# Writing Challenge vs iA Writer

The clearest difference is price: Writing Challenge at $2.99 against iA Writer's $19.99. iA Writer's advantage is review sentiment (73% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Writing Challenge costs $2.99 and iA Writer $19.99 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 4.6 for iA Writer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iA Writer has 1.5K ratings behind it against 60, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Writing Challenge's written reviews are positive against 73% of iA Writer's.

Writing Challenge ships an update every 6 weeks, iA Writer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Writing Challenge | iA Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $19.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writing-challenge/id648978819/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer/id775737172/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 60 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **73.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#32** |
| Size | 43 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bartolome Masco Lopez](https://appshunter.io/developer/529876350) | [Information Architects AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/775737175) |

## 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


### iA Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer/id775737172)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

A distraction-free writing environment designed to help you focus on your words. It offers features like Focus Mode, plain text writing with HTML preview, and robust organization tools. Customize your writing experience and export to various formats.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free writing environment, Focus Mode for enhanced concentration, Plain text writing with HTML preview, Document organization and search, Customizable keyboard layout, Export to various formats (Word, PDF, HTML, WordPress, Medium)

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Distraction-free writing experience
- 👍 Elegant and minimalist design
- 💡 Helpful syntax highlighting and formatting tools
- 🚀 Seamless sync across devices
- 👍 Reliable and stable performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and sync issues
- 🔒 Limited cloud storage integration options
- 👎 Lack of advanced organization and navigation features
- 👎 Subpar text selection and cursor control
- 👎 Dated app icon and visual design

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain files
- Sync issues leading to data loss
- Formatting problems when exporting to other formats

**Requested features**

- Improved cloud storage integration (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
- Enhanced file management and organization tools
- Better text selection and cursor control
- More customization options for appearance and layout
- Integrated outline/table of contents view


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Writing Challenge free?

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

### Is iA Writer free?

iA Writer costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Writing Challenge or iA Writer?

iA Writer is rated higher. Writing Challenge averages 4.4 out of 5 from 60 ratings, while iA Writer averages 4.6 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Writing Challenge or iA Writer have ads?

Neither Writing Challenge nor iA Writer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Writing Challenge or iA Writer?

Writing Challenge ships an update every 6 weeks, and iA Writer every 2 weeks. Most recently, Writing Challenge was updated on October 24, 2026 and iA Writer on October 29, 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.*