# iA Writer vs Scratch

The clearest difference is price: Scratch at $1.99 against iA Writer's $19.99. Scratch also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 73%). iA Writer's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 1) and chart position (#31 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

iA Writer costs $19.99 and Scratch $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scratch holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iA Writer has 1.5K ratings behind it against 1, 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 100% of Scratch's.

iA Writer ships an update fortnightly, Scratch every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iA Writer | Scratch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer/id775737172/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratch/id6814767978/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 73.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#31** | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Information Architects AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/775737175) | [Fran Besora Malo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881994664) |

## What reviewers say

### iA Writer

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

**Currently charting:** #31 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


### Scratch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratch/id6814767978)

A fast and simple note-taking app for capturing ideas, drafting messages, or saving temporary text. It automatically saves your work and offers advanced text correction using AI. Easily copy, paste, share, or clear your notes.

**Highlights:** Automatic saving of all notes, AI-powered spelling, grammar, and punctuation correction, One-tap text copying, Clipboard pasting, Sharing to other applications, Customizable appearance modes and colors, Adjustable text size and haptic feedback

**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 Scratch free?

Scratch costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Scratch is rated higher. iA Writer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Scratch averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do iA Writer or Scratch have ads?

Neither iA Writer nor Scratch shows ads.

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

iA Writer ships an update fortnightly, and Scratch every 2 days. Most recently, iA Writer was updated on October 19, 2026 and Scratch on October 12, 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.*