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iA Writer VS Sublime Text

Compare iA Writer VS Sublime Text and see what are their differences

iA Writer logo iA Writer

Minimal Design, Maximum Focus

Sublime Text logo Sublime Text

Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.
  • iA Writer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-27
  • Sublime Text Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-17

iA Writer features and specs

  • Focus Mode
    iA Writer includes a Focus Mode that dims everything except the current sentence or paragraph, helping writers concentrate on their work without distractions.
  • Minimalistic Interface
    The application features a minimalistic design, providing a clean and clutter-free environment that emphasizes content creation over unnecessary features.
  • Markdown Support
    iA Writer supports Markdown formatting, allowing users to easily format text without taking their hands off the keyboard, enhancing writing efficiency.
  • File Export Options
    It offers various export options including Word, PDF, and HTML, making it easy to share documents in different formats.
  • Syntax Highlight
    The app includes syntax highlighting functionality that visually differentiates different parts of speech to enhance understanding of sentence structure.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    iA Writer is available on multiple platforms, including macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android, ensuring a consistent writing experience across devices.
  • Document Library
    It features a built-in document library for easy organization and quick access to all your writing projects.

Possible disadvantages of iA Writer

  • Limited Collaboration Features
    Unlike other writing tools, iA Writer lacks advanced collaboration features, making it less suitable for team projects that require real-time editing.
  • Basic Customization
    The application provides limited customization options for the writing environment, which might not appeal to users who prefer a highly personalized interface.
  • Learning Curve for Markdown
    New users unfamiliar with Markdown may experience a learning curve, which can slow down the initial writing process until they become accustomed to the syntax.
  • Price
    iA Writer is a premium product, and the cost may be a barrier for some users, especially when there are free alternatives available.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    The focus on minimalism means that some advanced features found in other writing applications, like extensive template libraries or robust project management tools, are lacking.
  • Occasional Sync Issues
    Some users have reported occasional synchronization issues between devices, which can disrupt the writing workflow.

Sublime Text features and specs

  • Speed
    Sublime Text is known for its fast performance, even with very large files and heavy duty workloads, providing a smooth coding experience.
  • Customizability
    It offers extensive customization options via JSON settings files, allowing users to tailor the editor to their specific needs and preferences.
  • Package Control
    The Package Control feature allows for easy installation, management, and discovery of plugins and themes, greatly enhancing functionality.
  • Multi-Platform Support
    Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, it enables a consistent working environment across different operating systems.
  • Multiple Selections
    Allows for simultaneous editing by making multiple text selections, which is a powerful feature for rapidly making large-scale changes.
  • Distraction-Free Mode
    Offers a distraction-free mode that lets you focus on code by providing a full-screen, minimal interface.
  • Command Palette
    Provides a command palette that gives quick access to various functionalities, making performing complex actions easier.

Possible disadvantages of Sublime Text

  • Cost
    While a free evaluation version is available, continued use requires purchasing a license, which may be a barrier for hobbyists or cash-strapped developers.
  • Limited IDE Features
    It lacks some of the advanced features found in full-fledged Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), such as robust debugging tools and integrated version control.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The high degree of customizability can be overwhelming for beginners, requiring a significant time investment to master.
  • Plugin Dependencies
    While the extensive plugin ecosystem is an advantage, it can also lead to dependencies on third-party plugins which may not always be reliable or maintained.
  • No Real-Time Collaboration
    Unlike some modern editors, Sublime Text lacks built-in support for real-time collaboration between multiple users.
  • Occasional Plugin Conflicts
    Plugins can occasionally conflict with each other, causing unexpected behavior or performance issues.
  • Less Active Community
    Compared to some other popular editors like VSCode, the Sublime Text community is relatively smaller and less active.

Analysis of iA Writer

Overall verdict

  • iA Writer is an excellent choice for those seeking a focused and efficient writing tool. Its simplicity does not detract from its effectiveness, offering just the right amount of features for streamlined writing and editing. With high praise from individuals who prioritize clean and distraction-free text processing, it's widely considered a top-tier writing application.

Why this product is good

  • iA Writer is highly regarded for its minimalist design and distraction-free writing environment. It offers features like Focus Mode, which helps writers concentrate on a specific section, and Markdown support for seamless formatting. It also provides robust cross-platform support, making it easy to sync documents across devices. The clean interface and intuitive layout make it a favorite among writers who prefer simplicity and functionality over cluttered interfaces with excessive features.

