# Werdsmith vs Scrivener

The clearest difference is price: Werdsmith at Free against Scrivener's $23.99. Werdsmith also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 46%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.2). Scrivener's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and chart position (#8 vs unranked). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Werdsmith is free to download; Scrivener costs $23.99 up front. Werdsmith sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Scrivener asks for nothing beyond the download.

Werdsmith holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8K and 2.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Werdsmith's written reviews are positive against 46% of Scrivener's.

Werdsmith ships an update fortnightly, Scrivener every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Werdsmith | Scrivener |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $23.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/werdsmith-writing-app/id489746330/reviews)** | [4.2 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scrivener/id972387337/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8K** | 2.6K |
| Positive reviews | **82.0% of reviews** | 45.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#8** |
| Size | 18 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Werdsmith Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/469842974) | [Literature & Latte](https://appshunter.io/developer/418889514) |

## 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


### Scrivener

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scrivener/id972387337)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app is a comprehensive writing tool designed for long-form manuscripts. It allows users to compose text in any order, manage research materials alongside their writing, and export to various formats. It supports flexible outlining and restructuring of content.

**Highlights:** Manuscript composition in sections, Research material integration, Flexible outlining and reorganization, Export to multiple formats, Interactive tutorial, Project-wide search

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Werdsmith free?

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

### Is Scrivener free?

Scrivener costs $23.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Werdsmith is rated higher. Werdsmith averages 4.7 out of 5 from 8K ratings, while Scrivener averages 4.2 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Werdsmith or Scrivener have ads?

Neither Werdsmith nor Scrivener shows ads.

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

Werdsmith ships an update fortnightly, and Scrivener every 3 months. Most recently, Werdsmith was updated on September 24, 2026 and Scrivener on September 23, 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.*