# iA Writer vs Metion

The clearest difference is price: Metion at Free against iA Writer's $19.99. iA Writer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Metion is free to download; iA Writer costs $19.99 up front. Metion sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. iA Writer asks for nothing beyond the download.

iA Writer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iA Writer has 1.5K ratings behind it against 46, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of iA Writer's written reviews are positive against 60% of Metion's.

iA Writer ships an update fortnightly, Metion every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iA Writer | Metion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer/id775737172/reviews)** | [4.3 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metion-markdown-notes/id1530965242/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 46 |
| Positive reviews | **73.2% of reviews** | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#26** | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Information Architects AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/775737175) | [Hangzhou Quanduan Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1483142209) |

## What reviewers say

### iA Writer

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

**Currently charting:** #26 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


### Metion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metion-markdown-notes/id1530965242)

This notebook tool prioritizes a superior writing experience using Markdown. It allows you to build knowledge bases, connect notes as networks, and offers a distraction-free Zen Mode. Data is stored freely in plain text files with built-in Git support for synchronization and version history.

**Highlights:** Markdown support, Knowledge base creation, Networked notes, Zen Mode writing, Open filesystem storage, Built-in Git sync, History versioning

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 订阅公众号图片上传中转 | $0.99 | per month |
| Subscribe Pro Extensions | $6.99 | per year |
| Standard Edition (iOS+iPadOS) | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem
- ✍️ Great writing experience
- 💡 Promising features
- 🎨 Minimalist and aesthetic design
- 🚀 Enhances productivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and crashes
- 📱 Not optimized for phones
- 🗂️ Limited free version features
- 🎨 UI issues and design flaws
- ❌ Syncing problems

**Reported bugs**

- Git sync not working
- iCloud folder cannot be specified
- Writing statistics not visible or crashing
- Custom file sorting not working
- New file creation bug (text pushed up)

**Requested features**

- Optimize for phone usage
- Add Windows version
- Improve Git sync functionality
- Allow specifying iCloud folder
- Restore writing statistics feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iA Writer free?

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

### Is Metion free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iA Writer or Metion?

iA Writer is rated higher. iA Writer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Metion averages 4.3 from 46 ratings.

### Do iA Writer or Metion have ads?

Neither iA Writer nor Metion shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iA Writer or Metion?

iA Writer ships an update fortnightly, and Metion every 2 weeks. Most recently, iA Writer was updated on September 23, 2026 and Metion on September 21, 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.*