Comparison

Write Only vs Plotten

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Write Only

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
Read full description

Write Only allows you to use your iPad/iPhone in the exact same way as a good old typewriter. It is a special app designed for people who just want to focus on writing. By separating writing from editing, it helps you focus more on getting your ideas out. Using it is like sitting in front of a typewriter and letting words flow out of your finger tips. Everything you put down on the page is permanent. All the typing is saved as a PDF file, including the positions, the font size, and the colors that the texts come out with. No matter where and when you are going to view these pages, they will be kept exactly same as the time you typed them. Fixed cursor sits right above the keyboard, therefore your eyes will be close both to the text you're typing and the fingers, and that can help to reduce typing errors. You can start typing on the page at any place by tapping on that location and use any margin you want by moving the page. It is very easy to type aligned texts. An extension keybar includes frequently used keys like ' or ; that are difficult to access in iOS' default keyboard. Write Only is good for writing the first version of any work, especially diary or journal. When you come back to your writings years later, the shapes of the text and the errors you made will help you remember the moments of the writing. Tips: - To delete a page, slider your finger from right to left over the page you want to remove; - To send one or more pages, long press on the page you want to send, after the toolbar shows up, you can select more than one pages. More pages means more time to prepare. Sending multiple pages will combine pages into one single PDF document first. - To select a different font, go to Settings app -> Write Only, choose your favorite font, then return back to Write Only, start a new page or simply restart.

About

Plotten

This writing tool offers a distraction-free, minimalist interface to help you craft novels, screenplays, and other manuscripts. It includes advanced editing tools, a cover designer, and flexible export options for various formats.

Highlights
  • Minimalist distraction-free interface
  • Supports novels, screenplays, children's books
  • Intuitive cover designer
  • Ebook viewer
  • Export to EPub, FDX, DOCX, web, print
Features
Read full description

Plotten: Your Creative Writing Companion Unlock your literary potential with Plotten, the ultimate writing tool designed to streamline your creative process. Experience a minimalist interface that eliminates distractions, allowing your ideas to flow freely. Feature-Rich and User-Friendly: Versatile Formats: Whether you’re crafting screenplays, novels, children’s books, or more, Plotten supports a variety of manuscript needs. Advanced Editing Tools: Includes an intuitive cover designer and an Ebook viewer to bring your story to life. Flexible Export Options: Seamlessly export your projects for web, print, or as EPub, FDX, and DOCX files. With Plotten, every feature is crafted to enhance your writing experience, whether you're a screenwriter, essayist, novelist, short story writer, or journalist, Plotten makes it easy to transform your vision into a polished masterpiece. Terms of Use: https://www.plotten.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://www.plotten.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

Write Only3 screens
Plotten4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Plotten at 4.3 against Write Only's 3.6. Plotten also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (49 vs 14). Write Only's advantage is review sentiment (33% vs 20%) and iOS requirement (5.1.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, 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. Write Only sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Plotten sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Plotten holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 49 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Write Only's written reviews are positive against 20% of Plotten's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Write Only ships an update every 6 weeks, Plotten every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Write Only versus Plotten: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWrite OnlyPlotten
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (14 ratings)4.3 (49 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1449 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS5.1.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer潮激 李Paul MacRory

Customer experience

Write Only

All ratings14 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral6.5%
Negative60.2%

Plotten

All ratings49 ratings
Positive81.6%
Neutral6.1%
Negative12.2%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative60.0%

Bugs and requests

Write Only

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Cannot backspace to remove words
  • Cannot delete pages or erase
  • Cannot save or export
  • App crashes and deletes work
  • Crashes with each delete
Show 8 more
  • Doesn't work on iOS8
  • UI and accessibility issues
  • App freezes and crashes
  • Cannot delete old pages
  • Space bar bug (types adjacent letter)
  • Text moves and becomes jumbled
  • Kicks user off at inconvenient times
  • Upgrade prompts reappear after purchase

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add copy/paste functionality
  • Add export to text option
  • Add PDF conversion
  • Add Russian language support
  • Add Korean keyboard
Show 5 more
  • Add typewriter key sound
  • Add dark mode
  • Add print option
  • Add email functionality
  • Make it free without upgrade limitations

Plotten

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Write Only

One-time2
  • Unlimited Fonts$0.99
  • Unlimited New Pages$1.99
2 purchases

Plotten

Subscriptions2
  • 1 Month Access3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • 1 Year Access3 Days trial$17.991 Year

Questions

Is Write Only free?
Write Only is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Plotten free?
Plotten is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Write Only or Plotten?
Plotten is rated higher. Write Only averages 3.6 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Plotten averages 4.3 from 49 ratings.
Do Write Only or Plotten have ads?
Neither Write Only nor Plotten shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Write Only or Plotten?
Write Only ships an update every 6 weeks, and Plotten every 4 days. Most recently, Write Only was updated on October 12, 2026 and Plotten on October 8, 2026.

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