# Scrivener vs Simpletext

The clearest difference is price: Simpletext at $14.99 against Scrivener's $23.99. Simpletext also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 46%). Scrivener's advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 23) and chart position (#9 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scrivener costs $23.99 and Simpletext $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Scrivener against 4.1 for Simpletext. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scrivener has 2.6K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of Scrivener's written reviews are positive against 73% of Simpletext's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scrivener | Simpletext |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $23.99 | **$14.99** |
| Rating | **[4.2 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scrivener/id972387337/reviews)** | [4.1 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simpletext/id1319340670/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | 45.6% of reviews | **73.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 27 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Literature & Latte](https://appshunter.io/developer/418889514) | [Yeow Jin Gan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1241352692) |

## What reviewers say

### Scrivener

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scrivener/id972387337)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app is a comprehensive writing tool designed for long-form manuscripts. It allows users to compose text in any order, manage research materials alongside their writing, and export to various formats. It supports flexible outlining and restructuring of content.

**Highlights:** Manuscript composition in sections, Research material integration, Flexible outlining and reorganization, Export to multiple formats, Interactive tutorial, Project-wide search

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Simpletext

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simpletext/id1319340670)

This app offers a minimalist writing experience, focusing solely on plain text. It provides a distraction-free environment with beautiful typography and native performance across Apple devices. Ideal for those who want to concentrate on their words without unnecessary features.

**Highlights:** Zero clutter interface, Beautiful typography with professional fonts, Plain text only support, Fully native Apple app, Supports custom fonts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scrivener free?

Scrivener costs $23.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Simpletext free?

Simpletext costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Scrivener or Simpletext?

Scrivener is rated higher. Scrivener averages 4.2 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Simpletext averages 4.1 from 23 ratings.

### Do Scrivener or Simpletext have ads?

Neither Scrivener nor Simpletext shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scrivener or Simpletext?

Scrivener ships an update every 3 months, and Simpletext every 3 months. Most recently, Scrivener was updated on October 1, 2026 and Simpletext on September 26, 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.*