Name: Drafts
Rating: 4.79729 (9151 reviews)

User Reviews for Drafts

4.8 out of 5

9.2K Ratings

4 years ago, Kguy18

Wow, just wow!

I never thought I needed an app like this, then I hear them talk about it all the time on Mac Power Users and Automators podcast so I thought I would give it a try. It seems overwhelming at first with all of the options but once you configure a few actions you’ll never go back. There is enough free to the app that you could use it without the IAP - I wouldn’t recommend it though, the customizable nature of the app is unlocked when you subscribe. Also, this dude is an indie dev so there isn’t multi unicorn level of funding keeping this product alive - you’re literally making this viable for him, so hit subscribe - you’ll thank me later. Also, the quick dictate function on the watch is a GAME CHANGER. Tap the complication, tap the microphone and record your thought. Then when you have time to process, open the app on your iPhone/Mac and manipulate the text with the actions. It literally lets you dump what you’re thinking into an app with the least amount of friction. The best part is the text isn’t stuck in this app, which is the whole point. Give it a go!

6 years ago, budexxon

Love the app, not the subscriptions.

I’ve been using drafts since version 4 came out. It changed the way I work, and I love using it to enter and manipulate text. I’ve been playing around with Drafts 5 and the app is amazing. There’s so much power in the free app, and the pro subscriptions adds some great options for power users. Thing is, I’m not a power user, but I’m more than willing to pay for the features I use. My biggest issue is that I dislike and avoid app subscriptions. I like that when I pay for an app, even if the company disappears tomorrow, I can continue to use the app for years to come. I’m also not thrilled that dark mode is behind the subscription wall, I’d pay a few dollars to have a dark mode, I find it much easier on my eyes, but can’t justify the subscription just for dark mode, since it’s the only tool I would use from the subscription. Fortunately, I can continue using drafts 4 with its dark mode. Sure, I’ll miss out on all the new features in the free app, but that’s how much I dislike day mode. Just writing this review is burning my eyes. But my issues say nothing about the app itself which is wonderful. Definitely give the free mode a spin, and if you like scripting and having full control and aren’t opposed to renting apps, the sub is a great value. But for me it’s less than ideal as it’s currently set up. Hopefully down the line, the developer will consider making dark mode an optional in app purchase for those that don’t or can’t subscribe.

4 years ago, Gedroth

Rentware

I'm new to Drafts. At first, I couldn't figure out why it existed. I normally use Notes for what Drafts means to me. However, now I use Drafts to craft all my online posts, including this one. I'm sure there are more exciting uses for it, but for me, it's like scrap paper. I went to the App Store to see if this was a universal purchase (1 purchase to work on Mac & mobile). Much to my disappointment, I found the dreadful subscription model. I'm a developer myself and know how miserable it is trying to make money. Everyone thinks they're entitled to free upgrades for life. The App Store doesn't accommodate major release upgrade fees, new versions of the os require constant changes to your app that you can't charge for, and the list goes on. Having said all that, I still wouldn't use the subscription model on an app like this. We just don't need you to invent fancier ways to edit simple text. Yes, we need you to adopt new technologies when they come along, and we'll pay up when that happens. I only use this app a few times a week. Like I said, I went to the store to buy today to support the developers for a useful app. There's no option for me to pay once, so I won't buy. The free version suits my needs, for now. When I need more, I guess I'll have to look elsewhere.

6 years ago, Rawdog567

Next Level GTD

Ok first of all I never write reviews, but using this app on a trial run today absolutely blew my mind and I’m not even touching a fraction of the full capability! To be honest when I first downloaded it I was thinking there’s no way I’m going to pay for a subscription. I mean what the heck can this thing do that my other note taking apps can’t do. Let me say this immediately changed after messing around with this for a bit. The Watch OS takes this app and getting things out of your head to a whole different level. I mean record anything out of your head and then share it with Omnifocus, Awesome Note or whatever else you may want to do with it! Also one tap and it starts the dictation so from thought to app is seem less. I went from thinking this app was absolutely useless and literally about to delete, but now I can say it will be an app to stay! When my trial subscription ends I will gladly pay the $20/year. I will make this over 100 fold with the time I save and the ideas I’m able to preserve and act on! Thank you!!

5 years ago, Kevin Q

Process change is hard for everyone but this is my favorite watch/iOS app ever

I’ve tried hundreds of app and like about 10 so I guess I’m picky. This app is my all time favorite. I can’t believe what a powerful and simple app the free version is. It’s so good, I felt guilty using it for free so much that I signed up for the Mac version I didn’t even need just to get the amazing developer some money. This app in a simple but powerful way quickly became the notepad for jotting down anything that comes to mind for me that I’ve been looking for for a very long time. These quick notes are synced between all my devices so I can turn them into email messages, notepad docs, spreadsheets, or other work and joke things when I can focus on them. It’s streamlined and organised my life in a way that is almost given up on finding. Everything I’m thinking of and working on is always with me and I can pull it up and add to it until it’s to a useable state. Thank you! This app is perfection!

