# Write Only vs Book Writer

The clearest difference is monetization model: Write Only at free with in-app purchases against Book Writer's subscription. Write Only also leads on review sentiment (33% vs 19%) and iOS requirement (5.1.1 vs 18.0). Book Writer's advantage is rating (3.9 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (79 vs 14). 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 Book Writer sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Book Writer holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Book Writer has 79 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Write Only's written reviews are positive against 19% of Book Writer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Write Only ships an update every 6 weeks, Book Writer every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Write Only | Book Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/write-only/id590507955/reviews) | **[3.9 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-writer-novel-writing/id1489462831/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **79** |
| Positive reviews | **33.3% of reviews** | 19.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 6 MB | 105 MB |
| Requires iOS | **5.1.1** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [潮激 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/342075158) | [Kaan Yildiz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473960483) |

## 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


### Book Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-writer-novel-writing/id1489462831)

This app helps aspiring authors and writers organize their ideas, characters, and drafts into a complete book. It offers tools for efficient writing, editing, and managing story elements to bring creative projects to life.

**Highlights:** Book creation and organization, Character creation and notes, Draft management, Side note functionality, Fast editing tools, Cloud saving

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Book Writer Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Book Write Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Book Write Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Book Writer Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Book Write Yearly Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Book Write Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use for some
- 👍 Good for organizing work
- 👍 Character logging feature is good
- 👍 Cloud saving works for some
- 👍 Can be useful with patience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive subscription required
- 🐛 App doesn't save work
- 🐛 Work is deleted frequently
- 🐛 Cannot access notes of chapters
- 🐛 Character details not saved

**Reported bugs**

- Typing a word multiple times
- Saving and exiting unavailable
- App doesn't save text
- Lost account, cannot log back in
- Notes of chapters not accessible

**Requested features**

- Fix the issue of typing a word multiple times
- Add option to remove numbering
- Improve saving and exiting functionality
- Provide a user guide or tutorial
- Improve organization of characters for multiple books


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Write Only free?

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

### Is Book Writer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Write Only or Book Writer?

Book Writer is rated higher. Write Only averages 3.6 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Book Writer averages 3.9 from 79 ratings.

### Do Write Only or Book Writer have ads?

Neither Write Only nor Book Writer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Write Only or Book Writer?

Write Only ships an update every 6 weeks, and Book Writer every 5 weeks. Most recently, Write Only was updated on October 26, 2026 and Book Writer 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.*