Comparison

Werdsmith vs Just Write

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

Just Write

A minimalist text editor designed to streamline the writing process. It supports both RTF and TXT formats, offering rich text editing and Markdown support. Sync your work across devices with iCloud integration.

Highlights
  • RTF and TXT file support
  • Markdown styling
  • iCloud file syncing
  • Rich text editing tools
  • Multiple themes
  • Smart selection tool (iPad)
Features
Read full description

Just Write text editor aims to simplify writing process. The app is carefully designed so that the only things that are absolutely essential to the writing process are included. Just Write supports RTF (rich text format) and TXT (plain text format) that are cross-platform formats you can open and edit in virtually any platforms. + RTF , a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) format, is best suitable for creating your next big story. + While TXT, supported Markdown styles, is best for notes, outline, to-do list and anything else you do with a plaintext format. Just Write has iCloud support (opt-in) so you can sync your rtf and txt files across all your devices. RTF editing features include: - Font size increase and decrease - Text color selection - Text style editing such as Bold, Italic, Underline and Strikethrough - Text alignments: Left, Right, Center, Justified - Undo, Redo - Move arrow to jump the cursor - Selection tool to select paragraph, sentence and word super fast and easy (iPad only). Using smart selection tool, you can select paragraph, sentence and word in just 1 tap!!!!!! TXT editing features include: - Accessory row includes many characters essential to writing Markdown. - Multiple fonts to choose from - Preview Markdown (in left menu) - Three themes (Light, Dark, Sepia) - Support plain text format extensions: txt, text, md, mmd, markdown, markdn, mdown, mkdn, markd, fountain - Selection tool to select paragraph, sentence and word super fast and easy (iPad only). Using smart selection tool, you can select paragraph, sentence and word in just 1 tap!!!!!! * Note: Just Write is supported by ads, but you can buy an in app purchase to remove the ads.

Screenshots

Werdsmith4 screens
Just Write4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Werdsmith at none against Just Write's shown. Werdsmith also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (82% vs 67%). Just Write's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Just Write sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Werdsmith holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Werdsmith's written reviews are positive against 67% of Just Write's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Werdsmith ships an update fortnightly, Just Write every 11 days. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Werdsmith versus Just Write: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWerdsmithJust Write
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (8K ratings) — better4.3 (1.7K ratings)
Positive reviews82.0% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings8K — better1.7K
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 11 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWerdsmith Pty LtdTung Vu

Customer experience

Werdsmith

All ratings8,002 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral3.3%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews615 reviews
Positive82.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative10.1%

Just Write

All ratings1,749 ratings
Positive83.8%
Neutral4.7%
Negative11.5%
Written reviews426 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral8.0%
Negative25.4%

User reviews

Werdsmith

From 8K 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

Just Write

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💻 Simple and straightforward interface
  • 📁 Organized folder system
  • ✨ Clean and minimalist design
  • 🆓 Free to use with no ads
  • ⚡️ Offline writing capability

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and data loss issues
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding/accessing files
  • 🔧 Limited formatting and customization options
  • 🖥️ Lack of syncing/cross-device support
  • 🖋️ No spell check or grammar assistance

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

Just Write

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent crashes and data loss
  • Inability to reopen saved documents
  • Unreliable auto-save functionality
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Implement more font and formatting choices
  • Introduce paragraph spacing and indentation controls
  • Integrate spell check and grammar tools
  • Enable file syncing across devices
Show 2 more
  • Add image/multimedia support
  • Provide better file management and organization

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Werdsmith

Subscriptions6
  • Membership7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Ghostwriter (300 prompts)1 Month trial$14.991 Month
  • Membership7 Days trial$24.996 Months
Show 3 more
  • Membership7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Ghostwriter (150 prompts)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Ghostwriter (300 Prompts)7 Days trial$149.991 Year
1 purchases

Just Write

One-time1
  • No Ads$6.99

Questions

Is Werdsmith free?
Werdsmith is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Just Write free?
Just Write is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Werdsmith or Just Write?
Werdsmith is rated higher. Werdsmith averages 4.7 out of 5 from 8K ratings, while Just Write averages 4.3 from 1.7K ratings.
Do Werdsmith or Just Write have ads?
Just Write shows ads; Werdsmith does not.
Which is updated more often, Werdsmith or Just Write?
Werdsmith ships an update fortnightly, and Just Write every 11 days. Most recently, Werdsmith was updated on September 23, 2026 and Just Write on September 23, 2026.

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