3 years ago, rcniman

Definitely worth the subscription

I had initially been skeptical of going the subscription route with Drafts. But then the Mac app came out. Drafts is now easily my most used app and I write in it daily on my laptop, iPad, and iPhone. I use it to journal (then send to Day One), make lists, take meeting notes, jot down ideas, write email, and to draft longer pieces. Sometimes, like when finishing something long, I’d prefer to be in Ulysses, but the Drafts keyboard and customizable row is so amazing that I stay in Drafts as long as possible. I wish they would make a Drafts keyboard that would be usable in other apps. The only thing I could hope for is the ability to also access/store text files in a folder system. I know the Drafts database issue keeps some people from using it. I don’t mind it, but there are some situations where I’d love to share a folder of text files between apps (Ulysses, etc.) and be able to access them from any app.

3 years ago, DebMundo

Gamechanger for GTD nerds!

I don’t know how many years I have been looking for the perfect “ubiquitous capture tool”!suggested by David Allen in Getting Things Done. With Drafts I have finally found it. I use it on my desktop Mac, my iPhone, and can even dictate text to my Apple Watch. It is extremely rare I don’t have immediate access to one of those tools to capture ideas and to dos that are occupying my mind. I have only scratched the surface with actions, but already it has made it very easy to move from this capture tool into my other systems, like my task manager, email, and calendar. It also feels good supporting a small independent developer. I learned about drafts initially on the Mac PowerUsers podcast and continue to listen to get an idea of how I can use it to continually improve my productivity. FYI when prompted to leave a review, I jumped into drafts to dictate it.

3 years ago, jacurtis

I’ve Been Searching For This App Since Before Apps Existed

This is an app that serves a role in my life that no app before has ever been able to fill. The premise is that whenever an idea comes to my head I dump it into this app. It doesn’t matter where I am when I have the thought because I have this app on my iPad, iPhone, watch, and Mac. I can dictate ideas as they come to me, throw links into it, quotes from the internet, or just start writing epic thoughts I’m having. Later I can send these writings to various apps and services to do something with later. I love the idea and premise of the app. It’s the starting point for any idea I have. The design is decent, but not amazing. However the functionality is exactly what I need. I love this app. Go premium. It’s worth it. But the free tier is more than generous for most people.

6 years ago, Grady S.

No subscription here

I too am a long time Drafts 4 user. I have also recommended the app to many friends and know for a fact that four of them have purchased the app. I will no longer be doing so. Like many others have stated, I do not mind paying a one time fee. I am not a fan of the subscription-based model which I know many apps and programs are moving towards. I will look for alternatives and other solutions Whenever possible. I probably would’ve considered subscribing if the subscription fee was more reasonable. Someone else has done the math- the cost jump from the life cycle cost of Drafts 4 compared to the subscription fee for Drafts 5 is astronomically ridiculous. Like several others I did not take full advantage of all that was available in Drafts 4, but would have happily paid a one time fee for D5 to support continued growth. I hope in time this business model will be reevaluated and changed. And like others have said the freemium version of D5 is not an option without dark mode.

6 years ago, WhyIs

Great new version, but iOS only notes makes it too pricey

I’ve bought each version of this app. Sometimes I’ve used it for work reasons when I was able to use an iPad for business meeting note taking. The new version feels and looks great and going freemium makes sense in today’s market. I would love to store all my notes in this app, which may make all the paywall locked features worth the cost. But the cost of $20 a year is too high for me. Here’s two reasons why: 1. 100% lock in to drafts and iOS. I have 100s of notes in my notes folder on Dropbox to access on iOS, Windows, Mac (nvAlt). Drafts can’t display these and no drafts from Drafts are accessible anywhere else. I do not believe in vendor lock-in but that’s what Agile Tortoise has built 2. I don’t use the app enough or for business. I am a geek and have a bunch of strange custom actions in Drafts 4. Is the benefit I get from these worth $20 a year? Unfortunately not. As a geek I guess I will have to look for other options. I get the need to make money. I don’t get why Agile Tortoise thinks that transitioning existing customers from $5 once to $20 a year would go smoothly. Maybe he’ll make more money than before but I think he assumes demand is more elastic than it really is.

5 years ago, Melvin!!!

Give your mind a break and start putting your ideas into Drafts.

