# Werdsmith vs Novelist

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.

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

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Werdsmith | Novelist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (8.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/werdsmith-writing-app/id489746330/reviews)** | [4.4 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelist-write-novels/id1564737393/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8.1K** | 214 |
| Positive reviews | **81.9% of reviews** | 79.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 38 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Werdsmith Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/469842974) | [Alessandro Riperi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1564737395) |

## 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 (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Ghostwriter (150 prompts) | $9.99 | 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


### Novelist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelist-write-novels/id1564737393)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*