Comparison

Authora vs Quill Writer

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

Head to head
About

Authora

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
Read full description

Turn waiting into writing. Most people who want to write a book never finish one - not for lack of ideas, but for lack of time to sit down. Authora is a mobile writing companion built for the life you actually have. Waiting rooms, commutes, flight delays, lunch breaks - the minutes that usually disappear into doomscrolling, reclaimed for the book you've always meant to write. WRITE ANYWHERE Six format templates - novel, journal, manuscript, academic paper, non-fiction, poetry collection. Rich text editor optimised for phones and tablets, not a desktop UI stuffed onto a small screen. Auto-save every two seconds. Focus mode for distraction-free writing. Preview mode to read your draft as a reader will see it. STORYBOARDING THAT MATCHES HOW WRITERS THINK Characters with bios, traits, and relationships. Plot arcs with scenes you can link to chapters. World-building notes. Colour-coded labels. Keep the people, places, and threads of your story organised without leaving your phone. FROM BLANK PAGE TO PUBLISHED BOOK Authora isn't just a writing app - it's a self-publishing pipeline. When your draft is done, add a cover image, and export as EPUB or PDF that's ready to upload straight to Amazon KDP, Apple Books, or Kobo. Front matter, back matter, TOC, metadata - all handled. Your finished book goes into your personal library inside Authora too, readable with a built-in ebook reader. No separate formatting tool. No desktop required. Draft to published, all on your phone. CAPTURE ON THE GO Speech-to-text dictation with live transcription. Chapter import from .docx, .rtf, and .txt - start with existing drafts, no retyping. On-device writing analysis flags passive voice, adverb overuse, clichés, and readability issues as you write. FREE FOREVER, PREMIUM WHEN YOU'RE READY Full writing experience, export, personal library, and a starter storyboard - all free, all local, no account required. Premium ($2.99/mo or $29.99/yr) adds encrypted cloud sync and backup across phone and tablet, unlimited storyboarding, inline figures with captions, and priority support. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Free users never sign in. Premium users' chapters, world notes, character bios, and plot descriptions are encrypted at rest with AES-256, and in transit with TLS - even in a breach, your draft stays unreadable. Biometric app lock on both platforms. We never read your work, never train on your writing, never sell your data. BUILT FOR PHONES AND TABLETS Native iOS App. Dark and light theme. Responsive layout on tablets. Biometric unlock. Full offline support. Dashboard showing word count trends and your completion stats. The book is already in you. Authora is where you finish it.

About

Quill Writer

This app provides a distraction-free writing environment for authors and novelists. It helps organize manuscripts, offers AI editing assistance, and allows for creative outlining and collaboration.

Highlights
  • Hierarchical book structure
  • Distraction-free editor
  • AI editing assistance
  • Creative outlining and notes
  • Secure collaboration
  • Offline writing support
Features
Read full description

Quill is the ultimate companion for authors, novelists, and creative writers looking to bring their stories to life. Designed from the ground up to offer a premium, distraction-free writing experience, Quill helps you outline, structure, and refine your manuscripts with ease. KEY FEATURES: • HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE Organize your books seamlessly. Easily navigate through parts, chapters, and sections with a clean, responsive interface tailored for mobile productivity. • DISTRACTION-FREE EDITOR Focus entirely on your words. Our premium editor supports full formatting, character count tracking, and stable offline writing environments. • AI EDITING ASSISTANCE Elevate your prose with AI suggestions. Review line edits, rewrite suggestions, and formatting updates at the tap of a button (all suggestions require your explicit approval before being applied to your text). • CREATIVE OUTLINING & INKWELL Jot down notes, character sheets, world-building lore, and outline sections. Access your creative assets directly alongside your manuscript draft. • COLLABORATION Share your workspace securely. Work with co-authors, editors, or alpha readers with designated viewer and editor permissions. Start crafting your story today with Quill. Your writing space is ready. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Authora4 screens
Quill Writer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Authora at 4.5 against Quill Writer's 3.5. Quill Writer's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Authora sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Quill Writer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Authora holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Authora ships an update fortnightly, Quill Writer every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Authora versus Quill Writer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAuthoraQuill Writer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (4 ratings) — better3.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRonan CampbellVeritas Technology Solutions, LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Authora

Subscriptions2
  • Authora Premium (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Authora Premium (Yearly)$49.991 Year
2 purchases

Quill Writer

Subscriptions2
  • Quill Pro$12.991 Month
  • Quill Author$29.991 Month

Questions

Is Authora free?
Authora is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Quill Writer free?
Quill Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Authora or Quill Writer?
Authora is rated higher. Authora averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Quill Writer averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Authora or Quill Writer have ads?
Neither Authora nor Quill Writer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Authora or Quill Writer?
Authora ships an update fortnightly, and Quill Writer every 5 days. Most recently, Authora was updated on October 31, 2026 and Quill Writer on November 5, 2026.

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