# Author vs iWriter 2

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Author | iWriter 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$9.99** |
| Rating | [3.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/author/id951792010/reviews) | **[4.5 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwriter-2/id1467417914/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **10** |
| Positive reviews | **71.5% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 4 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Augmented Text Company LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/459748478) | [Serpensoft Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/321979768) |

## What reviewers say

### Author

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/author/id951792010)

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.

**Highlights:** Minimalist writing interface, Powerful writing tools, iOS companion app, Syncs with macOS version

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Export & AI | Free | one-time |
| Eng | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Clean, minimalist interface design
- 💡 Innovative concept mapping and mind mapping features
- 📚 Excellent citation and reference management
- ⌨️ Useful keyboard shortcuts and productivity features
- 🎯 Powerful outlining and document folding capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss issues
- 📱 iOS/iPad app severely broken and non-functional
- 🔄 Syncing problems between devices
- 🎨 Limited formatting and customization options
- 📊 Poor image handling capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### iWriter 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iwriter-2/id1467417914)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Author free?

Author costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is iWriter 2 free?

iWriter 2 costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Author or iWriter 2?

iWriter 2 is rated higher. Author averages 3.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while iWriter 2 averages 4.5 from 10 ratings.

### Do Author or iWriter 2 have ads?

Neither Author nor iWriter 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Author or iWriter 2?

Author ships an update every 2 months, and iWriter 2 every 3 weeks. Most recently, Author was updated on October 10, 2026 and iWriter 2 on October 15, 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.*