# iA Writer vs Pythonista 3

The clearest difference is price: Pythonista 3 at $9.99 against iA Writer's $19.99. Pythonista 3 also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). iA Writer's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 19 months). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

iA Writer costs $19.99 and Pythonista 3 $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for iA Writer against 4.5 for Pythonista 3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 73% and 73% positive.

iA Writer ships an update fortnightly, Pythonista 3 every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iA Writer | Pythonista 3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$9.99** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer/id775737172/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pythonista-3/id1085978097/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 1.5K |
| Positive reviews | 73.2% of reviews | **73.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 19 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #27 | **#21** |
| Size | 65 MB | 853 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Information Architects AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/775737175) | [omz:software](https://appshunter.io/developer/285608316) |

## What reviewers say

### iA Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer/id775737172)

**Currently charting:** #27 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

A distraction-free writing environment designed to help you focus on your words. It offers features like Focus Mode, plain text writing with HTML preview, and robust organization tools. Customize your writing experience and export to various formats.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free writing environment, Focus Mode for enhanced concentration, Plain text writing with HTML preview, Document organization and search, Customizable keyboard layout, Export to various formats (Word, PDF, HTML, WordPress, Medium)

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Distraction-free writing experience
- 👍 Elegant and minimalist design
- 💡 Helpful syntax highlighting and formatting tools
- 🚀 Seamless sync across devices
- 👍 Reliable and stable performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and sync issues
- 🔒 Limited cloud storage integration options
- 👎 Lack of advanced organization and navigation features
- 👎 Subpar text selection and cursor control
- 👎 Dated app icon and visual design

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain files
- Sync issues leading to data loss
- Formatting problems when exporting to other formats

**Requested features**

- Improved cloud storage integration (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
- Enhanced file management and organization tools
- Better text selection and cursor control
- More customization options for appearance and layout
- Integrated outline/table of contents view


### Pythonista 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pythonista-3/id1085978097)

**Currently charting:** #21 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

Develop and run Python 3 scripts directly on your iPad or iPhone. This complete scripting environment includes popular third-party modules and allows access to iOS features like sensors, location, and photos. Automate your device with app extensions and integrate with Shortcuts and Siri.

**Highlights:** Powerful code editor with syntax highlighting, Interactive prompt with code completion, Integrated visual debugger, Offline Python documentation, UI editor for prototyping, Share sheet and system-wide keyboard extensions, Shortcuts app integration

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iA Writer free?

iA Writer costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pythonista 3 free?

Pythonista 3 costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iA Writer or Pythonista 3?

iA Writer is rated higher. iA Writer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Pythonista 3 averages 4.5 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do iA Writer or Pythonista 3 have ads?

Neither iA Writer nor Pythonista 3 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iA Writer or Pythonista 3?

iA Writer ships an update fortnightly, and Pythonista 3 every 19 months. Most recently, iA Writer was updated on September 23, 2026 and Pythonista 3 on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, iA Writer or Pythonista 3?

iA Writer currently peaks at #27 in the App Store charts, and Pythonista 3 at #21. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*