SolarWriter vs WriteTimer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SolarWriter
Transform your e-reader into a portable typewriter for outdoor writing. This app connects your keyboard to your e-reader's screen, allowing you to type comfortably on e-ink displays in bright sunlight. Save and share your work easily.
- E-reader integration
- External keyboard support
- Outdoor writing on e-ink screens
- Text mirroring to e-reader
- File saving and sharing
- Detailed setup instructions
Read full descriptionHide full description
Traditional screens are fantastic everywhere but outside, especially on a sunny day. E-ink screens work well, but e-readers like the Kindle are difficult to type on and don't support external keyboards. SolarWriter gives you the best of both worlds. SolarWriter runs on your iOS device and acts as a hub between your keyboard and your e-reader. You type on the keyboard, and the text appears on both on the iOS device and on the e-reader's screen (via its web browser). Take advantage of your Kindle's (or other e-reader's) e-ink screen to put your thoughts on paper even outside, with no need to transcribe later. Write at parks, on beaches, in backyards... anywhere you wanted to but couldn't. Save files on your device, or share through email, SMS, and more. Detailed instructions for setup are included inside the app.
WriteTimer
This app helps writers establish a consistent writing routine through focused sprint sessions and progress tracking. It offers word count logging, achievement milestones, and customizable progress rings without requiring accounts or collecting user data.
- Focused sprint timer with custom durations
- Word count tracking with WPM calculation
- Daily, weekly, and yearly progress rings
- Writing streak and achievement tracking
- Session notes and project tags
- No accounts or ads, data stays on device
Read full descriptionHide full description
Writers of all types deserve a dedicated timer. WriteTimer helps you build a daily writing habit with focused sprint sessions, word count tracking, achievement milestones, and beautiful progress rings — no accounts, no ads, and no data ever leaving your device. HOW IT WORKS Choose a session length or dial in a custom duration and press play. A full-screen countdown begins, with three animated progress rings showing your daily, weekly, and yearly writing time at a glance. Completed sessions are logged automatically. Need more time mid-sprint? Tap any preset to add minutes to a running timer without interrupting your flow. TRACK YOUR WRITING After each session, log a note about what you worked on, how many words you wrote, and even add a customizable tag. WriteTimer calculates your words-per-minute pace automatically and saves everything to your session history. Browse your history sorted by date, word count, or project tag. Tap any session entry to edit its note, word count, or tags from a single screen. The Stats tab shows daily, weekly, and yearly writing totals alongside a seven-day activity chart. BUILD YOUR HABIT WriteTimer tracks your writing streak day by day and awards achievements as you hit milestones — your first session, your first word count, consistent weeks, and more. A customizable daily reminder notification nudges you to open the app and write. FEATURES • No subscriptions - pay once for lifetime • Sprint timer with 7 presets and a custom duration option • Add minutes to any running session without stopping • Three animated progress rings — daily, weekly, and yearly goals • Automatic session logging for any session over one minute • Word count tracking with live words-per-minute calculation • Session notes to capture what you worked on • Project tags to organize sessions by book, blog, or project • Sortable session history — by date, word count, or tag • Writing streaks to build and maintain your habit • Achievements to mark your milestones • Five hand-crafted color themes you can customize • Fully customizable progress ring colors • Six completion sounds to mark the end of each sprint • Daily reminder notification at a time you choose • Stats view with a seven-day writing activity chart YOUR PRIVACY WriteTimer collects no data whatsoever. There are no accounts to create, no analytics running in the background, and no third-party SDKs of any kind. Everything — your sessions, word counts, notes, tags, and streaks — lives entirely on your device. BUILT FOR WRITERS Whether you're working on a novel, a blog post, a screenplay, or a daily journal practice, WriteTimer gives you the motivation and structure to sit down, focus, and write. Every session is logged. Every word is counted. Every streak is worth protecting.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SolarWriter at Free against WriteTimer's $2.99. SolarWriter also leads on ratings volume (16 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). WriteTimer's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads and device support 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
SolarWriter is free to download; WriteTimer costs $2.99 up front. SolarWriter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. WriteTimer asks for nothing beyond the download.
WriteTimer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SolarWriter has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
SolarWriter ships an update every 5 months, WriteTimer every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 10, 2026.
| Parameter | SolarWriter | WriteTimer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 3.8 (16 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 92 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cool S, LLC | Dark Wren Creative, LLC |
Customer experience
SolarWriter
WriteTimer
In-app purchases
SolarWriter
- SolarWriter Pro$9.99
WriteTimer
No in-app purchases









