# Scrivener vs Koolabo

The clearest difference is price: Koolabo at Free against Scrivener's $23.99. Koolabo also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months). Scrivener's advantage is chart position (#9 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Koolabo is free to download; Scrivener costs $23.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scrivener ships an update every 3 months, Koolabo every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scrivener | Koolabo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $23.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.2 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scrivener/id972387337/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 45.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 27 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Literature & Latte](https://appshunter.io/developer/418889514) | [Byron Werner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896752306) |

## 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


### Koolabo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/koolabo/id6770543274)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scrivener free?

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

### Is Koolabo free?

Koolabo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Scrivener or Koolabo have ads?

Neither Scrivener nor Koolabo shows ads.

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

Scrivener ships an update every 3 months, and Koolabo every 5 days. Most recently, Scrivener was updated on September 25, 2026 and Koolabo on September 17, 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.*