ILYS review
A specialized drafting app that limits self-editing and supports longer writing projects.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
ILYS is a web-based writing app for novelists, journalers, students, teachers, and other writers who want to generate text without editing as they compose. Its forward-only sessions prevent editing and deleting during drafting, while Privacy Mode hides text as users write. After a session, writers can revise in the editor. The free Open Session plan requires no account and includes forward-only writing, Privacy Mode, and sessions of up to 808 words. The Full ILYS Membership adds unlimited flow sessions, stories, sections, notes, cloud autosaves, and longer-work organization.
The product’s strongest distinction is its focused drafting method. Don’t Stop Mode gives a visual or optional audio nudge after seven seconds, while performance tools track daily word counts and lifetime word totals. Autosave snapshots, archives, section reordering, and cloud storage extend the workflow beyond short exercises. AI spell checking and chat with a user’s own text support revision without shifting the product toward general-purpose publishing software. These features make ILYS a fit for writers who want structure around producing a first draft and a clear separation between drafting and editing.
ILYS also offers broad export options for a focused writing tool: TXT, PDF, Markdown, and OPML downloads are available, alongside one-click Dropbox export and Dropbox sync. Its limits are equally clear. Access is web-only, collaboration is not included, and publishing tools are outside its scope. Writers who prefer flexible editing during composition, shared documents, or a broader publishing workflow should choose another writing app. ILYS is better suited to individual writers who value forward momentum, privacy while drafting, and organized projects over real-time collaboration or platform breadth.
ILYS pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Forward-only sessions reduce editing while composing
- Privacy Mode, nudges, goals, and snapshots support writing focus
- Exports to TXT, PDF, Markdown, and OPML, plus Dropbox sync
- Where it doesn't
- Web-only access limits platform choice
- No collaboration features for shared writing
- The forward-only method may not suit flexible drafting workflows
ILYS fact sheet, pricing and score →
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