I imagine everyone today has a bit of anxiety from not having a clear mental model of where their digital stuff should live. I’m still working out a fancy system where I make use of different apps for different purposes: OmniFocus for context-specific actions to take and projects to track Documents by Readdle for PDF’s File Browser to actually see what I have dumped into my Dropbox Cardhop for contacts And Drafts for where everything starts Currently, there is tremendous spillover and everything still feels messy. Much of what I have started in Drafts is still there. My goal is to get better but in the meantime, I am no longer shaming myself. What I have discovered is a little sanctuary of peace -knowing that my thoughts and plans have been captured, are accessible at any time and are ready for when I can be brave enough to fully flesh out my system. Drafts is a fully compassionate app that makes the capture part easy. Whether typing or using the best dictation system I have seen in years, Drafts just works. Thanks so much for reading this and I hope you can find the same use for Drafts that I have. -Jeff Melvin

4 years ago, KushDad72

Drafts defines note taking for me

I’ve been using Drafts now for approximately eight (8) years, Drafts is an incredibly dynamic notetaking tool, it’s feature set is ergonomically designed to expand with its user, so as user knowledge of the Drafts app increases, so does the apps feature set. In many ways this AP morphs into whatever a user wants the app to be, eg: technical writing, a task manager, and many more. I was 100% functional using the app after five minutes, yet I continue to learn of additional features (FYI, the vast majority of expanded features have been written by the Drafts user community which is totally cool, enough for another discussion). In terms of staying current, the app seems to be evaluated daily for upcoming “Updates“ and patches etc. It’s simply the best.

2 years ago, RCL2

Excellent App. Just 1 Bug.

This app is REALLY convenient! I can compose scraps of content for email, messages, my blog or whatever as ideas flow into my head. I can clean them up later and use them in the appropriate place. Just one problem — a bug that should be fixable. I find it impossible to select a portion of text on my iPhone 11 Pro (newest iOS) without Drafts wanting to expand wildly back & forth beyond the words I want to select. So cutting & pasting to a different spot is not possible. The best I can do is place the cursor at one point and delete text character by character, then place my cursor at the new location and retype the deleted text from memory. To avoid this problem I sometimes go do it on my Mac instead, but it should be possible on the iPhone. Fix this & Drafts will be a slam dunk 5 stars.

4 years ago, Service Goat

Good app, but subscription limitations

The free app is useful for some of my needs, but many of the things I want to do with actions require the Pro subscription. Last year I paid for the annual Pro subscription with the promise of custom Actions and Drafts coming to the Mac, which is now my primary work machine. It turns out Apple gives no way for me to use my paid iOS subscription on macOS devices, and Drafts can only sync your subscription via iCloud (can’t/won’t use my personal iCloud account on my employer’s equipment). So, I have no way to use Pro outside of my phone. Unfortunately, this is a deal breaker for me, and I’ve canceled my subscription. I would gladly continue to use and pay for this if I could use it on devices other than my phone.

6 years ago, AppPERFORMANCE

Unlimited Text Processing

Being able to customize the text edit screen to my liking and then being able to process that text in virtually anyway I want (via scripting, among many other capabilities), you have virtually unlimited ways to create whatever workflows you need. And, since there’s a centralized user-contributed workflow area online, you either already have access to what you need, or have something that can be easily modified to do what you want. ALSO, I’m relieved that they’ve gone to a subscription model, as I find myself gravitating toward using just a few main, quality apps. So, by using a subscription model, I can be assured of the app company’s continued health, providing periodic upgrades, as necessary, well into the future. A prime example is version 5! The upgrade of existing data in version 4 was really easy. I’m also really looking forward to seeing all the creative things that will come out by using the new features in this upgrade. My main point then, I think, is to not be afraid to give the gifted developers behind quality apps a way to support themselves! You really DO get what you pay for!

6 years ago, Axominster

Why a subscription?

I understand the point of subscriptions. You pay monthly for something that has a constant cost. Electricity, food, printed magazines, water, etc. In those cases, the consumer uses a product and the company must create new product and therefore the consumer must pay again. I don’t understand this new trend of paying for a subscription just to use software. Why would I continue to pay for this app over and over again? And once I stop paying, it’s not mine anymore. This makes no sense. Why would I “subscribe” to my computer, allowing Mac to own it, and the second I’m done, they come take it away? Why would I subscribe to use my sunglasses and then turn them in once I’m done paying a monthly fee for them? Why would I subscribe to a digital download of the avengers movie and keep paying monthly so that I can keep it? I wouldn’t. In all these cases I would pay once for the product then it is mine. So why would I pay for this app once, then continue to give the developer money just to use it. I’m not wanting to RENT the app. I want to BUY IT! Develop your app, sell the app, and fix bugs as you go for free because the buyer paid for a working app that should be free of bugs. Don’t fall victim to this practice. Don’t subscribe to this. Think of all the things in your life you wouldn’t have if you had to keep paying for them or you lose them.

6 years ago, Comfortably_nick

Was skeptical of the subscription model, but I love this freaking app!

