1Writer - Markdown Text Editor Reviews

I’m a writer and I’ve been through a number of text editors for iOS. When my last favorite one wilted and died due to lack of support, I set out to find a really good one. Various sources steered me to this app, and I discovered I’d already bought it in the past but never used it. I reinstalled it, set it up to sync with Dropbox, and have been happy ever since. My previous text editors would often not allow me to create new files unless I was online or had a data signal (because I had them set to sync with Dropbox), but this app doesn’t give me that trouble.

The one thing I really miss from my last, now dead, text editor was the option to “select line” when you touch and hold and get the usual “select” and “select all” options. Often, it would be convenient to select a line or paragraph without having to drag the beginning and ending markers hither & yon using a touch screen. So pleeeeeeeeease add that, okay? Thanks!

Have been really enjoying 1Writer so far. I started experimenting with TextExpander and one thing I would really like to see is better support like Drafts has. For example, when expanding a snippet with placeholders, Drafts actually opens up the TextExpander app so that you can fill in the placeholder and then returns to completed text to the Drafts app.

Also, trying to edit in place inside Dropbox seems to be buggy. It constantly tries to update the file while it's still open, which has caused me to lose some work. I haven't bothered with that since first trying it. I do appreciate the Dropbox integration. One thing I would like is the ability to create the new files inside a Dropbox folder of my choice so that they are available on all devices. What's the point of saving something locally? Maybe this feature is there and I just haven't found it yet.

EDIT: thanks for the response. To clarify, I meant setting the default location of NEW files to Dropbox. In other words, having the new files when I open 1Writer automatically save to Dropbox instead of to the device.

EDIT 2: Well, this feature is already there. Never mind!! Thanks for the response once again.

Overall a five star app; improved TextExpander support would really make it nice for composing emails with templates and placeholders. Please add it!

Hope more features are added overtime (like creating custom shortcuts for each of the actions maybe!?)

One of my main issues with 1Writer is not being able to see the whole title of your notes. So please fix this first. Everyone who uses this for ZK notes complains about this and I imagine it would be a relatively easy fix.

Would be nice also if you could open links in the side window like Bear which makes it easy to flip through the links in a note to quickly take a look at them. FWI in Bear the right window stays put when you click links and the left window opens the link. In this app when you click a link you leave the page you’re on even if you have two windows open.

Prior to getting 1Writer, I had tried around 30 “mark down-capable, cloud-connected“ iPhone apps to integrate with many notes stored in many folders on dropbox.

I first tried Simplenote and some others, I think 2011-ish, because I was unhappy with Evernote‘s lock-in of my text notes, and I had heard Merlin Mann and some other respected tech folks explain plaintext and markdown.

Over the years, some apps would work for a while, then not.

I switched to this app in 2016 or 2017, and I liked the interface, the favorite folders, and the tag support.

After having years of problems with apps not being able to handle dropbox synchronization without bogging down, crashing, duplicating data, etc., I was prepared for 1Writer to eventually fail as well.

Good news for me – it did not fail, and the synchronization has been amazingly good – no crashes or duplicates, no need to restart the synchronization all the time.

Even if I don’t synchronize for a while, then go back into 1Writer and rubber band to refresh, and then leave 1Writer , when I return, everything is synced up nicely.

I have no time to write reviews, but my sense of gratitude for this great app compels me to share the goodness, so there you go :-)

Last decade I began to separate content from style as a CSS + HTML based website designer. I normally write all content as plain text, then import and style as appropriate for web, print, etc. My file structure is mainly plain text files organized by client and project into folders.

this app is ideal for working this way. I can quickly browse and edit cloud-based files on the iPad, then do likewise on the Mac using a standard text editor and Finder. Sync between platforms has been working well for me. I prefer this paradigm to other text editing apps that bundle multiple documents into a single large package.

The this app interface is thoughtfully designed, uncluttered and stable. Markup is a welcome bonus at times that I use it.

