iA Writer
Distraction-free Markdown writing app. Focus mode, syntax highlighting, no account required. One-time purchase.
What should journalists know about iA Writer?
iA Writer is the rare writing tool that respects both your attention and your privacy. No account, no cloud dependency, no telemetry by default. Files stay where you put them — local or in your own cloud storage (iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive). The company, Information Architects, is a small bootstrapped studio in Zurich with no outside investors, which means no growth-at-all-costs pressure to monetize your data. The Focus Mode (dims everything except the current sentence) is genuinely useful for deadline writing. The 2024 'AI in Technicolor' feature — which shows colored gradients when text comes from Apple Intelligence, Claude, Gemini, or ChatGPT — is a clever transparency move that treats AI-assisted text as something to be visible, not hidden. The Android app was discontinued in 2024 due to Google API policy issues. At $50 for Mac, it's not cheap for a text editor, but you own it outright.
Drafting articles, newsletters, and blog posts in Markdown. Focus writing sessions where you need zero distractions. Writers who want local-first file storage with optional cloud sync. Preparing clean copy for CMS import.
Long-form project management with multiple documents (Scrivener is better for that). Collaborative real-time editing (use Google Docs or HackMD). Rich formatting or layout design. Android users — the app was discontinued in 2024.
Security & Privacy
Data is scrambled while being sent to their servers
Data is scrambled when stored on their servers
Where servers are located — affects which governments can request your data
Privacy policy summary
No account required. No user content is sent to iA. The app collects only crash reports and anonymous usage statistics, both of which can be disabled. No tracking, no ads, no data brokerage. Files stay on your device or in your own cloud storage. One of the cleanest privacy postures in the writing tool category.
How to protect yourself:
Disable optional telemetry in Preferences if you want zero network activity. Store files locally or in an encrypted cloud provider you control. If using iCloud sync, be aware that Apple holds the encryption keys (unless you enable Advanced Data Protection). For sensitive source material, keep files local only.
Local-first architecture with no account requirement and no content transmission to iA servers. Bootstrapped Swiss company with no investor pressure to monetize data. Telemetry is minimal and optional. Privacy posture is among the strongest in the writing tool category. The only variable is your choice of cloud sync provider.
Who Owns This
Pricing
One-time purchase per platform: $49.99 Mac, $29.99 Windows, $19.99 iOS/iPad. No subscription. Minor updates free; major version upgrades may require a separate purchase. Educational discounts available for 20+ licenses via Apple School Manager. 14-day free trial on Mac and Windows.
This is an editorial assessment based on publicly available information as of 2026-04-11, using our published methodology. Independent security review is pending. Security posture can change at any time. This is not a guarantee of safety.
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