ghostwriter vs iA Writer

ghostwriter

• Linux and Windows users who want a free Markdown editor
• Writers who draft first and format later
• Bloggers who need clean HTML from Markdown

iA Writer

• Writers who want a bare Markdown editor with no toolbars
• People who want to see which text they typed and which they pasted from AI
• Buyers who prefer a one-time payment to a subscription

ghostwriter

• macOS support is unofficial and community-provided: there is no installer, so the app has to be compiled from source.
• The Windows download is offered only as a portable 64-bit build for Windows 10.
• No mobile or web version is listed.
• Export to other formats relies on processors such as Pandoc or MultiMarkdown.

iA Writer

• Each platform is a separate purchase: Mac, Windows, and iPhone and iPad are bought individually.
• The Android app was removed from sale in September 2024, and iA says it is not planning a web-based version.
• A one-time payment covers the current version; minor updates are free, but major updates may cost extra.
• The 7-day free trial is offered for Mac and Windows only.

ghostwriter

Live preview

Shows the Markdown document as HTML beside the editor, tuned to stay responsive on large documents. The HTML can be copied into a blog.

Focus Mode

Highlights the text around the cursor and fades the rest. It can be set to highlight the current line, sentence, paragraph or three lines.

Hemingway Mode

Disables the backspace and delete keys so that drafting cannot be interrupted by editing, in the manner of a typewriter.

Outline navigation

A sidebar outline jumps to any section of the document, in the editor and in the live preview, by mouse or with Ctrl+J and the arrow keys.

Document and session statistics

A live word count sits at the bottom of the window, and sidebar tabs show further statistics for the document and the current session.

Export through Markdown processors

Exports to other formats using Pandoc, MultiMarkdown or commonmark, and uses Pandoc to render equations with MathJax.

iA Writer

Focus Mode

Highlights the sentence or paragraph being written and fades the rest of the document, in an interface with no buttons or title bar.

Authorship

Tracks what was typed and what was pasted. Your own words stay black and white, AI text appears in color and other authors in subtle tones.

Style Check

Flags clichés, fillers and clutter and leaves the decision to cut them with the writer. The check runs on the device.

Plain text with Markdown

Documents are plain text formatted with Markdown. A Preview shows the styled result using a template, and links, pictures and tables can be embedded.

Export

Copies a document as HTML or exports it to PDF or Microsoft Word. The iPhone and iPad listing also names WordPress and Medium as export targets.

ghostwriter

• Free$0

  The complete editor at no cost: a portable 64-bit build for Windows 10 and packages for Linux distributions, with source code for other platforms.

iA Writer

• iPhone & iPad$19.99

  one-time payment, App Store only

  The iPhone and iPad app, sold only through the App Store. Requires iOS 15 or later.

• Windows$29.99

  one-time payment

  Bought directly from iA and usable on more than one Windows PC. Requires Windows 10 or later.

• Mac$49.99

  one-time payment

  Bought directly from iA or on the Mac App Store. Requires macOS 10.15 or later.

ghostwriter

No public discounts listed.

iA Writer

• Education

  20% educational discount on direct purchases

  iA offers a 20% educational discount on the Mac and Windows versions bought directly from it. App Store copies get education pricing on 20 or more licenses through Apple School Manager.