# Write Only vs Paper

The clearest difference is rating: Paper at 4.7 against Write Only's 3.6. Paper also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 33%) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 14). Write Only's advantage is iOS requirement (5.1.1 vs 15). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Write Only sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Paper sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Paper holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paper has 1.7K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Write Only's written reviews are positive against 72% of Paper's.

Write Only ships an update every 6 weeks, Paper monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Write Only | Paper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/write-only/id590507955/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-writing-app-notes/id1476984841/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **72.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | **5.1.1** | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [潮激 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/342075158) | [Mihhail Lapushkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143513743) |

## What reviewers say

### Write Only

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/write-only/id590507955)

This app offers a distraction-free writing experience, mimicking a typewriter to help users focus on generating ideas. All content is saved permanently as a PDF, preserving formatting and layout. It features a fixed cursor for reduced errors and an extended keybar for easier access to common symbols.

**Highlights:** Typewriter-like writing experience, Permanent PDF saving, Fixed cursor for accuracy, Extended keybar, Focus on idea generation, Customizable fonts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Fonts | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited New Pages | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Retro aesthetic
- ✍️ Focused writing experience
- 😌 Peaceful typing
- 💡 Simple and beautiful UI
- 💡 Accurate typewriter simulation

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Cannot delete words
- ❌ Cannot delete pages
- ❌ No save/export option
- ❌ Limited free pages
- ❌ Ads are distracting

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot backspace to remove words
- Cannot delete pages or erase
- Cannot save or export
- App crashes and deletes work
- Crashes with each delete

**Requested features**

- Add copy/paste functionality
- Add export to text option
- Add PDF conversion
- Add Russian language support
- Add Korean keyboard


### Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-writing-app-notes/id1476984841)

This app offers a clean and configurable writing environment for various creative projects. It supports Markdown and plain text, syncs with iCloud, and integrates with other tools. Users can publish drafts to popular blogging platforms and export documents in multiple formats.

**Highlights:** Gorgeous writing space, Silky-smooth typing, Deep personalization (Pro), Markdown or Plain Text support, iCloud sync, Publish to Medium, WordPress, Ghost, Export to PDF, HTML, DOCX, ePub

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro Features | $29.99 | per month |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Features | $99.99 | per year |
| Pro Features — Discounted | $99.99 | one-time |
| Pro Features | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💗 Fantastic app
- 🎀 Great tool for writers
- 👍 Clean writing app
- 🤩 Awesome app
- 👍 Cute animations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and unreliable
- 💰 Paywalled features
- 🐛 Lost files and documents
- 🐛 Cursor issues
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable

**Reported bugs**

- Files randomly disappearing
- Cursor issues causing freezes
- Syncing and iCloud integration problems

**Requested features**

- Add image support
- Improve file management and recovery
- Expand font and customization options
- Implement team/collaborative writing features
- Add text formatting options like italics and bold


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Write Only free?

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

### Is Paper free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Write Only or Paper?

Paper is rated higher. Write Only averages 3.6 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Paper averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Write Only or Paper have ads?

Neither Write Only nor Paper shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Write Only or Paper?

Write Only ships an update every 6 weeks, and Paper monthly. Most recently, Write Only was updated on September 29, 2026 and Paper on October 4, 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.*