I had written a long review about how the subscription was too much for this kind of app. In this case, I have changed my mind. This app is so awesome! I did buy Drafts 4 but never got around to using it much. Drafts 5 has become my hub of writing letters, emails, even mass text messages. The iMessage app is really cool...I can have snippets that I use often and easily pull them into the Messages app. Needless to say I subscribed. I also love tinkering around with JavaScript, and it's pretty amazing what can be done in this app with it. There seems to be a dedicated community of enthusiasts always coming up with new scripts and actions. Give this app a try; I don't think you'll be disappointed!

2 months ago, Clearer

Replaced my pocket notebook.

I’m a standup comic. Another standup recommended this app as an alternative and even as a replacement for my pocket notebook. He was right. I can’t believe I haven’t stumbled onto Drafts before. It is simple and yet effective and allows me to search multiple tags at once. I can locate a note on any topic with ease. The dictation feature is second to none. Although Drafts hasn’t replacement my physical notebook, it could easily do so. I’ve started putting notes and ideas both places. I love my Moleskine, but finding specific ideas within the dozens of books I’ve collected over the years is tough. Drafts solves this problem brilliantly.

4 years ago, infobhan

Indispensible

In the pre-tech era, when I had something to jot down, I’d grab a piece of paper. Now there’s a collection of apps for different functions in my life. Before Drafts, I’d have to decide where to file something in advance. Sometimes, the ensuing decision paralysis would result in the idea or message not being written. Drafts takes that all away. You have something in your head, you go to Drafts, and then can decide if you want to move it somewhere else. Blog posts, emails, notes, ideas, they can all start in Drafts. Maybe they’ll never go anywhere else, but it’s fine. Drafts makes it easy to store them for future use, and archive to get them out of the way.

5 years ago, caelanbaggins

This is my absolute favorite app

I don’t know what I’d do without Drafts. It has replaced every other note-taking app for me. I love that it syncs with iCloud and is compatible with Shortcuts! My only complaint is that I can’t pin notes to the top of the sidebar. I have a note where I keep track of a bunch of stuff and it would be nice if it would just stay up there, even if it’s not my most recently edited note. I know I can tag it to find it more easily but it would be super nice if I could pin it. Also being able to assign colors to tags would be cool, especially if tagged notes could be displayed in their respective color (as in with a border or something) on the sidebar.

5 years ago, Krazy Glue

Drafts works, but not well enough to use regularly

I tried using Drafts to take notes with on my iPhone and Apple Watch. Chiefly voice notes, transcribed to text, Drafts does this well enough. But... A) I often lack a wireless connection. Drafts can’t do voice recognition without. B) even with wireless and transcription, I find that having to correct speech to text errors right away is a pain. The app that I finally choose as my main voice note taking app allows speech to be recorded, even when offline, and transcribed later. It also allows both the recorded voice sound file and the text to be saved. Even when online, this allows me to correct errors in transcription later. Drafts has nice features, like the many, many, ways it can connect to other apps. Apparently customizable. I have some hope that I could program Drafts to automatically provide the time of recording when transferring to another app like OneNote. Many other note taking apps provide the date of transfer, not the date of recording. If Drafts could record offline, transcribe online, and transfer both voice and text to OneNote I would buy Drafts. But it does not, so I will not.

5 years ago, Bloogybloogy

Hated the subscription at first...

Fell in love with Drafts 4 but I was ready to swear off Drafts entirely when I first heard about the subscription model. However, after a year of avoiding Drafts 5 I decided to check it out and it turns out the new features in v.5 are numerous and fantastic. What really sold me is the existence of Drafts for Mac (I was living under a rock and didn’t know it existed). This finally solves my (very) long-standing problem of having to constantly email myself to transfer text to/from my phone. I still generally dislike most subscription models, but the value I get from Drafts make it one of the few phone apps I will happily pay for each year.

1 year ago, Kazango

The best text management tool for me

I am not the first to say that I have tried a lot of editors in the App Store, looking for the One True Tool that would be mine forever. I can’t possibly list all of them I have tried. It comes down to this for me: Drafts is extremely flexible and allows me to work the way(s) that I want to work. There are other very excellent editors/writing environments available on the App Store, and I don’t mean any disrespect to them. Drafts just hits the sweet spot for me very well. I have been using it (sporadically) for at least seven years. I expect I will be using it more of the time from now on.

4 years ago, ryandonsullivan

Improve your organization and work efficiency with a single app. Truly.

Drafts quickly took over the first home row position on my phone and truly is the place where all text starts for me. It's so much more than a text app. It's a full productivity suite that acts as a 2nd brain and has been so important for improving the way I work, and helping to make sure I don't let my work fall through the cracks. The fact that it works on all my Apple devices and has a full set of automation tools makes the nominal annual subscription fee the easiest money I spend on apps each year. Using Drafts really is a treat. (I wrote this review in Drafts before posting it).

5 years ago, DKellen

Incredible functionality. Makes lots of other apps much more useful.

