# iA Writer vs GoodReader Pro PDF Editor

The clearest difference is price: iA Writer at $19.99 against GoodReader Pro PDF Editor's $89.99. iA Writer also leads on chart position (#25 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 weeks). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

iA Writer costs $19.99 and GoodReader Pro PDF Editor $89.99 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 4.7 for GoodReader Pro PDF Editor. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iA Writer has 1.5K ratings behind it against 269, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of iA Writer's written reviews are positive against 68% of GoodReader Pro PDF Editor's.

iA Writer ships an update every 2 weeks, GoodReader Pro PDF Editor every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iA Writer | GoodReader Pro PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$19.99** | $89.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer-get-focused/id775737172/reviews) | **[4.7 (269 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodreader-pro-pdf-editor/id1451012117/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 269 |
| Positive reviews | **73.1% of reviews** | 67.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | — |
| Size | 70 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Information Architects AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/775737175) | [Good.iWare, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289191291) |

## What reviewers say

### iA Writer

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

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This writing application provides a clean, distraction-free environment to focus on your words. It offers features like Focus Mode to dim distractions, plain text writing with HTML preview, and customizable keyboard layouts. Organize and export your documents in various formats.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free writing environment, Focus Mode for sentence/paragraph highlighting, Plain text writing with HTML preview, Document search, sort, and cloud syncing, Customizable keyboard layouts, Export to WordPress, Medium, Word, PDF, Inverted light-on-dark mode

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**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


### GoodReader Pro PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodreader-pro-pdf-editor/id1451012117)

This app offers robust PDF editing and annotation capabilities, alongside comprehensive file management for various document types. It allows users to securely store, organize, and access files from cloud services, enhancing productivity on mobile devices.

**Highlights:** PDF annotation and editing, File management for various formats, Cloud service integration (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.), Military-grade AES-256 encryption, Split-screen viewing for iPad, PDF Reflow feature

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📂 Excellent file management
- 📚 Great for PDF organization
- ✍️ Powerful annotation tools
- 🚀 Fast loading and performance
- 🔄 Reliable syncing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive for some
- 🔄 Tedious data transfer to Pro
- ❓ Little difference between regular and Pro
- 🔌 Sync issues with cloud services
- 🚫 No PC version available

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot move bookmarks from old to Pro version
- Dropbox/OneDrive sync not working
- iCloud integration issues
- App crashes when adding photos
- App freezes after annotation

**Requested features**

- Proper night mode (inverted colors)
- Bookmark sharing feature
- PC version of the app
- Profile switching for open tabs
- Editable text feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iA Writer free?

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

### Is GoodReader Pro PDF Editor free?

GoodReader Pro PDF Editor costs $89.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iA Writer or GoodReader Pro PDF Editor?

GoodReader Pro PDF Editor is rated higher. iA Writer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while GoodReader Pro PDF Editor averages 4.7 from 269 ratings.

### Do iA Writer or GoodReader Pro PDF Editor have ads?

Neither iA Writer nor GoodReader Pro PDF Editor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iA Writer or GoodReader Pro PDF Editor?

iA Writer ships an update every 2 weeks, and GoodReader Pro PDF Editor every 4 weeks. Most recently, iA Writer was updated on November 1, 2026 and GoodReader Pro PDF Editor on November 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*