdown support including footnotes, tables and cross-references - Export Markdown documents to PDF and HTML documents - Publish to Medium, WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger and Evernote # Optimized for iOS 13 - Dark mode support to match iOS preference; - Search documents directly from iOS Spotlight; - Multitasking and split screen on iPad; - Shortcuts to create new document and access most recent documents right from application icon. # Blog publishing Publish to Medium, WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger and Evernote from Byword. Publishing your story with Byword is as simple as: 1. Write in Byword 2. Open Tools and select Publish 3. Confirm metadata 4. Publish # More features - List continuations - TextExpander snippet expansion - Word and character counters with live update - Extensive VoiceOver support for visual impaired users - Spell and Grammar checking and Dictionary lookup - Keyboard shortcuts for formatting and navigating between screens Here are some ways to use Byword in your life: - For posting to your blog without using clunky web interfaces and risking losing your work - For research, meeting and class notes - To write that important email without being distracted - To capture ideas and notes and have them available in all devices # Rich text warning Byword for iOS only works with plain text formats. Supported file extensions are: txt, text, md, mmd, rmd, markdown, markdn, mdown, mkdn, markd and fountain. # Support We are proud to provide a super friendly customer support. If you need help and/or have suggestions, please contact us using the mediums below. Twitter: http://twitter.com/bywordapp Email: byword@metaclassy.com Web: http://bywordapp.com

About

iWriter Pro

A minimalist text editor with robust Markdown support and distraction-free writing. It offers iCloud sync, live syntax highlighting, and various export options for documents.

Highlights
  • Clean and minimal interface
  • iCloud sync
  • Live Markdown syntax highlighting
  • HTML Preview
  • Typewriter mode
  • Document Browser with tags
  • Export to HTML, PDF, EPUB, DOCX, and more
Read full description

# iWriter Pro is elegant and minimalist text editor with built-in Markdown support. Distraction-free and subscription-free. ## Features: - Clean and minimal interface. - iCloud sync across iPad, iPhone, and Mac¹ devices. - Text editing with live Markdown syntax highlighting. - HTML Preview for Markdown and MultiMarkdown documents. - Typewriter mode² with focusing on line, sentence, or paragraph. - Powerful Document Browser³ with tags support. - Integrated counters for words, symbols, sentences, and paragraphs. - Fast and responsive editing even for large files. ## iWriter Pro supports: - Highlighting and rendering of LaTeX equations. - Flowchart and Mermaid diagrams. - Source code highlight in HTML preview. - Exporting documents as HTML, PDF, RTF, EPUB, LaTeX, and DOCX. - Keyboard shortcuts⁴ for text formatting and quick navigation. - Search and Replace in your documents. - Light and dark layouts (auto-switching included). - Automatic number/bullet/task list formatting. ¹ - iWriter Pro for Mac is available as a separate purchase on the Mac App Store. ² - Typewriter and Focus modes are available only on iPad. ³ - Editing files in Dropbox, Google Drive, and other 3d-party storage providers is not guaranteed. ⁴ - External keyboard is required.

Screenshots

Byword4 screens
iWriter Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: iWriter Pro at free against Byword's paid. iWriter Pro also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (68% vs 60%). Byword's advantage is iOS requirement (10.3 vs 26). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Byword costs $5.99 and iWriter Pro $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iWriter Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 184 and 132 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Byword's written reviews are positive against 68% of iWriter Pro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Byword ships an update every 2 months, iWriter Pro every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Byword versus iWriter Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBywordiWriter Pro
Price$5.99$5.99
Rating4.4 (184 ratings)4.7 (132 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.1% of reviews68.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings184 — better132
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS10.3 — better26
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMetaclassy, Lda.Serpensoft Group

Customer experience

Byword

All ratings179 ratings
Positive86.0%
Neutral2.8%
Negative11.2%
Written reviews328 reviews
Positive60.1%
Neutral13.7%
Negative26.2%

iWriter Pro

All ratings131 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral2.3%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive68.5%
Neutral4.3%
Negative27.2%

User reviews

Byword

From 184 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

iWriter Pro

From 132 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Simple and clean interface
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient performance
  • ✍️ Distraction-free writing experience
  • 💡 Good value for money
  • 🔄 Seamless iCloud sync

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
  • 🔋 High battery consumption (iCloud sync)
  • 🐛 Data loss or corruption issues
  • 🐛 Syncing problems (iCloud, Dropbox)
  • 🐛 Exported DOCX files have restrictions

Bugs and requests

Byword

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

iWriter Pro

Reported bugs

31 issues
  • App crashes and freezes frequently
  • Data loss or corruption during editing/syncing
  • iCloud and Dropbox sync issues
  • Exported DOCX files are not fully compatible
  • Autocorrect option is confusingly named
Show 26 more
  • Cannot rename documents outside of iWriter folder
  • List indentation can be problematic
  • Markdown menus on keyboard have delayed response
  • Automatic dark mode not working after update
  • Mermaid plugin not working with iOS 18
  • Preview barely works
  • App not being updated to fix bugs
  • Developer does not respond
  • Multiline LaTeX not supported
  • App crashes on iPad Pro 2020 after update
  • Conversion to DOCX has restrictions
  • No preview section in settings for plugins
  • Photos cannot be inserted (folder access permission issue)
  • Cannot read images from hidden folders
  • Line breaks in exported documents turn into spaces
  • Formulae not working
  • Occasional rendering bug where text doesn't fill screen
  • App crashes immediately upon opening
  • Google Drive sync issues and inability to open/save files
  • iCloud synchronization consumes too much battery
  • App deletes work for no reason
  • Dropbox connection is poor and leads to conflicts/data loss
  • Font compatibility issues in document names
  • App is very basic and doesn't work well with other Markdown editors
  • Impolite developers
  • App is unstable

Requested features

22 requests
  • Add table support (Markdown)
  • Allow reordering of shortcuts
  • Cycle visibility on headings using Tab
  • Add Mark Set and cut region
  • Wordpress export
Show 17 more
  • Syntax highlighting
  • File tree or explorer in sidebar
  • Regex search
  • Auto dark mode
  • Select and open a folder
  • Obsidian support (hyperlink function)
  • Chinese support
  • Add math input
  • Passcode lock feature
  • Change font color
  • Hybrid/mixed editor/preview mode
  • Automatic backup to Dropbox/other cloud storage
  • Add file opening options in preview mode
  • Enter title edit mode immediately after creating a new file
  • Change shortcut keys from moving cursor to indent
  • Customizable paste symbols
  • Full-text search

In-app purchases

None

Byword

No in-app purchases

None

iWriter Pro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Byword free?
Byword costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is iWriter Pro free?
iWriter Pro costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Byword or iWriter Pro?
iWriter Pro is rated higher. Byword averages 4.4 out of 5 from 184 ratings, while iWriter Pro averages 4.7 from 132 ratings.
Do Byword or iWriter Pro have ads?
Neither Byword nor iWriter Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Byword or iWriter Pro?
Byword ships an update every 2 months, and iWriter Pro every 3 months. Most recently, Byword was updated on October 24, 2026 and iWriter Pro on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons