# Just Write vs Happy Squid

The clearest difference is ads: Happy Squid at none against Just Write's shown. Happy Squid also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%). Just Write's advantage is ratings volume (1.8K vs 1) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Just Write sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Happy Squid sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Just Write holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Just Write has 1.8K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Just Write's written reviews are positive against 100% of Happy Squid's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Just Write ships an update every 11 days, Happy Squid every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Just Write | Happy Squid |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/just-write-app-for-writer/id942826631/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/happy-squid/id6811662936/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tung Vu](https://appshunter.io/developer/870117448) | [Brunnel Maar Zinn GbR](https://appshunter.io/developer/6806780763) |

## What reviewers say

### Just Write

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/just-write-app-for-writer/id942826631)

A minimalist text editor designed to streamline the writing process. It supports both RTF and TXT formats, offering rich text editing and Markdown support. Sync your work across devices with iCloud integration.

**Highlights:** RTF and TXT file support, Markdown styling, iCloud file syncing, Rich text editing tools, Multiple themes, Smart selection tool (iPad)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Simple and straightforward interface
- 📁 Organized folder system
- ✨ Clean and minimalist design
- 🆓 Free to use with no ads
- ⚡️ Offline writing capability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and data loss issues
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/accessing files
- 🔧 Limited formatting and customization options
- 🖥️ Lack of syncing/cross-device support
- 🖋️ No spell check or grammar assistance

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and data loss
- Inability to reopen saved documents
- Unreliable auto-save functionality
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Implement more font and formatting choices
- Introduce paragraph spacing and indentation controls
- Integrate spell check and grammar tools
- Enable file syncing across devices


### Happy Squid

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/happy-squid/id6811662936)

This intelligent website blocker allows you to block distracting sites while enabling access to specific content through custom exceptions. It helps users focus on their work by blocking unrelated websites and allows scheduling of focused work sessions.

**Highlights:** Block any website, Add intelligent exceptions, Block by category, Lock blocks for duration, Schedule free time, Focus on specific tasks

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Happy Squid Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Happy Squid Pro | $35.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Just Write free?

Just Write is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Happy Squid free?

Happy Squid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Just Write or Happy Squid?

Just Write is rated higher. Just Write averages 4.3 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Happy Squid averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Just Write or Happy Squid have ads?

Just Write shows ads; Happy Squid does not.

### Which is updated more often, Just Write or Happy Squid?

Just Write ships an update every 11 days, and Happy Squid every 9 days. Most recently, Just Write was updated on November 11, 2026 and Happy Squid on October 31, 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.*