Comparison

iWriter Pro vs Pane

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

Head to head
About

iWriter Pro

A minimalist text editor with robust Markdown support and distraction-free writing. It offers iCloud sync, live syntax highlighting, and various export options for documents.

Highlights
  • Clean and minimal interface
  • iCloud sync
  • Live Markdown syntax highlighting
  • HTML Preview
  • Typewriter mode
  • Document Browser with tags
  • Export to HTML, PDF, EPUB, DOCX, and more
Read full description

# iWriter Pro is elegant and minimalist text editor with built-in Markdown support. Distraction-free and subscription-free. ## Features: - Clean and minimal interface. - iCloud sync across iPad, iPhone, and Mac¹ devices. - Text editing with live Markdown syntax highlighting. - HTML Preview for Markdown and MultiMarkdown documents. - Typewriter mode² with focusing on line, sentence, or paragraph. - Powerful Document Browser³ with tags support. - Integrated counters for words, symbols, sentences, and paragraphs. - Fast and responsive editing even for large files. ## iWriter Pro supports: - Highlighting and rendering of LaTeX equations. - Flowchart and Mermaid diagrams. - Source code highlight in HTML preview. - Exporting documents as HTML, PDF, RTF, EPUB, LaTeX, and DOCX. - Keyboard shortcuts⁴ for text formatting and quick navigation. - Search and Replace in your documents. - Light and dark layouts (auto-switching included). - Automatic number/bullet/task list formatting. ¹ - iWriter Pro for Mac is available as a separate purchase on the Mac App Store. ² - Typewriter and Focus modes are available only on iPad. ³ - Editing files in Dropbox, Google Drive, and other 3d-party storage providers is not guaranteed. ⁴ - External keyboard is required.

About

Pane

Features
Read full description

Pane is a premium sticky notes app designed for people who think in text. Write in Markdown with a live WYSIWYG editor that hides syntax markers as you type — just like Bear. Bold, italic, headings, code, strikethrough, and links all render beautifully while keeping your notes in plain text. WRITE & ORGANIZE • Floating sticky notes on your Mac desktop with frosted glass backgrounds • Six Apple-inspired colors — Silver, Space Gray, Gold, Rose Gold, Blue, Purple • Checklist mode with tap-to-toggle checkboxes • Smart Folders auto-sort notes into Work, Personal, Shopping, Ideas, and Journal • Kanban board to track notes through Backlog, To Do, In Progress, and Done • Wiki-style [[note links]], @mentions, and backlinks to connect your thoughts • 50+ curated templates for meetings, journals, projects, movies, books, and more FOCUS & PRODUCTIVITY • Focus Timer with Pomodoro cycles built into every note • Reminders with local notifications and Apple Calendar sync • Natural date detection — write "meeting on Friday" and Pane suggests a reminder • Typewriter mode keeps your cursor centered while you write • Voice transcription for hands-free note capture EVERYWHERE YOU NEED IT • Mac menu bar app — always one click away, never clutters your Dock • Full-featured iOS app with grid, list, and kanban views • iCloud sync keeps everything in sync across all your devices • Apple Watch companion for quick capture on the go • Lock Screen widgets to keep important notes visible • Dynamic Island shows your active note while multitasking • Spotlight search and Handoff for seamless workflow • Siri Shortcuts integration PRIVATE & SECURE • Lock sensitive notes with Face ID, Touch ID, or Optic ID • All data synced through your personal iCloud — we never see your notes • No account required, no tracking, no ads Pane is built for people who want their notes fast, beautiful, and out of the wa

Screenshots

iWriter Pro4 screens
Pane4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pane at every 4 days against iWriter Pro's every 3 months. Pane also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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

iWriter Pro costs $5.99 and Pane $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iWriter Pro ships an update every 3 months, Pane every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
iWriter Pro versus Pane: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriWriter ProPane
Price$5.99$5.99
Rating4.7 (131 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews68.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings131 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS2616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSerpensoft GroupSulhadin Oney

Bugs and requests

iWriter Pro

Reported bugs

31 issues
  • App crashes and freezes frequently
  • Data loss or corruption during editing/syncing
  • iCloud and Dropbox sync issues
  • Exported DOCX files are not fully compatible
  • Autocorrect option is confusingly named
Show 26 more
  • Cannot rename documents outside of iWriter folder
  • List indentation can be problematic
  • Markdown menus on keyboard have delayed response
  • Automatic dark mode not working after update
  • Mermaid plugin not working with iOS 18
  • Preview barely works
  • App not being updated to fix bugs
  • Developer does not respond
  • Multiline LaTeX not supported
  • App crashes on iPad Pro 2020 after update
  • Conversion to DOCX has restrictions
  • No preview section in settings for plugins
  • Photos cannot be inserted (folder access permission issue)
  • Cannot read images from hidden folders
  • Line breaks in exported documents turn into spaces
  • Formulae not working
  • Occasional rendering bug where text doesn't fill screen
  • App crashes immediately upon opening
  • Google Drive sync issues and inability to open/save files
  • iCloud synchronization consumes too much battery
  • App deletes work for no reason
  • Dropbox connection is poor and leads to conflicts/data loss
  • Font compatibility issues in document names
  • App is very basic and doesn't work well with other Markdown editors
  • Impolite developers
  • App is unstable

Requested features

22 requests
  • Add table support (Markdown)
  • Allow reordering of shortcuts
  • Cycle visibility on headings using Tab
  • Add Mark Set and cut region
  • Wordpress export
Show 17 more
  • Syntax highlighting
  • File tree or explorer in sidebar
  • Regex search
  • Auto dark mode
  • Select and open a folder
  • Obsidian support (hyperlink function)
  • Chinese support
  • Add math input
  • Passcode lock feature
  • Change font color
  • Hybrid/mixed editor/preview mode
  • Automatic backup to Dropbox/other cloud storage
  • Add file opening options in preview mode
  • Enter title edit mode immediately after creating a new file
  • Change shortcut keys from moving cursor to indent
  • Customizable paste symbols
  • Full-text search

Pane

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

iWriter Pro

No in-app purchases

None

Pane

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iWriter Pro free?
iWriter Pro costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pane free?
Pane costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do iWriter Pro or Pane have ads?
Neither iWriter Pro nor Pane shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iWriter Pro or Pane?
iWriter Pro ships an update every 3 months, and Pane every 4 days. Most recently, iWriter Pro was updated on October 15, 2026 and Pane on September 29, 2026.

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