Attente vs iA Writer
iA Writer is focus distilled: a typewriter-like page, plain Markdown files, and nothing else. We admire it, and its stance on AI, marking what a person wrote and what a machine wrote, is close to ours. Attente is for when the work grows into a book.
Where iA Writer is strong
- Focus. One of the purest writing surfaces ever made, with type designed for reading as you write.
- Plain Markdown files in folders you choose, readable by anything, forever.
- Authorship: it shows which text you wrote and which came from an AI or a source, on your device.
- Syntax highlighting that shows your adjectives, nouns and verbs, and clean export templates.
Side by side
| Topic | iA Writer | Attente |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mac, iPhone, iPad and Windows | macOS, Windows, Linux and the web |
| Files | Plain Markdown files in your folders | A project folder on your computer, with plain text and Markdown out at any time |
| Structure | Folders and content blocks | Binder, corkboard, outline, timeline and plot threads |
| Style | Syntax and style highlighting | A style lens for adverbs, passive voice, repeats and long sentences |
| AI | Authorship marks AI text apart from yours | AI only suggests, in the margin; your manuscript changes only when you accept |
| Story tools | None built in | Story bible, characters, world rules and continuity |
Which suits you
Choose iA Writer if…
You write essays, articles or short pieces, you want plain Markdown files and nothing more, or you want no AI suggestions at all.
Choose Attente if…
Your project has chapters, characters and a world to keep straight, and you'd like a reader in the margin that remembers all of it and notices what slips.
Switching from iA Writer
Attente imports Markdown and plain-text files, one document per file or split at headings, in the order you choose.
Try Attente free for 7 days.
Download it for macOS, Windows or Linux, or open it in your browser. When it's earned its place, one licence covers every computer you write on.