Comparison

Werdsmith vs Novelist

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

Head to head
About

Werdsmith

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
Read full description

Writing is hard. Werdsmith makes it easier.  Werdsmith turns your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro and Apple Watch into a powerful writing studio that helps you break through writer's block and motivates you to write. BEAT WRITER’S BLOCK Add your project to Werdsmith and whenever you get stuck, the app can suggest the next line of your story for you, in your own writing style. BUILD YOUR WRITING PRACTICE Tell us when you write best and Werdsmith will help you build a daily writing ritual. You can set daily or per-project writing goals and track them as you write. You’ll be writing more than ever. FOCUS ON WRITING Instead of formatting options that distract you from writing, Werdsmith formats your work as you write – automatically adding fonts, chapter titles and even keeping your chapter numbers in order. Werdsmith can fit into your existing writing process, or you can treat it like a fresh start. It's up to you. We’re writers from 175 countries who’ve written over 4 million projects using Werdsmith. Join us! --- Things you might want to know: You can use all of Werdsmith's features for free, but there are limits, for example in the number of projects you can add, the number of writing prompts you can create, or the amount of time you can spend in Novel Mode or using app themes. You can increase or remove these limits by becoming a Werdsmith member. Sync, backup and sharing features are optional, but require a free Werdsmith account. If you choose to become a member, you’ll be charged through your iTunes account at the end of your one-week free trial period, unless you cancel your membership at least 24 hours before it begins. Your subscription will renew automatically, unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. You can manage, upgrade, downgrade or cancel your subscription in the app's Settings or by going to your App Store account settings. Keep in mind that any unused portion of your free trial period is forfeited if you purchase a membership before the end of the trial. Please read our Privacy Policy at werdsmith.com/privacy and our Terms of Use at werdsmith.com/terms. Feel free to contact us if you need help! A big thanks to the writers who've supported Werdsmith over the years. We couldn't do it without you.

About

Novelist

This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools for authors to write, organize, and plot their novels. It offers features for scene creation, story structuring, goal setting, and manuscript export. The platform is designed to support the entire novel-writing process, from initial ideas to the final draft.

Highlights
  • Plotting with customizable story elements
  • Scene writing with rich formatting
  • Story organization into acts and chapters
  • Word count goals and deadline scheduling
  • Manuscript export in EPUB, ODT, HTML
  • Autosave and version history
  • Companion web app
Features
Read full description

Join over 200k authors writing their next masterpiece with Novelist! Novelist is the all-in-one app for writing your novels—completely free with no ads or in-app purchases. We give you the freedom to create without limits. Whether you're plotting, outlining, organizing, or scheduling, Novelist provides powerful tools to help bring your story to life. Key Features: ▪ Plot: Organize your story elements like on a board. Easily edit, move, merge, reorder, and add notes, tags, metadata, or images. Everything is customizable. ▪ Write: Craft scenes directly in the app. Annotate or write with rich formatting tools. ▪ Organize: Structure your story into acts, chapters, or any format you like. ▪ Schedule: Set word count goals or deadlines to stay on track. Advanced Tools: ▪ Autosave, find/replace, add comments, and restore previous versions from history ▪ Mention story items directly in your text for quick reference ▪ Split your screen with reference panels to inspect items while writing ▪ Track your progress daily with detailed stats ▪ Real-time preview without leaving the app ▪ Export and share your manuscript in EPUB, ODT, or HTML formats ▪ Enjoy an interface optimized for large screens ▪ Write on any browser with the companion web app ▪ Create templates for book series to streamline your workflow ▪ Backup and restore locally or with Google Drive ▪ Switch to dark mode for comfortable writing during long sessions Your story, your way—with Novelist.

Screenshots

Werdsmith4 screens
Novelist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Novelist at none against Werdsmith's 7. Novelist also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Werdsmith's advantage is ratings volume (8.1K vs 214) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, review sentiment, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Werdsmith sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Novelist asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Werdsmith holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Werdsmith has 8.1K ratings behind it against 214, 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 79% of Novelist's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Werdsmith ships an update fortnightly, Novelist every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Werdsmith versus Novelist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWerdsmithNovelist
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (8.1K ratings) — better4.4 (214 ratings)
Positive reviews81.9% of reviews — better79.5% of reviews
Number of ratings8.1K — better214
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWerdsmith Pty LtdAlessandro Riperi

Customer experience

Werdsmith

All ratings8,058 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral3.3%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews646 reviews
Positive81.9%
Neutral7.9%
Negative10.2%

Novelist

All ratings209 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral6.7%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews219 reviews
Positive79.5%
Neutral10.5%
Negative10.0%

User reviews

Werdsmith

From 8.1K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Novelist

From 214 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Amazingly different application
  • 🔒 Completely free, with no ads or in-app purchases
  • 👍 Well-organized all-in-one app for writing, plotting, outlining, and scheduling
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 👍 Helps with organizing and keeping things clean

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Confusing menu options and backup/restore process
  • 🐛 Glitches when editing text, cursor behaves unexpectedly
  • 🐛 Crashes or freezes on some devices
  • 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
  • 🐛 Lack of font customization options

Bugs and requests

Werdsmith

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Novelist

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Backup/restore process can lead to data loss
  • Cursor and text editing issues
  • Crashes and freezes on some devices
  • Syncing problems between devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Ability to import/export in various formats (PDF, Markdown, etc.)
  • Improved syncing and cloud integration
  • More font and formatting options
  • Ability to add images/illustrations to the book
  • Collaboration/co-writing features
Show 2 more
  • Spell check and grammar tools
  • Customizable keyboard in dark mode

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Werdsmith

Subscriptions7
  • Membership7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Ghostwriter (150 prompts)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Ghostwriter (300 prompts)1 Month trial$14.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Membership7 Days trial$24.996 Months
  • Membership7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Ghostwriter (150 prompts)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Ghostwriter (300 Prompts)7 Days trial$149.991 Year
None

Novelist

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Werdsmith free?
Werdsmith is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Novelist free?
Novelist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Werdsmith or Novelist?
Werdsmith is rated higher. Werdsmith averages 4.7 out of 5 from 8.1K ratings, while Novelist averages 4.4 from 214 ratings.
Do Werdsmith or Novelist have ads?
Neither Werdsmith nor Novelist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Werdsmith or Novelist?
Werdsmith ships an update fortnightly, and Novelist every 6 weeks. Most recently, Werdsmith was updated on October 30, 2026 and Novelist on October 24, 2026.

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