We stand with Ukraine to help keep people safe. Join us
All Apps
Best AppsReviewsComparisonsHow-To
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission

iA Writer for Mac

Professional writing suite (was iA Writer Pro).

$49.99
In English
Version 6.0.6
3.7
Based on 20 user rates

iA Writer overview

iA Writer (was iA Writer Pro) is a professional writing suite that gives you full control over your notes, drafts and edits.

  • Workflow: Note - Write - Edit - Read. Each stage has a task-specific typeface and color.
  • Syntax Control scans the syntax of English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish text and highlights your adjectives, nouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions or conjunctions.
  • Precision Writing Tools:
    • Auto Markdown formats text on-screen -- your hands stay on the keyboard
    • Syntax Control introduces syntactic markup for natural language text. It covers English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Patent pending.
    • Convert Markdown to Microsoft Word 2007 .docx, and back again
Features
  • Workflow states
  • Custom typefaces, carefully set for optimal readability
  • In-app preview
  • Reading time, plus sentence, word, and character count
  • Real-time iCloud sync
  • Ready for Retina displays
  • Full-screen

What’s new in version 6.0.6

Note: The downloadable demo is version 6.0.3; the version available for purchase on the Mac App Store is version 6.0.6.

This update fixes a few small bugs. It includes all the great features in iA Writer 6:

Wikilinks
  • Wikilinks make it easy to connect, browse, and rediscover your writing
  • A [[wikilink]] is a link from one text file to another
  • To make a wikilink, just type [[ and the name of the file you would like to link
  • Autocomplete suggests files from your Library
  • Open the linked file using the Open Link button in the keyboard bar, ⌘-click, or ⌘⏎
  • If the file doesn’t exist, it’ll be automatically created and ready to type
Navigation History
  • Navigation history keeps track of the files you recently opened using wikilinks, Library, or Quick Search
  • To go back and forward on iPhone, swipe right or left anywhere in the document
  • To go back and forward on iPad, swipe right or left with two fingers anywhere in the document on screen
  • Or hold ⌘ and swipe right or left on a trackpad
Lightning Menu
  • Fast access to your favorite formatting commands and features, right from the keyboard bar
  • Available starting with iOS and iPadOS 15
  • Fully configurable in Keyboard settings
Split Preview on iPad
  • Added ability to show Preview side-by-side with Editor
  • Enable in the Preview appearance menu
  • Scrolls in sync by default, configurable in Interface settings
Hashtag Improvements
  • Hashtags can be now added anywhere in text
  • Autocomplete suggests hashtags as you type
  • Consistent styling for hashtags and other links
  • Show a hashtag in Quick Search using the Open Link button in the keyboard bar, ⌘-click, or ⌘⏎
Autolinks
  • All web links and email addresses are automatically detected
  • Open a link in browser or compose a new email using the Open Link button in the keyboard bar, ⌘-click, or ⌘⏎
  • Control how wikilinks, hashtags, and autolinks are exported in Markdown settings
Content Block Improvements
  • To add a content block, type / at the beginning of a line and the name of the file you would like to include
  • Autocomplete suggests files from your Library
  • A path to a file is no longer required. Filename-only content blocks automatically find the nearest matching file
  • Open a text content block using the Open Link button in the keyboard bar, ⌘-click, or ⌘⏎
  • If the content block file doesn’t exist, it’ll be automatically created and ready to type
Metadata
  • All-new metadata engine enables powerful new features
  • Provide variables to text content blocks, width and height attributes to image content blocks
  • Supports Markdown in metadata variables
  • Define global metadata in Markdown settings
Look and Feel
  • Completed tasks are faded and crossed-out
  • All-new highlight colors: yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and green
  • Choose your favorite highlight color and configure completed task appearance in Editor settings
Editor Improvements
  • Editor automatically inserts closing brackets
  • Select text and type an opening bracket to wrap selection in matching brackets
  • Added indent width setting
  • Changed strikethrough shortcut to ⌥⌘U
  • Changed highlight shortcut to ⇧⌘U
  • Changed code shortcut to ⌘J
  • Added code block command with shortcut ⇧⌘J
  • Disabled spell checking, autocorrection, autocapitalization, and smart punctuation in code
  • Set up ⌘E shortcut to use selection for find
  • Changed shortcut to mark task as completed to ⌥⌘X
  • Redesigned find bar works much better with hardware keyboards, and provides direct access to matching style and case sensitivity on iOS and iPadOS 15
Other Improvements
  • Changed Library shortcut to ⌃⌘S
  • Task list items are searchable with Smart Folders and Quick Search using [ ] and [x]
  • Added ability to show and sort by date created in Library
  • Added fuzzy Library Path matching to Quick Search
  • Added an option to always show Editor and Preview toolbars, configurable in Interface settings
  • Deleted folders and files are moved to Recently Deleted in Files app starting with iOS and iPadOS 14
  • Integrated system menus on iOS and iPadOS 15