Let me compliment your team, especially the developers. This is the best thing since sliced bread. The functionality is incredible and fully available across all the platforms I need. Drafts got right all of the challenges of working with multiple API’s (which seems beyond pretty much all of my other apps right now). This app is useful, but what I love is how useful it makes other apps. You guys have picked up where they left off. I’m using OneNote, Todoist, and my calendar in ways that I never have before and I’ve wished we’re possible for years. Well done!

6 years ago, CertainSomeone

Frustrating

Drafts 5 doesn’t offer this simple user anything useful, other than placing the usefulness of the old version on life support. I’ve used Drafts 4 for the past couple of years and felt it was one of the best iOS purchases I’ve ever made. I don’t really make use of much of the fancy stuff; it’s just a wonderful place to begin with text. I like to set up custom actions to what to do with that text, and love to tie the app into OmniFocus, Workflow, and other apps. I don’t store things in Drafts at all; for me it is purely a quick-access starting place for text. What is frustrating about this new version is the pricing model. I would have happily paid for a new version of the app. The subscription model is $20/year and the only pro feature I would ever use is the ability to customize actions. And I can’t wrap my head around paying on a continual basis to do so. Near as I can tell, the built-in actions to add a draft to a Reminders list cannot be directed to anything but the system default Reminders list without paying for a subscription. That just doesn’t sit right with me. It’s super clunky, but I feel that I’m going to be using “Share > Run Workflow” quite a bit going forward.

6 years ago, GilsDesk

In a word: Indispensable

If you write any kind of text, from text messages to tweets to emails to short stories to novels—you need Drafts. Use it as your go-to notepad for literally any data you need to capture in your life. Open it and start typing or dictating text. It’s that easy. Once you’ve captured the words, Drafts can do just about ANYTHING with them. Integrates with all of the services you use, sends text files to your favorite cloud storage places—you name it. I use it dozens of times each day. I could not be nearly as efficient without it. And new features are being added constantly! I really don’t know how they do it.

6 years ago, holy_kau

Clunkier Design than 4

The concept, idea, and design behind Drafts is utilitarian genius. Drafts 4 was incredible and I used it quite a lot! I was very excited to see Drafts 5 come out but the subscription model was a big blow. I am very cautious about subscriptions and the ~$20 a year, although small, and perhaps warranted for great design (perhaps more so to this developer than others), really forced me to think hard about how I use this app. The cons outweighed the pros for Drafts 5 and I had to remove it from my phone: - I was disappointed not to be able to edit workflows that I created myself on Drafts 4 without paying. - Although the custom icons and themes look good, I am sad that the dark mode is not available in the free edition. - The design of Drafts 5 seems like a step backwards to me, with a "comic"-lite feel with thick rounded lettering and rounded shortcut links. - The keyboards and actions being jumbled together now is confusing. - That this subscription model release did NOT get a Mac version for me is a big blow.

6 years ago, shawsome.brian

Deceptively Clever

Drafts is a beautiful writing app... Wait, scratch that. Drafts is an incredible power user tool, wrapped in a gorgeously sparse user interface. Wait... no, that’s not right either, since it’s both and so much more. What’s right is the tagline... almost. They say it’s where text starts, and technically, that’s accurate. If they said it’s where ideas start, they’d be right. Drafts is actually not something you can categorize. It’s a 5 of 5 star idea, as perfectly executed as iOS’s technical capabilities will allow (just disguised as a gorgeous writing app that gets out of your way). It only misses that 5th star because it can’t show you how to think the way it wants you to. If you learn to come here first, capture the idea in as raw a form as possible, you can do ANYTHING with it. You stop losing good ideas; and start acting upon them. Any way you need to capture; drafts is ready. Ready is the key word, people. Drafts is always READY. It never fails at capturing, and it can always get the idea where it ultimately needs to go. Usually with a single tap.

6 years ago, Chef Benny

Dictation on the fly

It’s like a video game for productivity nerds. Getting it set up takes a little bit of patience but then it it will streamline your workflow. It’s completely customizable to what you want to do. I use it to make lists and random thoughts using the dictation from my Apple Watch it works amazingly well. I transfer the list into Apple Reminders. For the recipes notes and archive I sync to Evernote. Community support for this app really makes it something better than expected. Thanks to the team that put this app together including people like David Sparks, Federico Viticci, and of course Mac power users podcast.

6 years ago, Chaselife

Simplicity in Text

Drafts does text and does it extremely well. This new entry to the Drafts family adds some nifty features (focus mode has been on my wish list for some time), and the free version is a fully functional app. The pro features in the optional in-app purchase of the pro version are just that: pro features. I would guess most users don’t need them, but I happily signed up (the ability to append web pages to existing drafts from Safari is a serious time and energy saver for me). I enjoyed Drafts 4, and Drafts 5 is a solid improvement on what was already one of my favorite apps.

