Comparison

SFD vs Writeflo

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

Head to head
About

SFD

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
Read full description

Writing apps help with the easy half — outlines, fonts, folders, word-count trophies. The hard half is producing a bad first version of something, and that's all SFD does. SFD is forward-only. You write in a burst, the earlier lines dim and scroll away, and you can't go back to fix them. You can't edit a draft into existence, so SFD won't let you try until it's out. How it works: — A go is a timed burst. You write. You don't reread. — Stall for a few seconds and you get a shove — a nudge that gets blunter the longer you stare at the cursor. — Hit a line you hate? Drop a later and keep moving. Your flags become a punch-list for when you revise. — A finished part is a chunk. A stack of chunks is the Pile — your whole first draft. — When it's done, send it out as plain text, to wherever you actually revise. Drafting is free. Every go, every later, every export — no account, no trial clock, no nagging. THE BIG MONTH is free too: 50,000 words of a novel's first draft between November 1 and 30. SFD shows your words today and how many a day finishes it, lights up a November calendar on every day you write, marks 10,000, 25,000 and 50,000, and gives you a BIG MONTH 2026 stamp and finisher card you can only earn that November. One thing costs money: SFD Habit Tracking, a 99-cent one-time unlock for the habit layer — the streak map and year wall, the month goal, the quiet reminder, stamps, share cards, and the home-screen widget, which carries THE BIG MONTH in November. The scoreboard, not the game. If you bought SFD back when the app itself cost money, the habit layer is yours automatically. What SFD won't do: format, outline, sync, collaborate, or write the draft for you. You write the bad version. A chunk has to get written; inside that, anything goes. Your words stay yours. Every chunk is a plain-text file on your device. No proprietary format, no servers. SFD makes no network calls at all — it can't lose your words and it can't trap them. Get the first draft out. You can make it good later, somewhere with a real keyboard.

About

Writeflo

Features
Read full description

Writeflo is writing without the backspace. Open a blank screen and start typing. As you write, your older words gently fade out of view so you can't stop to reread, second-guess, or edit. There's only one direction: forward. It's the fastest way past a blank page and an overthinking mind. When you finish, the piece locks. You can't read it again until tomorrow. That little bit of distance means you come back to your own words fresh — sometimes surprised by what you wrote. Why writers love it • Words fade as you type, so perfectionism can't get a grip • Sessions unlock the next day for a fresh read • A different typeface each day keeps the ritual feeling new • Read, export, and share past pieces anytime • 100% on-device and private — your writing never leaves your phone • No accounts, no sign-up, no distractions Whether it's morning pages, journaling, beating writer's block, or just getting the noise out of your head — Writeflo helps you write freely and honestly. Just write. Read it tomorrow.

Screenshots

SFD4 screens
Writeflo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Writeflo at none against SFD's 1. SFD's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. SFD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Writeflo asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
SFD versus Writeflo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSFDWriteflo
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel James Kinney-SpearsBASAR ICKE

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SFD

One-time1
  • SFD Habit Tracking$0.99
None

Writeflo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SFD free?
SFD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Writeflo free?
Writeflo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SFD or Writeflo have ads?
Neither SFD nor Writeflo shows ads.

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