I started using this app with Dropbox years ago, which allowed me to take notes on both my iPad and iPhone and sync them to various other computers. Super helpful, and the direct editing of files on Dropbox was generally pretty robust (I don’t remember ever losing data when switching between devices on the same document, though obviously something I would try to be careful about!).

Now that I’m migrating to a WebDAV server for syncing, this app is still my go-to note taking app. I appreciate the in-line style preview for Markdown formatting, and while I had some crashing issues at first with the new server setup, it’s all sorted out now.

Thanks for the great app.

Ok. I gave 1Writer 5 stars because it truly is incredible and deserves 5 stars ... normally. You see, this app has been an essential component in my trusted Drafts / nvALT / Dropbox note system for years. BUT, if it weren't for our long-standing relationship, I'd knock it down to 4 stars. Why? At some point in the last year or so, 1Writer stopped being able to handle my notes folder: It crashes (every time, without fail) after just a handful of insignificant edits to any given note. Devs, please fix! this app is one of the best in class, and I don't want to have to migrate to an alternative!

this app is an excellent text editor. I love the WebDav support that I use to sync with my Nextcloud server. Most ipad text editors really only work well with iCloud, but that’s not the case with this app.

Also I can link to local photos within a file and actually see the photos in preview unlike other text editor apps for ipad that I have tried.

Finally, 1Writer just looks and works great...Good theme options, intuitive UI, and I can even switch off the in app browser (which is the only part of 1Writer I don’t care for.)

I bought this because I expected it to work with OneDrive and Google Drive through connection to the iOS Files app. Most other apps can connect to any cloud storage supported by Files, and many people online were claiming that this app would also support OneDrive and Google Drive. I guess nobody actually tested it out, because when you add those as locations to Files and try to select them, they are grayed out in the this app app. Nowhere on 1Writer description, website, or help did I see that 1Writer does NOT support other cloud storage. Unfortunately this is not something you can find out until after you pay for 1Writer , and you can’t get a refund. I contacted the developer for support and have yet to hear back after a few days.

I use 1Writer daily and find it extremely useful. It's my go-to App for all text writing.

I love the way you can set up folders and subfolders - very helpful.

EDIT: I still love 1Writer, but it has a flaw that drives me nuts. If I copy a link into a document, then go to touch the link (the plan being to use it in email or another document), I end up at the link location! Finally, it's almost impossible to exit back to the base App. (I tried to find an email to report this issue, but I might have missed it...)

My needs are a simple text message editor that can handle larger files, which it does really well.
You can also dive into some extended, cool functionality if you need to.
My only negative would be that while the editor is open and I’m editing a file, if I rotate the phone (usually by accident) and rotate it back 1Writer hangs for a couple seconds then crashes. I’ve never lost data from this happening, so it’s a minor annoyance.
It’s been a very reliable app for my needs for years.

Thanks for still syncing with Dropbox. Other apps used to synch with third parties but for some reason most are iCloud only. I use an iPhone and a windows laptop so finding apps that work across both is a pain sometimes. this app allows me to write and see my notes on my iPhone while still allowing me to use my windows machine to edit and write as well. Finally the tag support is top notch here and I can navigate/view my tags here in 1Writer and on my laptop so I’m very happy. Thanks to you developers working on 1Writer.

I bought 1Writer the first week it was on 1Writer Store and I’ve been using it almost daily since. It’s got all the features most would want and since it’s release it has been updated almost continually by the Dev. If it doesn’t have a feature you think you might need, wait a month and it probably will. It’s easy to use and has a robust filing system searchable by title, date, sub file, or hashtag.
As I said, this is the best text editor currently available for IPhone . Well worth the price.

A wonderful app for working on text/markdown files. Syncing with Dropbox, it feels seamless to switch back and forth between writing on PC and on phone.

