Comparison

Atlas vs Writing App

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

Head to head
About

Atlas

This app provides a creative workspace for ambitious writing projects, organizing research, and building knowledge bases. It offers tools for deep world-building and information gathering, adapting to your unique workflow.

Highlights
  • Organize research and chapters
  • Visualize connections with canvases
  • Smart linking for connected documents
  • Live Markdown formatting
  • Visual editing on canvases
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Export to ebook, PDF, HTML
Features
Read full description

Atlas: Write. Collect. Publish. # Your creative workspace for ambitious projects. Atlas is where complex writing projects come together. Draft your novel, organize your research, outline your world, or build a personal knowledge base—all with tools designed for deep world-building and serious information gathering. Atlas adapts to how you work, not the other way around. # Everything in One Place Create projects that mirror how you think. Nest documents and folders to any depth, visualize connections on infinite canvases, sketch with Apple Pencil, and let smart wiki-style links keep everything connected as your project grows. Hierarchical tags tie related documents together, so a character, a source, or a loose thread never gets lost. # Markdown That Works With You Write with live formatting—headings, emphasis, and lists render as you type, with no separate preview mode. Images appear inline and resize with a drag. Links to other documents stay current when you rename them. Drop in Document Variables like title, author, and dates that fill themselves in. And shape the editor with the built-in theme editor until it feels like home—then share your themes with others. # Collect From Anywhere Research lives on the web, so Atlas brings it in cleanly. The Web Clipper captures articles as readable Markdown—images, metadata, and all—straight from Safari, and even pulls transcripts from YouTube videos. Snap a photo on your iPhone or share text from any app, and it's waiting in your project. # Think Visually Drop documents, images, and notes onto large canvases. Sketch maps, place labels, and draw connections between ideas. Arrange research beside your draft, map out story arcs, or build a mood board—and edit any document right on the canvas without breaking your flow. # Syncs Thoughtfully iCloud keeps your Mac, iPad, and iPhone in perfect sync. Start writing anywhere, continue everywhere. Automatic version history protects every draft, and intelligent conflict resolution merges changes for you—so simultaneous edits across devices simply work. # Publish On Your Terms When your work is ready for the world, export it your way: polished ePub eBooks with custom chapter breaks, print-ready PDFs down to trade-paperback layouts, clean HTML, RTF, or plain Markdown. A live preview shows exactly what you'll get before you export. # Built for Hard Work and Play Atlas is a native Mac, iPad, and iPhone app for writers, researchers, and creators tackling ambitious projects. Whether you're writing a novel, world-building, managing academic research, or building a personal wiki, Atlas fits the way you work. -- Learn more at https://contagious.dev/atlas -- Start free with a free project (with a document count restriction) or a 7-day unlimited project and document subscription trial. Atlas requires a single lifetime, monthly, or yearly subscription to unlock access across all devices and unlimited projects and documents. A limited-time Lifetime purchase is available periodically. Privacy Policy: https://contagious.dev/privacy-policy/atlas/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://contagious.dev/terms-of-use/atlas/

About

Writing App

This app helps authors plan stories and track writing progress. Organize plot details, set word goals, and monitor daily achievements with insightful statistics and a visual calendar. Stay motivated throughout your writing journey.

Highlights
  • Create and manage writing projects
  • Set word count goals
  • Log writing sessions
  • Organize plot notes and worldbuilding
  • Track writing statistics
  • Calendar view of writing sessions
  • Home screen widgets
Features
Read full description

PlotWords takes you from your first idea to your finished manuscript. Plan your story, develop your characters, write your book, and stay on top of your writing goals. PlotWords keeps everything in sync across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Created by a writer, for writers. WRITE YOUR MANUSCRIPT Turn your ideas into a story. With the built-in text editor, you can write and edit your manuscript directly in PlotWords – whether you're on the go with your iPhone, working on your iPad, or writing at home on your Mac. • Organize your manuscript into chapters and plan your plot wherever you are. • Format your text and easily navigate your manuscript using the table of contents. • Keep everything at your fingertips while writing by accessing your custom character, location, and note cards. DEVELOP CHARACTERS, PLOTS & WORLDS • Bring your characters to life with detailed profiles and create family trees on your Mac. • Build locations and settings for your stories. • Structure your plot with plot cards and notes, and assign point-of-view characters and locations. • Keep your research, notes, and ideas in one place, whether you're at home or on the go. ORGANIZE PROJECTS & BOOK SERIES Keep all your writing projects organized, from the first spark of inspiration to the final revisions. Group your books into series and give each project its own cover in your personal library of stories. SET WRITING GOALS & TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Every word brings you one step closer to finishing your book. Set word count goals and deadlines, track your writing sessions, and watch your project grow. • Track your word count and overall project progress. • Discover your writing habits with clear, easy-to-read statistics. • Keep an eye on your writing streaks and average word counts. • Use the writing calendar to see when you wrote and how much you accomplished. STAY FOCUSED ON YOUR WRITING Make time for your story. Writing Focus comes with a built-in timer to help you plan distraction-free writing sessions and track your progress afterward. YOUR GOALS ON YOUR HOME SCREEN With iOS widgets, you can keep track of your writing progress and upcoming deadlines right from your Home Screen. KEEP WRITING ON IPHONE, IPAD & MAC Sync your projects and manuscripts across your Apple devices with iCloud. Capture an idea on the go, work on your next chapter on your iPad, and pick up right where you left off on your Mac. Some features require PlotWords Premium. You can find details about the available purchase options in the app. Privacy Policy: https://bookpairs.de/plotwords-datenschutzerklaerung.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Atlas4 screens
Writing App4 screens

Verdict

The call

Atlas and Writing App both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Writing App's written reviews are positive against 50% of Atlas's. Writing App also leads on monetization model (free vs subscription) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Atlas sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Writing App sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Atlas against 5.0 for Writing App. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Atlas's written reviews are positive against 100% of Writing App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Atlas ships an update every 6 days, Writing App every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Atlas versus Writing App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAtlasWriting App
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings23 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel GriffinAnnika Reinecke

Customer experience

Atlas

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Writing App

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Atlas

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Access14 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Access14 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Purchase$59.99
3 purchases

Writing App

Subscriptions1
  • Premium$0.997 Days
One-time2
  • Premium$6.99
  • Premium$14.99

Questions

Is Atlas free?
Atlas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Writing App free?
Writing App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Atlas or Writing App?
Atlas and Writing App are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do Atlas or Writing App have ads?
Neither Atlas nor Writing App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Atlas or Writing App?
Atlas ships an update every 6 days, and Writing App every 3 days. Most recently, Atlas was updated on October 5, 2026 and Writing App on October 12, 2026.

Other comparisons