iA Writer for Mac

$49.99
In English
Version 6.0.6

What users say about iA Writer

Try our new feature and write a detailed review about iA Writer

Write your thoughts in our old-fashioned comment

MacUpdate Comment Policy. We strongly recommend leaving comments, however comments with abusive words, bullying, personal attacks of any type will be moderated.
3.7

(19 Reviews of iA Writer)

  • Comments

  • User Ratings

Gazman
Gazman
Jun 14 2024
6.0.6
0.0
Jun 14 2024
0.0
Version: 6.0.6
MacUpdate hasn't updated their listing in a while; iaWriter is now up to version 7.1.3. After initially proclaiming that iaWriter was anti-AI and is for human writing, they've now incorporated AI into the app, which I'm not so keen on - I use iaWriter for creative writing and I feel weird sharing my writing using an app which now has AI 'baked in'.
brice-edu
brice-edu
Feb 10 2020
5.4.3
5.0
Feb 10 2020
5.0
Version: 5.4.3
Excellent application if you want to boost your productivity while writing. Templates are quite good as well.
blockme
blockme
Jun 4 2019
5.2.7
4.5
Jun 4 2019
4.5
Version: 5.2.7
Better than Scrivener because I focus on writing now. Links would be nice though.
benam
benam
Oct 26 2018
5.1.3
4.0
Oct 26 2018
4.0
Version: 5.1.3
A very helpful writing tool that helps me focus on the content rather than on its presentation.
LeroyMorrison
LeroyMorrison
Jun 1 2018
5.0
0.0
Jun 1 2018
0.0
Version: 5.0
Is this app worth the price? I do a lot of writing but I am not sure if I should purchase it or not.
brice-edu
brice-edu
Feb 10 2020
5.0
Feb 10 2020
5.0
Version: null
blockme
blockme
Jun 4 2019
4.5
Jun 4 2019
4.5
Version: null
viniskate
viniskate
Jan 30 2019
5.0
Jan 30 2019
5.0
Version: null
benam
benam
Oct 26 2018
4.0
Oct 26 2018
4.0
Version: null
flosit
flosit
Aug 23 2018
3.5
Aug 23 2018
3.5
Version: null
williamreis8
williamreis8
Feb 9 2018
4.5
Feb 9 2018
4.5
Version: null
Funjoy
Funjoy
Jul 26 2017
4.0
Jul 26 2017
4.0
Version: null
anonymous-octopus-3320
Jul 8 2017
5.0
Version: null
mariabeatty111
mariabeatty111
Nov 30 2016
3.5
Nov 30 2016
3.5
Version: null
Mithoo
Mithoo
Nov 28 2016
5.0
Nov 28 2016
5.0
Version: null
jsmm
jsmm
Oct 14 2016
3.5
Oct 14 2016
3.5
Version: null
drbillyshears
drbillyshears
May 10 2016
4.0
May 10 2016
4.0
Version: null
xcoxco
xcoxco
Mar 2 2016
4.5
Mar 2 2016
4.5
Version: null
adrian-bliss88
adrian-bliss88
Dec 11 2015
3.5
Dec 11 2015
3.5
Version: null
Leonledragon
Leonledragon
Dec 2 2015
2.0
Dec 2 2015
2.0
Version: null
Filp
Filp
Sep 29 2015
5.0
Sep 29 2015
5.0
Version: null
Svenster
Svenster
Sep 28 2015
1.0
Sep 28 2015
1.0
Version: null
jazztrane
jazztrane
Apr 26 2014
5.0
Apr 26 2014
5.0
Version: null
Elbeavers
Elbeavers
Dec 27 2013
0.5
Dec 27 2013
0.5
Version: null
Mindplay
Mindplay
Dec 26 2013
0.5
Dec 26 2013
0.5
Version: null