Hemingway Editor
iA Writer
| Feature | Hemingway Editor | iA Writer |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10/mo | From $49.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | writers, bloggers, content-creators, students | writers, bloggers, minimalists, focused-writers |
| Founded | 2013 | 2010 |
| Readability Scoring | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sentence Highlighting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Adverb Detection | ✓ | ✗ |
| Passive Voice | ✓ | ✗ |
| Word Count | ✓ | ✗ |
| Formatting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Focus Mode | ✗ | ✓ |
| Markdown | ✗ | ✓ |
| Syntax Highlighting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Content Blocks | ✗ | ✓ |
| Publishing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Style Check | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Hemingway Editor Pros
- Simple and focused
- Readability scoring
- Free web version
- Offline desktop app
✗ Hemingway Editor Cons
- Limited features
- No grammar check
- Basic formatting
✓ iA Writer Pros
- Beautiful minimalism
- Focus mode
- Cross-platform
- One-time purchase
✗ iA Writer Cons
- Very minimal features
- No collaboration
- Limited formatting
The Verdict
Hemingway Editor is built for writers and bloggers, with a focus on readability-scoring and sentence-highlighting. iA Writer targets writers and bloggers and leads with focus-mode and markdown.
On pricing, Hemingway Editor is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $10/mo compared to $49.99/mo for iA Writer. That $39.99/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Hemingway Editor has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. iA Writer requires a paid subscription from day one.
Both tools are a solid fit for writers, bloggers — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.