Recommended for

  • Writers who enjoy minimalist and focused writing environments
  • Users looking for seamless cross-platform document synchronization
  • Individuals who prefer Markdown integration for formatting
  • People who want a distraction-free interface to boost productivity

iA Writer videos

SCOM0863 - iA Writer - Preview

More videos:

  • Review - What's The Apps: iA Writer

Sublime Text videos

SUBLIME TEXT REVIEW | CODE EDITOR TOOL

More videos:

  • Review - Visual Studio Code vs Sublime Text - Laravel Dev POV

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to iA Writer and Sublime Text)
Text Editors
13 13%
87% 87
Markdown Editor
100 100%
0% 0
IDE
0 0%
100% 100
Writing Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare iA Writer and Sublime Text

iA Writer Reviews

7 minimalist alternatives to CherryTree
Get focused. iA Writer offers a unique writing experience that lets you concentrate and clarify your message. Used by half a million people worldwide, its powerful interface is crafted to cut out noise, let you focus on what you want to say, and help you structure and trim your text. Available for Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android.
Source: papereditor.app
11 Best Scrivener Alternatives
The interface is easy to use, minimalistic, and helps you keep your writing goals on track. If you’re not technically sound and want a simple tool without any distracting features based on your own skills, you can go with iA Writer over Scrivener.

Sublime Text Reviews

Boost Your Productivity with These Top Text Editors and IDEs
Sublime Text is widely regarded as one of the best text editors for coding. Its speed, flexibility, and ease of use make it a favorite among developers. With a simple and intuitive user interface, Sublime Text allows you to focus on your code without distractions. It supports a wide range of programming languages and offers features like split editing, multiple selections,...
Source: convesio.com
13 Best Text Editors to Speed up Your Workflow
As for the features, Sublime Text has an advantage in that it’s extremely lightweight (low resource usage), but still keeps around some of the more advanced features you would expect out of a top text editor. The primary benefit is that Sublime Text offers shortcuts and search tools for immediately finding certain functions and making changes to multiple lines at once....
Source: kinsta.com
Top 10 Free CSV Readers in 2023!
Sublime Text: A text editor that supports multiple file formats including CSV and has powerful features for viewing and editing large CSV files.
Source: www.retable.io
Top 10 Notepad++ Alternatives for Mac in 2022
Another Notepad++ Mac alternative, Sublime Text is a good choice if you’re going for code sophistication. The tool supports a lot o programming languages and mark-ups. In addition, you can even add in plugins in order to incorporate new functions. Sublime Text can actually be downloaded for free by Mac users. A purchased version is next up after you have finished the license.
Source: www.imymac.com
What's The Best C++ IDE? Our Top C++ IDEs & Editors In 2024
Sublime Text also offers a clean and uncluttered interface, which is great for focusing on your code without unnecessary distractions. This minimalist approach is combined with powerful editing features like syntax highlighting, customizable key bindings, code folding, and an advanced search functionality.
Source: hackr.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, iA Writer should be more popular than Sublime Text. It has been mentiond 6 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

iA Writer mentions (6)

  • Bear alternatives on PC
    You might check out iA Writer. https://ia.net/ If I didn't have a Mac with access to Bear, that's probably what I'd be using. Source: about 2 years ago
  • I didn't realize the community has grown so much..
    Obsidian ai (a forked version of this theme is my main, I haven't released it publicly because the ui is a clone of my favourite app iaWriter https://ia.net/, and I don't think that's ethically right to share). Source: over 2 years ago
  • Tools for structuring research notes and productivity/creativity
    Ia.net: looks good to build a personal wiki with hyperlinks (which is something I def want) but I fear this can get messy after a while and can loose overview easily. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • How to find and remove all finished tasks [x] at once in a single txt document?
    Thanks, it works! Could you share a link to learn more about patterns and how to use them. Unfortunately I couldn't find any info on ia.net. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • iA Writer's new site is up—where's the new update?
    I went to ia.net today to see if they had updated to a new site yet, and they had! Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

Sublime Text mentions (3)

  • Want better keybinding parity between micro and Sublime Text?
    I went through the key-bindings in Micro (which use different modifier keys) and added them to Sublime Text:. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Trying pop os episode 1
    Oh, and sublimetext.com too if you prefer something "cleaner". It is multi-platform too, like VSCodium. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Sublime Text 3 Setup
    Sublime Text Terminal Shortcuts and menu entries for opening a terminal at the current file, or the current root project folder in Sublime Text. - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing iA Writer and Sublime Text, you can also consider the following products

Scrivener - Scrivener is a content-generation tool for composing and structuring documents.

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Typora - A minimal Markdown reading & writing app.

Vim - Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

FocusWriter - FocusWriter is a fullscreen, distraction-free word processor designed to immerse you as much as...

Notepad++ - A free source code editor which supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.