5 years ago, Jng.Gms

Great Tool For Organizing Ideas!

As the original ADHD writer, this app has made a huge difference to me!thoughts and fragments arrive together when you want them. Whether you’re at your desk(top) Mac, lounging around with your iPad or on the fly with your phone- you can put them down as they come to you and the organize them when you have the time and space. It’s so much better to have them separate and titled by the lede line than trying to pick them out of a long pages file as I used to do before I found this app. Tip: Keep the fist line as you summary of the text and you’ll never loose a thread!

5 months ago, m_mrcr

Essential

When the iPhone 15 Pro came out, with the new Action Button, I knew immediately what I’d use it for: even quicker capture with Drafts. The app is so essential to my daily workflow, akin to all those folks who jot ideas down in pocket notebooks, that it’s a no brainer for me to subscribe annually, just so I know I’m doing my part to keep the app running. What I wasn’t expecting when I first stumbled upon Drafts years and years ago was the vibrant and passionate community surrounding it. For innumerable reasons, people really love this app, and rely on it daily to do their best work.

6 years ago, Rock Star Kimberly

Has revolutionized how I work!

I love this app so much! I am blind and use voiceover and haven’t had a single hiccup in that regard with this app. It does everything I could ever need it to do. I have the premium subscription and find the workspaces well worth the cost. The workspace widget on the today screen saves me countless hours per week. The Drafts app coupled with dictation software has allowed me to write one nonfiction book and an entire novel in the past six months. All of it done exclusively on my iPhone and iPad. I truly can work anywhere. This app is so worth it. I am grateful beyond measure to the developers.

3 years ago, mcastle24

Widgets stopped working in iOS 14.4

First of all, this app is absolutely perfect for someone with an ADD/scattered mine like me. It's the number one uses app on my phone. I only have one issue... All three types of the Drafts widgets were working just fine until about a week or so ago. It started with just one widget type not working/being slow when trying to edit the widget on the home screen. Now, none of the three widgets will allow me to edit them or show any content. I have deleted and reinstalled the app multiple times, triple-checked that everything was update and all of the other troubleshooting things I could think of. Nothing I have done has fixed the problem.

6 years ago, enatek

Pretty app, pretty over priced

I’m a long time Drafts user. Happily paid for Drafts 3, and happily upgraded to Drafts 4. I use it daily, it’s in my dock, and it is a very valuable part of my iPhone workflow. I don’t reject a subscription model, but with so many apps and even content providers moving to subscription models, these nickels and dimes are starting to give me pause. I use Drafts for recording quick thoughts, errands lists and text messages. That’s all included in the free version. But for me the most power is in adding notes to Evernote in specific notebooks and appending or prepending designated notes. This requires $20 per year. I guess I paid $6 for Drafts 4 two years ago, which is $3 per year. With Drafts 5, the same functionality is ~7 times more expensive. For that, I’m happy to open Evernote and suffer the extra seconds. That said, I would pay more than I did for Drafts 4. I’d like pay $7-10 per year for it. I will keep using Drafts 4 until it becomes unsupported and is rendered obsolete by some future iOS upgrade, or until Drafts 5 is available for a reasonable price, or until a competitor takes advantage of this opportunity.

4 years ago, Dr. Forrel

Awesome even without the subscription

There are many features and things to rave about, but I’ll leave that to other reviews. The reason I gave this three stars is because the way markdown is rendered is a little buggy. For example, when I use the GitHub flavored processor I lose my lists and checklists, and there is a strange phenomenon where trying to escape a tilde doesn’t appear as a lone tilde, but includes the slash when rendered. MultiMarkdown processor gives me back my lists and checklists, but for some reason it completely screws up my paragraphs, and tildes don’t have the crossout effect they have under GitHub flavored. Seems a little odd to me that I can’t have my lists and my tildes.

5 years ago, anon anon anon

Long-time user, now moving on

Have been using Drafts since the first version. It has been an excellent app, but since the subscription version landed – not to mention other small interface changes, I have to say goodbye. Caveat: I am not a power user, but I write a lot. I had access to a small portion of features for a long time as an early adopter of the app, but now they are behind a subscription, and for the limited use of those features I cannot justify a monthly fee that can get me the same or more elsewhere for a single, one-time cost. There are a lot of great reviews – all justified – by actual power users who know and use OSX and iOS in tandem impressively. They have impressive workflows that rely on knowing the ins and outs of their devices. Drafts offers tremendous flexibility for those users. But most of us aren’t power users. Most of us want to jot notes for later use, maybe export notes to another app, file, or post for permanent rest, if that much. If you are one of those persons, and you use a Mac as well, then Byword will fulfill your needs just fine.