As some of my notes are somewhat long and divided by several headings, I'd love to see an activatable toggle/fold option (in edit mode) for hiding content of headings and even for bullet points. This would help me navigate long notes and keep writing space cleaner. But this is extra, this really is an all-round great writing app.

1Writer is one of the best out there. Simple yet customizable. It does pretty much everything I need without charging me a monthly or yearly fee like some other apps out there.

I only have two small requests. First is that I would like to be able to customize the line length. I’m using an iPad Pro, 12.9” screen and 1Writer leaves a lot of white space on the sides. If I could choose the line length (size of the margins) that would make 1Writer even better.

Lastly, please add the ability to export as an RTF file.

I originally downloaded 1Writer as a replacement for Plaintext 2, who went out of business and stopped supporting 1Writer . I had some issues with the .txt files I saved pulling up in other programs showing symbols instead of quotes. I shot an email to them when I was just about to give up, and quickly received a personalized response and fully detailed answer to my question (basically turn off Smart Quotes and Smart Dashes in 1Writers Settings).

Fantastic App
Awesome Customer Support

1. When I press `edit` button in preview mode, it shows the section where I was in edit mode. In most cases, I want to edit what I am previewing. So It would be convenient & reasonable to show the `edit` section same with preview mode. And vice versa. Please update the sync of page between two modes.

2. In iPhone XR, With bluetooth keyboard connected and landscape mode, it is very hard to scroll the bottom tool button by finger because it enables the home button action of iPhone XR, Please add the right and left arrow to allow the scroll of tool button by tapping it.

this app is the best of several notes apps that I have tried as a mobile companion to NValt (Notational Velocity)on my Mac. But I had been looking around at different note apps hoping to find one that offered wiki style links, using paired square brackets, without success. But now that feature has come to this app, so I don’t have to look elsewhere. Since that linking system works in NValt as well as this app, I’ve basically got a plain-text database syncing between my Mac, my iPhone, and my iPad. Awesome!

this app is perhaps the most versatile and dependable markdown editor in 1Writer Store. Its track record, since its inception, has yet to be beat.

The downloadable actions, which extend the feature set enormously, are indispensable, or one can create one’s own actions using Javascript. Its url scheme is first rate and allows it to connect well with other apps and services. I use 1Writer for posting to my Wordpress site.

The UI is about as clean and clear as they get. 1Writer is perfect for everything from blogging to novel writing, and it is remarkably bug-free. Dropbox syncing to specific folders is quite reliable.

One wish I’d voice: It would be great to manually sort all files and folders at every level. Though merging files is possible thru drag-and-drop, that could be facilitated a bit, I think.

You really can’t go wrong here.

1Writer really provides a distraction free, easily comprehensible writing environment. I use it for everything from chapter drafts to blog posts to research notes. That being said I’d like to see support for the triple dash line divide that I’ve seen in other markdown apps and the ability to leave spaces at the beginning of a paragraph(not talking about tab indentation, just to be clear.) I don’t have much issue with the existing app. It works perfectly well, but I would easily give 5 stars if it had a few more formatting options!

I don’t use it for markup but for tens of thousands of text-only notes.

It’s got flawless syncing (I use Dropbox) and can handle multiple folder levels. And also has a root directory that doesn’t sync if you like. Lots of other options for those who need them.

The dark background option for me is critical as I do most of my writing and recording in the middle of the night waking up from a dream, etc. I really appreciate having a few basic font choices too (thank you). I’d maybe just suggest if you could add options for for colors, that’d be great but def NOT a deal breaker. I’m just used to a rich red which is great on the eyes in a dark room.

I have to say thank you specifically for creating (and maintaining!!!) 1Writer. I’ve found several decent ones over the last decade but they always fell out of use because the developers abandoned them. This one is exceptional. So THANK YOU for creating and steadily maintaining and improving an amazing tool. It’s been a lifeline for me for the last 3-ish years since I discovered it. I hope you never go away!!

Do you have a donate option somewhere? It’s so worth it.

Much Love, Julian F from Los Angeles