iA Writer
ProWritingAid
| Feature | iA Writer | ProWritingAid |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $49.99/mo | Free / from $10/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | writers, bloggers, minimalists, focused-writers | authors, fiction-writers, bloggers, students |
| Founded | 2010 | 2012 |
| Focus Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Markdown | ✓ | ✗ |
| Syntax Highlighting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Content Blocks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Publishing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Style Check | ✓ | ✗ |
| Grammar Check | ✗ | ✓ |
| Style Reports | ✗ | ✓ |
| Plagiarism Check | ✗ | ✓ |
| Readability | ✗ | ✓ |
| Overused Words | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ iA Writer Pros
- Beautiful minimalism
- Focus mode
- Cross-platform
- One-time purchase
✗ iA Writer Cons
- Very minimal features
- No collaboration
- Limited formatting
✓ ProWritingAid Pros
- Detailed writing reports
- Lifetime plan available
- Good for fiction
- Many integrations
✗ ProWritingAid Cons
- Can be overwhelming
- Slower than Grammarly
- Less accurate suggestions
The Verdict
iA Writer is built for writers and bloggers, with a focus on focus-mode and markdown. ProWritingAid targets authors and fiction writers and leads with grammar-check and style-reports.
On pricing, ProWritingAid 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.
ProWritingAid 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 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.