1 year ago, bxb1049

Just the text baby

An excellent text editor that only does text. Doesn’t try to “help” you by putting in unwanted fonts. I really needed something like this because I usually dictate my emails using voice recognition and then proofread & edit the text before sending. I used to really hate it when notes (the default text editor on iPad) would arbitrarily change the fonts on me to something so small I couldn’t read it. Drafts does not play with you like that. Always starts with a new blank draft. I wish it would start by opening the last draft I worked on.

5 years ago, Draconiou5

A great app for the inbox style of note taking

There’s a style of note taking I use derived from the Getting Things Done system. I call it the inbox style. The main idea is that whenever you have an idea during the day – be it for an app, a story, or what have you – you write that idea down as soon as you can. Then, when you have the time, you come back to your “inbox” of ideas and decide what to do with them. Drafts is perfect for this system, seemingly built for it with such features as opening a new document whenever you open the app and icon badges telling you how many documents you have in Drafts.

2 years ago, lp.s

Far more than a simple note-taking app. Extremely powerful.

Drafts is one of the apps I show off to my Android-using friends to prove just how powerful iOS and its apps and app integrations have become. It has become even *more* powerful since the introduction of the Shortcuts app to iOS. Drafts (particularly in combination with Shortcuts) has made one of the most convincing cases amongst my friends for switching to iOS. I use Drafts on my iPhone, iPad, *and* on my Mac desktop/laptop. I could go on for quite some time about the (many) festures I find so useful, but an internet search returns many articles thst list some great ways to use Drafts so I won't talk about how I use it her. There is no Linux, Windows *or* web client for Drafts, which is something I wiuld really appreciate. If you are (mostly) in the Apple ecosystem though, I *highly* recommend trying out this app. (Review composed in the Drafts app)

6 years ago, shybee

Drafts is Great!

I guess I don’t understand all the complaints. If you don’t want to pay for a subscription—don’t. If you use Drafts frequently and NEED the subscription properties—subscribe. People, you purchase and support the most expensive hardware without complaint, why not support independent programmers, small companies and products that cost less than five cents a day! Drafts 5 works well, replaces many “apps”, looks great and stays out of the way. If you want ad-based “free” software look elsewhere. If you enjoy privacy, supporting free-thinkers and Need software that works, then buy it.

5 years ago, benjfriedrich

This app is very good

Not saying the Drafts app lifestyle is for every single person, but it’s a great tool, especially now that it syncs to the Mac. It works great as a simple searchable bucket for text files for your non-poweruse cases, but really shines when you need something really specific done with text. One of my fav uses is using it to add custom front-matter to text files and post them to my Jekyll powered personal blog. Don’t want to get into nerdy details in this review, but basically it makes it *easier* for me to post from my phone than from my desktop, which is really nice.

6 years ago, Green Carot

Excellent even without the subscription

Drafts is the epitome of simple while being incredibly powerful. The app is extremely capable even with going Pro. I hope that those leaving reviews bemoaning the loss of an app for them because they refuse to buy into the subscription model will try using the app without the subscription. I’m not a fan of the subscription model, but this is one of very few apps that I’m seriously considering the yearly subscription... not because I need the extra features though.

4 years ago, wxboss

This!

This is the app I have been looking for, and I’m so glad I spent some time looking around the app section of the App Store today or else I would have missed it! I have needed something that could capture my thoughts, ideas and to-dos instantly and then provide me with many options and opportunities to move these captures to the areas I want them in with almost effortless ease. Now, as a newbie with this app, I heard about its ability yet found myself confused as how to harness them. But after watching a few short videos on their Resources section, I soon found out how to begin to unleash the potential this app offers. There are many applications that Drafts can be used for, and it seems to me at this time that they are only limited by my understanding of the tools it provides. I look forward to finding new ways to use this app to aid me in capturing and using my thoughts and words as effectively as I can.

6 years ago, BKLA

Must have app! Turn your Apple watch into a Productivity tool

I'm just going to say, I'm dictating this in. this review in the drafts five app. This App is fantastic. I had older versions, because I've heard it was a great app to capture it. But I didn't quite get it. Until I listened to a review talking about the Apple Watch complication – suddenly my Apple Watch is a productivity tool wherever I'm at! Not to mention all the great benefits of being able to dictate on the phone and all the great ways of processing text you put into this app. I use Evernote and Ulysses for writing. And this integrates nicely. I’m even figuring out how to dictate screenplays using the Fountain syntax with this. When I saw the new version, I was a little upset, since I had just purchased version for not that long ago. But, this new version is free, with pro up grade with in app purchase. I wasn't so upset then. And I tried it. And I'm using this app all day every day. Thanks.

6 years ago, T Nahumck

The Ultimate Productivity Tool

With the latest update, Drafts 5 has become the ultimate productivity tool. From simple text capture, to editing, to a modular interface that allows Drafts to become multiple apps, the app can really mold to what you need it to be. The app can be simple to complex, and everything in between. The capture capability coupled with the customizable actions allow this to become the app that best works for your productivity. This app should be on your devices, and will eventually find its way into the dock. It is my most favorite app on iOS. ★★★★★★

6 years ago, someBrady

Before complaining about subscription...

