# Zoho Writer vs Novelist

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Novelist at 79% against Zoho Writer's 30%. Novelist also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.9) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Zoho Writer's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Novelist holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 140 and 214 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Zoho Writer's written reviews are positive against 79% of Novelist's.

Zoho Writer ships an update every 3 weeks, Novelist every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zoho Writer | Novelist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.9 (140 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoho-writer-document-editor/id808719064/reviews) | **[4.4 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelist-write-novels/id1564737393/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 140 | **214** |
| Positive reviews | 29.8% of reviews | **79.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 132 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zoho Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/388384807) | [Alessandro Riperi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1564737395) |

## What reviewers say

### Zoho Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoho-writer-document-editor/id808719064)

Create and edit documents with a clean, distraction-free interface. Collaborate with others in real-time, import and export various file formats, and access your work across all devices. Your changes are automatically saved and synced.

**Highlights:** Create and edit documents, Real-time collaboration, Import/export MS Word, PDF, ODT, Sync across devices, Offline access, Automatic saving

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface design
- 🔒 Privacy-focused alternative to Google Docs
- 📝 Good font variety and formatting options
- 💾 Automatic document saving
- 🌐 Cross-platform functionality (desktop, mobile, web)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- ⚠️ Severe data loss issues
- 🐢 Significant lag and slow typing response
- ❌ Missing core formatting features on mobile
- 🔐 Permission and access errors

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on document open
- Cursor jumps randomly in document
- Keyboard disappears during typing
- Punctuation disappears after saving
- Text erased or goes missing

**Requested features**

- Dark mode for mobile app
- Text wrapping around images
- Adjustable image sizing
- Cover page and page formatting options
- Document list view (not just icon view)


### Novelist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelist-write-novels/id1564737393)

This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools for authors to write, organize, and plot their novels. It offers features for scene creation, story structuring, goal setting, and manuscript export. The platform is designed to support the entire novel-writing process, from initial ideas to the final draft.

**Highlights:** Plotting with customizable story elements, Scene writing with rich formatting, Story organization into acts and chapters, Word count goals and deadline scheduling, Manuscript export in EPUB, ODT, HTML, Autosave and version history, Companion web app

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazingly different application
- 🔒 Completely free, with no ads or in-app purchases
- 👍 Well-organized all-in-one app for writing, plotting, outlining, and scheduling
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Helps with organizing and keeping things clean

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Confusing menu options and backup/restore process
- 🐛 Glitches when editing text, cursor behaves unexpectedly
- 🐛 Crashes or freezes on some devices
- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
- 🐛 Lack of font customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Backup/restore process can lead to data loss
- Cursor and text editing issues
- Crashes and freezes on some devices
- Syncing problems between devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to import/export in various formats (PDF, Markdown, etc.)
- Improved syncing and cloud integration
- More font and formatting options
- Ability to add images/illustrations to the book
- Collaboration/co-writing features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zoho Writer free?

Zoho Writer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Novelist free?

Novelist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Zoho Writer or Novelist?

Novelist is rated higher. Zoho Writer averages 2.9 out of 5 from 140 ratings, while Novelist averages 4.4 from 214 ratings.

### Do Zoho Writer or Novelist have ads?

Neither Zoho Writer nor Novelist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zoho Writer or Novelist?

Zoho Writer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Novelist every 6 weeks. Most recently, Zoho Writer was updated on October 23, 2026 and Novelist on October 24, 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.*