Comparison

Writn vs Fieldnote

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

Head to head
About

Writn

This app transforms your spoken thoughts into written stories and physical books. Easily record voice notes, edit them into polished narratives, and create a printed keepsake of your memories. It's designed for capturing life's moments as they happen.

Highlights
  • Voice journaling
  • Story crafting tools
  • Printed book creation
  • Digital PDF export
  • Mobile-first design
Features
Read full description

Writn (pronounced “written”) is a voice journaling app that turns spoken stories into beautifully written books. Features Voice Journaling Record voice notes anytime, anywhere. Just say what happened in your own words. Story Crafting Tools Turn your recordings into polished stories. Edit and shape them directly in the app. Printed Book and Digital PDF Create a real printed book of your memories. Every book order includes a downloadable PDF version. Mobile-First Design Built for people on the move. Quick to open, easy to use, made for capturing life in the moment. Writn is not about looking back. It is about remembering the life you are living right now. Privacy Policy: https://individual-usage-756003.framer.app Terms and Conditions: https://tedious-begin-418770.framer.app

About

Fieldnote

This private voice journal app allows you to record thoughts on your Apple Watch or iPhone, transcribing them into searchable text. It generates notes based on your words without offering advice or interpretation, ensuring your journal remains entirely yours.

Highlights
  • Voice recording and transcription
  • Searchable journal entries
  • On-device note generation
  • Offline functionality
  • iCloud backup option
  • Export to Markdown/JSON
  • App Lock for privacy
Features
Read full description

Some of your clearest thoughts arrive on a walk. An idea clicks. A conversation makes more sense. You remember something you want to hold on to. Then you get home and can't quite find it again. Fieldnote is a voice journal for those moments. Say the thought into your Apple Watch and keep walking. When the recording reaches your iPhone, Fieldnote turns it into a searchable Page made from your own words. No Watch? No problem. Fieldnote works on your iPhone, too. YOUR WORDS COME FIRST Read what you said, correct a transcription mistake, or listen to the original recording. Tap a phrase to hear that moment again. When there's something worth noticing, Fieldnote can add a short note in the margin. When there isn't, your Page stands on its own. PERSONAL MEANS PERSONAL Recording, transcription, and margin notes happen on your devices. No Fieldnote account. No journal-content server. No advertising or analytics about your activity. Audio stays on your devices; optional private iCloud backup is for Pages and notes, not recordings. Protect your notebook with Face ID or your iPhone passcode. TRY IT WITH A REAL THOUGHT Make a guided first Page, then make three more Pages whenever something comes to you. No deadline and no automatic charge. After that, unlock Fieldnote for $39.99 in the US. One purchase. No subscription. Prices vary by country. Your existing Pages remain readable, searchable, and exportable. New recordings stay safe while they wait to become Pages. Existing lifetime purchases remain unlocked, and earlier fourteen-day trials keep their original end date. TAKE YOUR WORDS WITH YOU Export your Pages and notes as Markdown or JSON. Your writing doesn't have to stay in Fieldnote. REQUIREMENTS Recording, transcription, reading, search, editing, playback, and export work on iPhone 12 or later with iOS 26 or later. Margin notes require Apple Intelligence on a supported iPhone. Apple Watch is optional; the Watch app requires Series 6, SE (2nd generation), or later with watchOS 26 or later.

Screenshots

Writn4 screens
Fieldnote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Fieldnote at none against Writn's shown. Fieldnote also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). Writn's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, 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. Writn sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Fieldnote sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Fieldnote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Writn has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Writn ships an update every 2 weeks, Fieldnote every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Writn versus Fieldnote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWritnFieldnote
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (8 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings8 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size110 MB4 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperWritn LLCSECOND ACT LABS LLC

Customer experience

Writn

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Fieldnote

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Writn

Subscriptions4
  • Writn Member – Monthly Plan14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Writn Premium$5.991 Month
  • Writn Member – Yearly Plan14 Days trial$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Writn Premium$59.991 Year
2 purchases

Fieldnote

One-time2
  • 14-day TrialFree
  • Fieldnote, forever$39.99

Questions

Is Writn free?
Writn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Fieldnote free?
Fieldnote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Writn or Fieldnote?
Fieldnote is rated higher. Writn averages 4.8 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Fieldnote averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Writn or Fieldnote have ads?
Writn shows ads; Fieldnote does not.
Which is updated more often, Writn or Fieldnote?
Writn ships an update every 2 weeks, and Fieldnote every 4 days. Most recently, Writn was updated on October 1, 2026 and Fieldnote on September 30, 2026.

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