If the new Drafts Pro subscription is too much for your specific use cases, take a step back and see what you want to use the app for and what is now offered in the free tier. Agile Tortoise was extremely generous in the free features and you may be covered without having to spend any cash. If you grow beyond the free tier, subscribe and support future development (and hopefully a Mac version). I've used Drafts for a long time and I'm happy to support via the new subscription offering. It's a steal for how much time this app saves me.

6 years ago, drafts day1 review

This app is absolutely amazing..

I feel like a doctor, dictation transcription and transmission all in one. Let me just say, I never write reviews on any app. Although I may like them, this one is worth writing a review form. Within minutes of digging into it and seeing how effective it is on my I watch and combination with my iPhone, there’s no need to ever sit down and plan what I’m gonna write or type anymore. I’m so excited to learn more…Great job guys. Although one thing I may not have learned yet is how do I complete a paragraph and skip to the next paragraph verbally? Or if I wanted to make a bullet list, is that possible hands free?

8 months ago, G77777777777777777!

Some handy features.

Some handy features… However, if you been using Drafts and not checked out the default Apple Notes for sometime, it’s worth checking out. The new Apple Notes is greatly improved and negates any reason to subscribe to Drafts. The ability to add photos with your default Apple Notes as one great example! The subscription and rating process is broken... App is free, so it allows unlimited “reviews”. Key features are behind a paywall and no way to tell which reviews are from those paying. Time for Apple to follow Amazon’s process and show reviews from those paying.

Description

Drafts is where text starts. Quickly capture text and send it almost anywhere! Drafts turns text into action with almost limitless possibilities – it’s a quick notebook, handy editor, and writing automation tool, all in one. Capture all of your text in Drafts and send it to other apps without the extra taps. Just open it and start typing! **Drafts is a multi-award winner!** - App of the Day, TIME Magazine’s Best Apps - MacStories “Reader’s Choice Award” ## WHY YOU’LL LOVE DRAFTS ## CAPTURE EVERYWHERE: Drafts opens to a new page with the keyboard ready — just waiting for your words. Alternatively, go hands-free with dictation. Drafts helps you write ideas down before you can forget them so and they’ll always be there, ready and waiting. Capture on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, and Drafts’ fast sync will make your text available everywhere. USE YOUR WORDS: Drafts is a jumping-off point for text — use actions to copy it, share it, or deep-link into other apps and services. Compose a tweet, draft a message, create a file in Dropbox, send a task off to Reminders – Drafts works with tons of your favorite apps and services. REMEMBER IT NOW – OR LATER: New entries go into the Inbox. Once there, you can Tag them for organization, Flag them for importance, or Archive them for long-term storage. TAKE TEXT TO A NEW LEVEL: Customize Drafts to look and work the way you want with tons of interface adjustments — custom fonts and control over spacing, line height, and margins. Use the customizable buttons above the keyboard to convert, manipulate, and transform your writing quickly. Using Drafts as a global inbox for all of your text? Process everything quickly using unique features like Link Mode, Arrange Mode, and text manipulation actions. LEVERAGE THE POWER OF YOUR WRIST COMPUTER: Use your Apple Watch to quickly capture text using nothing more than your voice — and your ideas will be waiting on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac ready to be fleshed out. GETTING WORDS DOWN HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER: Drafts opens lightning fast and with support for capture via Siri, the widget, share extension, file import, and dictation - Drafts is like post-its updated for the smartphone era. ## JOIN THE COMMUNITY ## Check out our Directory (actions.getdrafts.com) for ready-to-use actions and themes. Join the Drafts Community (forums.getdrafts.com) to get help, integration guides, and a regular flow of tips & tricks. ## DRAFTS PRO ## Drafts is always free to use, but you can get more out of Drafts with a Drafts Pro subscription: • Create and Edit Actions • Themes and Icons - suit the experience to your tastes with themes, custom app icons, and more • Workspaces - Apply preferred tag, query, and sort settings for your drafts list with Workspaces • Extra widgets and better share extension options • Enhanced Automation We are always working hard to expand the capabilities of Drafts and keep it up-to-date with the latest technologies. Your support helps keep the app growing – thank you to Drafts Pro subscribers! ## SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS ## • Monthly and annual subscriptions are available • Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase • Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is disabled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period • Automatic renewals will be charged at the same price you were originally charged for the subscription • Subscriptions can be managed or canceled by going to Account Settings on the App Store after purchase Have questions? Contact us on Twitter at @draftsapp or email [email protected]. Terms: https://getdrafts.com/support/terms Privacy Policy: https://getdrafts.com/support/privacy