# Authora vs SFD

The clearest difference is monetization model: Authora at freemium against SFD's paid. Authora also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Authora sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and SFD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Authora against 5.0 for SFD. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Authora ships an update every 9 days, SFD every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Authora | SFD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/authora/id6762512907/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sfd-write-it-bad/id6778871291/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Size | 41 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ronan Campbell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890020534) | [Daniel James Kinney-Spears](https://appshunter.io/developer/6778614359) |

## What reviewers say

### Authora

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/authora/id6762512907)

This writing companion helps aspiring authors reclaim lost minutes for their book projects. It offers tools for writing, storyboarding, and self-publishing directly from a mobile device, turning commutes and waiting times into productive writing sessions.

**Highlights:** Six writing format templates, Rich text editor optimized for mobile, Storyboard for characters, plot, and world-building, Export to EPUB/PDF for self-publishing, Speech-to-text dictation, On-device writing analysis, Encrypted cloud sync (Premium)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Authora Premium (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Authora Premium (Yearly) | $49.99 | per year |


### SFD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sfd-write-it-bad/id6778871291)

This app helps you overcome writer's block by forcing you to write a first draft without the ability to edit or reread. It uses timed bursts and nudges to keep you moving forward, allowing you to flag sections for later revision.

**Highlights:** Forward-only writing, Timed writing bursts, Cursor nudges for stalls, Flagging sections for revision, Plain text export, Offline functionality

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SFD Habit Tracking | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Authora free?

Authora is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SFD free?

SFD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Authora or SFD?

Authora and SFD are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Authora or SFD have ads?

Neither Authora nor SFD shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Authora or SFD?

Authora ships an update every 9 days, and SFD every 8 days. Most recently, Authora was updated on October 5, 2026 and SFD on October 10, 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.*