Comparison

iA Writer vs indexiFly

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

Head to head
About

iA Writer

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)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

“Leaving life’s mess for an ideal realm of words.” —The New Yorker “My favorite iOS app for writing in Markdown, without question, is iA Writer. iA Writer is just beautiful. To me, it’s the gold standard for Markdown syntax styling... an elegant champagne flute. That’s iA Writer for me.” —John Gruber “iA Writer creates a clean, simple and distraction-free writing environment for when you really need to focus on your words.” —The New York Times “iA Writer is an example of how powerful simplicity and accessibility can be.” —The Guardian “iA Writer is all about textual production—writing this phrase, this sentence, this word at this moment.” —WIRED 4 x Best of App Store Winner # The Simple Writing App iA Writer removes distractions. Giving you a calm, focused, writing space, so you can express yourself clearly. # Focus Focus Mode dims everything but the current sentence or paragraph, helping you stay in the flow. # Start Don’t worry about the format. First, write in plain text. Then preview in HTML. # Organize Search, sort, and quickly swap between documents from different clouds. # Customize When you tap and hold a key in the command keyboard, you’re given the chance to choose your own layout. Rearrange your keys, or pick new ones from the extensive list. # Search You can open documents and launch frequent actions in no time with the new Quick Search. It lives in the keyboard so it’s always close at hand. # Work iA Writer includes an inverted light-on-dark-mode, perfect for working day and night. # Clean Spot superfluous adjectives, weak verbs, repetitive nouns, false conjunctions and clean your text of the usual rumble. # Shape Customize your templates and export to WordPress or Medium, HTML, Microsoft Word (.docx), or PDF. # 100% Text Embed links, pictures, tables and text files in plain text and see them in preview. # Get in Touch - Visit ia.net/writer for more information - Visit ia.net/writer/support for support and feedback

About

indexiFly

Features
Read full description

indexiFly turns your ideas into index cards you can sort, link, and present — the fast, tactile way to think, study, and speak. Jot a card, drop it in a deck, and organize decks into folders with drag-and-drop. When it's time to present, go full-screen and swipe through your deck like real cue cards. WRITE THE WAY YOU THINK • Rich text: bold, italic, headings, and lists • Ruled index-card paper so your notes line up • Card colors with automatic, always-readable contrast • Sketch on any card with a pressure-aware pen, eraser, and undo CONNECT YOUR IDEAS • Link one card to another and tap to jump between them • A breadcrumb trail retraces your path • Full-text search finds any card instantly • Tag cards and filter a deck by tag ORGANIZE EFFORTLESSLY • Decks and one-level folders on a clean, searchable home • Pin important cards, archive the rest, duplicate or reorder in seconds • 30-day Trash so nothing is lost by accident PRESENT WITH CONFIDENCE • Full-screen presentation mode, portrait or landscape • Swipe or tap the edges to advance; the screen stays awake • A subtle "Card 3 of 12" progress indicator • Tap embedded links mid-presentation, then step back YOURS, EVERYWHERE • Works fully offline — no account required • Export a deck to a shareable .indexifly file and import it back • A built-in Tutorial folder walks you through every feature Perfect for speakers and teachers, students and studiers, meetings, brainstorms, and everyday notes. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

iA Writer4 screens
indexiFly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: indexiFly at Free against iA Writer's $19.99. indexiFly also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). iA Writer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and chart position (#43 vs unranked). On ads and device support 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

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iA Writer ships an update every 2 weeks, indexiFly daily. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
iA Writer versus indexiFly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriA WriterindexiFly
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (1.5K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.5K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#43 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB45 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperInformation Architects AGRoland Ross Lacdan Hadi

Bugs and requests

iA Writer

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

6 requests
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Collaborative editing features

indexiFly

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

iA Writer

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

indexiFly

Subscriptions2
  • indexiFly Premium (Monthly)$0.991 Month
  • indexiFly Premium (Annual)$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • indexiFly Premium (Lifetime)$14.99

Questions

Is iA Writer free?
iA Writer costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is indexiFly free?
indexiFly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do iA Writer or indexiFly have ads?
Neither iA Writer nor indexiFly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iA Writer or indexiFly?
iA Writer ships an update every 2 weeks, and indexiFly daily. Most recently, iA Writer was updated on November 1, 2026 and indexiFly on October 25, 2026.

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