Author vs iWriter 2
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Author
This app serves as a companion to its macOS counterpart, offering a minimalist and powerful writing experience on iOS devices. It allows users to create and manage their written content seamlessly across platforms.
- Minimalist writing interface
- Powerful writing tools
- iOS companion app
- Syncs with macOS version
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The iOS companion to Author macOS.
iWriter 2
A minimalist Markdown editor designed for distraction-free writing. It offers MultiMarkdown support with live preview, syntax highlighting, and seamless export to various formats. Organize and manage your documents with a built-in manager.
- Minimalist, distraction-free writing interface
- Full MultiMarkdown support with live preview
- Syntax highlighting and keyboard shortcuts
- Automatic progress saving
- Seamless export to HTML, PDF, EPUB, DOCX, LaTeX
- Built-in document manager with search
- Rebuilt with TextKit 2 for enhanced performance
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iWriter 2 is an elegant and minimalist Markdown text editor designed for distraction-free writing. # iWriter 2 is the next generation of the beloved iWriter text editor. "Simple & beautiful" App Store Review, 2019 "Terrific Writing and Notes App" App Store Review, 2015 "Great simple text editor" App Store Review, 2014 Immerse yourself in a minimalist writing environment designed to enhance focus and productivity. Say hello to structured, professional documents that effortlessly transform your ideas. ## MultiMarkdown Support iWriter 2 is a full-featured Markdown editor built for precision and flexibility. - MultiMarkdown support with live preview and syntax highlighting. - Wikilinks and Wiki-Embeds for connected notes. - Task lists and code blocks made simple. - Keyboard shortcuts for fast inline formatting. ## Built-in Document Manager A built-in document manager that lets you easily organize, browse, and manage all your files in one place — complete with powerful document search to quickly find exactly what you need. ## Rebuilt with TextKit 2 iWriter 2 has been completely rebuilt from the ground up using Apple’s modern TextKit 2 framework, delivering faster performance, smoother scrolling, and a more responsive writing experience. ## Multiple Export Options A refined, user-friendly interface designed for focus and productivity, offering intuitive formatting options and seamless export to multiple formats including HTML, PDF, EPUB, DOCX (Microsoft Word), and LaTeX. ## LaTeX and Mermaid Diagrams iWriter 2 offers LaTeX syntax highlighting, making complex math expressions easy to read and edit as you write. It also supports Mermaid diagrams, letting you create flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and more using simple text-based syntax. Both integrate seamlessly into your Markdown workflow, keeping technical writing and visual documentation in one place. --- Terms of Use: http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://serpensoft.com/privacy-policy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: iWriter 2 at $9.99 against Author's $19.99. iWriter 2 also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Author's advantage is review sentiment (72% vs 40%) and device support (4 vs 2). On ratings volume and ads 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
Author costs $19.99 and iWriter 2 $9.99 up front. Author sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. iWriter 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.
iWriter 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 10 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Author's written reviews are positive against 40% of iWriter 2's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Author ships an update every 2 months, iWriter 2 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Author | iWriter 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | $9.99 — better |
| Rating | 3.0 (5 ratings) | 4.5 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 71.5% of reviews — better | 40.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 10 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 18.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Augmented Text Company LTD | Serpensoft Group |
Customer experience
Author
iWriter 2
Bugs and requests
Author
Reported bugs
20 issues- App crashes frequently, causing data loss
- iOS app shows blank screen and won't open documents
- iPad app completely non-functional
- Text disappears or becomes greyed out during iCloud saves
- Vision OS app lacks cursor for text input
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- Ask AI feature shows infinite loading spinner
- Unexpected Russian pricing text displayed to US users
- App doesn't launch or open on some systems
- Files not detected in Downloads folder
- Cannot open documents created in desktop version on iOS
- Automatic file conversion to Liquid format breaks iOS compatibility
- Text rendering issues (white text on white background)
- Table function broken - cannot write in cells
- App lags and deletes lines when typing quickly
- Highlight feature not working
- Citations not resolving automatically
- Markdown export only exports preamble
- Copy-paste functionality issues
- French localization not working despite being advertised
- App not compatible with iOS 18 and latest macOS versions
Requested features
20 requests- iPad and iOS app that actually works
- Typewriter scrolling mode
- Variable screen width for large displays
- Complete LaTeX export with full file support
- Markdown support
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- Better image handling and integration
- Find and replace functionality
- Dark mode for older macOS versions
- Inline predictive text support
- Nested list creation and editing
- Paragraph indentation options
- Photo support on macOS version
- Keyboard shortcut reference guide
- Table editing improvements
- Integration with reference management software (Zotero, EndNote)
- Local AI endpoints or BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) for privacy
- Better onboarding and UI guidance for new users
- Typeface options (Courier, American Typewriter, serif fonts)
- Line spacing options (1.5, double spacing)
- Color themes and dark mode options
iWriter 2
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Author
- Export & AIFree
- Eng$1.99
iWriter 2
No in-app purchases
