# Writing Challenge vs Novelist

The clearest difference is price: Novelist at Free against Writing Challenge's $2.99. Novelist also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 50%) and ratings volume (214 vs 60). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Novelist is free to download; Writing Challenge costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Writing Challenge against 4.4 for Novelist. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 60 and 214 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Writing Challenge's written reviews are positive against 79% of Novelist's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Writing Challenge | Novelist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.4 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writing-challenge/id648978819/reviews)** | [4.4 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelist-write-novels/id1564737393/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 60 | **214** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **79.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 43 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bartolome Masco Lopez](https://appshunter.io/developer/529876350) | [Alessandro Riperi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1564737395) |

## What reviewers say

### Writing Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writing-challenge/id648978819)

Overcome writer's block with creative story prompts. Generate new ideas, embrace freewriting, and build a consistent writing habit. Perfect for aspiring authors and creative individuals seeking inspiration.

**Highlights:** Tap for new story prompts, Customizable prompt settings, Daily writing challenges, Home screen widgets for challenges, Share challenges with others, Freewriting exercises

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Novelist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelist-write-novels/id1564737393)

This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools for authors to write, organize, and plot their novels. It offers features for scene creation, story structuring, goal setting, and manuscript export. The platform is designed to support the entire novel-writing process, from initial ideas to the final draft.

**Highlights:** Plotting with customizable story elements, Scene writing with rich formatting, Story organization into acts and chapters, Word count goals and deadline scheduling, Manuscript export in EPUB, ODT, HTML, Autosave and version history, Companion web app

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazingly different application
- 🔒 Completely free, with no ads or in-app purchases
- 👍 Well-organized all-in-one app for writing, plotting, outlining, and scheduling
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Helps with organizing and keeping things clean

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Confusing menu options and backup/restore process
- 🐛 Glitches when editing text, cursor behaves unexpectedly
- 🐛 Crashes or freezes on some devices
- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
- 🐛 Lack of font customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Backup/restore process can lead to data loss
- Cursor and text editing issues
- Crashes and freezes on some devices
- Syncing problems between devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to import/export in various formats (PDF, Markdown, etc.)
- Improved syncing and cloud integration
- More font and formatting options
- Ability to add images/illustrations to the book
- Collaboration/co-writing features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Writing Challenge free?

Writing Challenge costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Novelist free?

Novelist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Writing Challenge or Novelist?

Writing Challenge is rated higher. Writing Challenge averages 4.4 out of 5 from 60 ratings, while Novelist averages 4.4 from 214 ratings.

### Do Writing Challenge or Novelist have ads?

Neither Writing Challenge nor Novelist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Writing Challenge or Novelist?

Writing Challenge ships an update every 6 weeks, and Novelist every 6 weeks. Most recently, Writing Challenge was updated on November 1, 2026 and Novelist on November 3, 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.*