# Werdsmith vs CardBeat

The clearest difference is rating: Werdsmith at 4.7 against CardBeat's 3.5. Werdsmith also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 46%) and ratings volume (8K vs 33). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Werdsmith sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and CardBeat sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Werdsmith holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Werdsmith has 8K ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Werdsmith's written reviews are positive against 46% of CardBeat's.

Werdsmith ships an update fortnightly, CardBeat every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Werdsmith | CardBeat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/werdsmith-writing-app/id489746330/reviews)** | [3.5 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardbeat-plot-your-story/id1488252091/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8K** | 33 |
| Positive reviews | **82.0% of reviews** | 45.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 18 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Werdsmith Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/469842974) | [Stefan Stuckmann](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434238274) |

## What reviewers say

### Werdsmith

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/werdsmith-writing-app/id489746330)

This app transforms your devices into a writing studio, helping you overcome writer's block with AI-powered suggestions and build a consistent writing practice. It automatically handles formatting, allowing you to focus on your creative process.

**Highlights:** AI-powered writing suggestions, Daily writing practice builder, Automatic formatting, Project and goal tracking, Cross-device sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Ghostwriter (300 prompts) | $14.99 | per month |
| Membership | $24.99 | per 6 months |
| Membership | $49.99 | per year |
| Ghostwriter (150 prompts) | $99.99 | per year |
| Ghostwriter (300 Prompts) | $149.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 📝 Helpful for writing stories and ideas
- 🔒 Secure with password protection
- ⏱️ Tracks writing progress and goals
- 🧠 Inspires creativity with writing prompts
- 📚 Organized projects and ideas

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free features, need to pay for full access
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 💻 Syncing issues between devices
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 🖌️ Limited formatting options

**Reported bugs**

- Losing written work after updates
- Cursor jumping issues while typing
- Inconsistent behavior on different devices

**Requested features**

- Add ability to add images to stories
- Improve chapter/section organization
- Implement a dark mode theme
- Allow more free projects/ideas
- Integrate with other writing tools


### CardBeat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardbeat-plot-your-story/id1488252091)

This app provides a digital cork board for writers to plot novels, screenplays, or short stories. It allows users to break down stories into acts, sequences, and scenes, and rearrange them freely. Users can customize cards with colors, lines, or grids, and choose from various drawing tools or keyboard input.

**Highlights:** Digital cork board for story plotting, Structure stories into acts, sequences, and scenes, Rearrange plot elements freely, Customizable cards with colors and backgrounds, Multiple drawing tools and keyboard input, Export boards as PDF, iCloud syncing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Upgrade | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Werdsmith free?

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

### Is CardBeat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Werdsmith or CardBeat?

Werdsmith is rated higher. Werdsmith averages 4.7 out of 5 from 8K ratings, while CardBeat averages 3.5 from 33 ratings.

### Do Werdsmith or CardBeat have ads?

Neither Werdsmith nor CardBeat shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Werdsmith or CardBeat?

Werdsmith ships an update fortnightly, and CardBeat every 2 months. Most recently, Werdsmith was updated on September 24, 2026 and CardBeat on August 15, 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.*