Verdict
iA Writer is a clean, focused Markdown editor with iCloud sync that many reviewers call calm and distraction-free. Some users report crashes and freezing, especially with non-iCloud cloud drives or long documents.
Best for
Someone writing Markdown documents on iPhone or iPad who keeps everything in iCloud Drive and wants a plain, clutter-free editor rather than a full word processor.
Dealbreaker
Several reviewers report freezing, crashing, or scroll-sync problems when working with non-iCloud cloud storage like Dropbox or Google Drive.
The facts.
Pulled from the App Store, not written by hand.
Price
$19.99 once
In-app purchases
Unknown
Ads
Unknown
Platforms
iPhone, iPad
Rating
4.6★ (1,543)
Version
8.1.1
Last updated
Oct 25, 2026
Released
Dec 19, 2013
Attributes
Native appOne-time purchaseNo subscription
Category
Productivity, Business
What reviews consistently say.
Themes grouped from 200 App Store reviews. Source feed ›
Praised for
Import and export23 reviews
Ease of use and design15 reviews
Sync and multi-device13 reviews
Subscription pricing and paywalls10 reviews
Value for money7 reviews
Battery and performance2 reviews
Complained about
Crashes and stability8 reviews
Sync and multi-device4 reviews
Import and export3 reviews
Misses some ads2 reviews
Where this comes from
23 of 200 recent reviews raised: Import and exportApp Store reviews ›
15 of 200 recent reviews raised: Ease of use and designApp Store reviews ›
13 of 200 recent reviews raised: Sync and multi-deviceApp Store reviews ›
8 of 200 recent reviews raised: Crashes and stabilityApp Store reviews ›
13 of 200 recent reviews raised: Sync and multi-deviceApp Store reviews ›
Listed at $19.99 once on the App StoreApp Store listing ›
Where we recommend it
Note-taking apps you buy once ›Writing and note apps with no monthly charge.
Alternatives with the same rule.
Every app here is a single purchase. None of them can start charging you monthly for what you already bought. Also with a catch.
$4.99 once · 4.6★ (392) · Updated Sep 24, 2025
Verdict. 1Writer is a markdown editor built around syncing to your own storage (Dropbox, iCloud, WebDAV, Nextcloud) rather than a proprietary cloud, which is why people use it alongside apps like Obsidian without paying for another sync service. Reviews consistently praise the file import/export and sync flexibility, though a minority report syncing bugs and occasional crashes with Dropbox.
Best for. Someone already using Dropbox, iCloud, or a self-hosted WebDAV/Nextcloud setup who wants a markdown editor that plugs into that storage without adding another subscription for sync.
Dealbreaker. A recurring minority of reviewers report sync breaking or files failing to stay connected, especially with Dropbox and iCloud folders, plus occasional crashes when switching files.
$23.99 once · 4.2★ (2,605) · Updated Sep 29, 2023
Verdict. Scrivener is a serious long-form writing tool with real organizational depth, but its mobile syncing via Dropbox is unreliable for a large share of users, and crashes on iPad are common enough to worry about.
Best for. A novelist or screenwriter who structures long manuscripts on a Mac and mainly wants the iPad app as a secondary writing tool, not their primary workspace.
Dealbreaker. Syncing between devices via Dropbox frequently breaks or causes conflicts, and a meaningful number of reviewers report crashes that make the iPad app unusable for periods of time.
$5.99 once · 4.4★ (180) · Updated Apr 9, 2020
Verdict. The plainest of these. Markdown, a clean sheet, and files that live in iCloud or Dropbox rather than inside the app.
Best for. A writer who already keeps plain-text files in a folder and wants a tidy place to edit them on a phone.
Dealbreaker. Syncing is where it falls down — nineteen of the last two hundred reviews describe it hanging on download or crashing when opening a file it did not create itself.