iWriter Pro vs em
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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# 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.
em
A distraction-free Markdown editor for Mac, iPad, and iPhone that keeps your writing files private and accessible. Features smart search, automatic version history, and optional AI assistance for editing and content review.
- Distraction-free Markdown editor
- Smart Search with filters and Smart Folders
- Automatic version history stored in iCloud
- Ghost site integration for publishing
- On-device AI for editing and review
- Offline editing capabilities
- Customizable reader and editor
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em is a Markdown writing app for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, built on one idea: your writing files are yours, and you're the only one who should decide what to do with 'em. WRITE 'EM WITH MARKDOWN Capture your thoughts in a distraction-free Markdown editor tuned for each device. em counts your words and reading time, but only if you want it to. FIND 'EM WITH SMART SEARCH Smart Search lists every file holding your words, the ones holding all of them first. Use quotes, +, -, OR and * for precision, filter by library, tag, status or year, and save any search as a Smart Folder that stays current. Only remember what a piece was about? Ask em. PROTECT 'EM WITH VERSION HISTORY Every edit is automatically versioned and backed up to iCloud. Compare and restore versions from any device, so an accidental deletion never costs you your writing. PUBLISH 'EM WITH GHOST Connect em to your Ghost site to edit, back up, and publish natively in Markdown that maps to Ghost's cards. em supports 19 Ghost editorial cards, plus drafts, scheduling, and newsletters. EXPLORE 'EM WITH AI (BUT ONLY IF YOU WANT TO) Ask em questions and get answers grounded in your files, not the internet. On OS 27, Siri can search, add, or edit notes in the libraries you approve. Get an Editorial Review from a prompt you can read and edit — it's a document in your library. em doesn't write your drafts; it helps you edit 'em. ALL FEATURES - Smart Search: Search operators, filters, and Smart Folders - Version History: Automatic versioning, stored in iCloud - Ghost Sites: Sync, edit, publish, and send newsletters - AI on Your Terms: On-device Apple Intelligence by default; optionally Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini with your API key - Siri AI: Search, add, or edit notes in approved libraries (OS 27) - Ask em: Answers from your own archive - Editorial Review: AI feedback from a prompt you control - Apple Shortcuts: Start an AI conversation or publish to Ghost - Journaling Suggestions: Capture memories in Markdown (iOS) - Read Aloud: Hear your draft to catch what your eyes miss - Customization: Reader and Editor fonts and colors - Export: Save any Ghost post as a Markdown file - Offline Editing: Works without an iCloud or Ghost connection - Even More: Printing, word counts, and yes — em dash highlighting PRIVACY, PLAINLY em has no server. That's not a promise about what the developer does with your data — there's no backend, no account, and no company database where your writing could end up. Your writing syncs through your iCloud and nowhere else. AI features are off by default and, if turned on, run on-device with Apple Intelligence. Want a larger model? Connect Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini with your own API key — your account, your billing, revocable anytime. em names the model answering, every time. Transparency Statement: AI was used in developing this app, but every feature idea, design call, and architectural decision was made by a human.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: iWriter Pro at $5.99 against em's $19.99. iWriter Pro also leads on ratings volume (132 vs 1). em's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
iWriter Pro costs $5.99 and em $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
em holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iWriter Pro has 132 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
iWriter Pro ships an update every 3 months, em every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iWriter Pro | em |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (132 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 132 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #179 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 26 | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Serpensoft Group | Justin Cox |
Customer experience
iWriter Pro
em
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
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- 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
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- 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
em
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
iWriter Pro
No in-app purchases
em
No in-app purchases









