Freewrite Alpha Review
I’ve owned the Freewrite Alpha for ten days. Here’s my review.
(Early PS—if you want a discount on the Freewrite Alpha, click this link).
How I got the Freewrite Alpha
I backed the Freewrite Alpha on Indiegogo in the summer of 2022. I saw the product on an Instagram ad, clicked through, kept it in mind, then finally caved and backed the project.
I backed the project for $250. If you’re wondering how much the Freewrite Alpha costs now, it retails for $349. With my backing, I also received their usb-c to usb-c charging cable, which they sell as an add-on for $20. Shipping on the product now would have cost $8 additionally (I live in Los Angeles). I received the product, the charging cable, and shipping all for my backing of $250. Pretty good deal.
I didn’t receive my Freewrite Alpha until January 2024, which was about 18 months after I backed it. That said, I expected this product to take a while to design, build, and ship. I believe Freewrite’s original estimation for delivery was sometime in the summer of 2023, so they experienced about six months of delays. That’s pretty typical with Indiegogo projects, especially with the supply chain delays that occurred during that time.
Why I’m writing this review
I’m writing this review for two reasons.
First, I didn’t get the product for free. I bought it. So I’m in a better position to tell you if it’s worth it compared to someone who may have received it for free. I put money down, had months of expectations, and now am understanding whether or not those expectations will be met.
Second, I have a discount code for the Freewrite Alpha that I also earn a small commission from (so I’m secretly hoping this review goes to the moon, and I make some cheddar).
Who the Freewrite Alpha is for
The Freewrite Alpha is for people who want to eliminate distractions in their writing. It’s very good at this.
I’ve put in my time tapping on a keyboard. I published 465 blogs in 465 days. I’ve written copy for social ad campaigns with 100 variations. I’ve written dozens of sales pages and product pages. I’ve written a 40,000-word book. And I did it all in the most-unromantic way possible.
The Freewrite Alpha is a romantic machine. It looks and sounds like a typewriter. It can go off the grid. It’s the kind of thing you can hammer away on at a coffee shop and turn the heads of a few hipsters.
The Freewrite Alpha has opened up a new avenue of writing for me. The low-pressure environment allows my mind to let go, be free, and reach a flow state. I’ve finally written personal pieces I’ve been thinking about for months because of the Freewrite Alpha.
Who the Freewrite Alpha is not for
The Freewrite Alpha is not ideal for people who write on a quick deadline.
That’s not to say it’s too clunky, or not well-integrated with the cloud—it is. It’s just not ideal for fast-turnaround projects.
As a copywriter and blog writer myself, I know the process of writing with a deadline staring you down at the end of the hour. In scenarios like that, you need to be able to write, format, and edit while you go. It’s important to see the structure and flow of your piece as you write. The Freewrite Alpha purposefully does not afford you this luxury.
I write a lot, and I can’t see myself using the Freewrite Alpha for my professional projects. I have, however used it a lot for personal projects. It’s exactly the device that keeps me writing. After a 10-hour day on the computer, the last thing I want to do is open my computer again to hash out new ideas, or just let my thoughts flow. The Freewrite Alpha lets me do that.
What the Freewrite Alpha is good at (and bad at)
The Freewrite Alpha is purposely bad a at a few things. It doesn’t have spellcheck. It doesn’t have rich text formatting (italics, bold, etc). It only allows you to write in plain text. It only shows you 2-3 lines at a time.
These limitations are purposefully designed to create e a spceicifc kind of writing experience. As mentioned, I’ve already achieved amazing flow-state writing sessions after only owning this device for a few days. And when I allow myself to focus on the ideas, instead of the spelling and the formatting, and the re-reading, my mind is allowed to flow in an awesome way.
The Freewrite Alpha also has a solid cloud backup system. It connects to wifi and automatically backs up to Freewrite’s platform called Postbox. You can also have all drafts automatically upload to Google Drive, Dropbox, or Evernote. And finally, there’s a key on the Freewrite Alpha keyboard that just says “send” and if you’re connected to the internet is will immediately email you a PDF backup of the draft you’re working on. I feel confident in its ability to back up important files.
How sturdy is the Freewrite Alpha?
It feels sturdy enough! It’s light, but the plastic feels solid. I could potentially see this thing cracking if you dropped it from a height on a hard surface. But as far as everyday wear and tear, The Freewrite Alpha is sturdy. It could get shoved in a backpack with no worries. The keyboard is mechanical, and it sounds good (it doesn’t sounds great, but it sounds good).
Freewrite Alpha Unboxing
Check out this video I created unboxing The Freewrite Alpha.
Is the Freewrite Alpha worth it?
This is the question you came here for, right? To find out if the Freewrite Alpha is worth it for you.
Here’s my definitive answer: it depends. (Sorry lol)
It depends on what you plan to use it for and what kind of writer you are.
If you’re an experienced writer who is looking to find the magic of writing again, The Freewrite Alpha is for you.
If you’re a professional looking for a writing tool for fast turnaround projects, The Freewrite Alpha is not for you.
If you’re a new writer who gets distracted a lot, The Freewrite Alpha might be for you.
If you’re writing the first draft a novel or a story, the Freewrite Alpha is for you.
Ultimately, you could achieve a very similar effect to the Freewrite Alpha by opening a word document, turning your monitor off, and just typing in the dark for a while. But the fact that an edit session or a social media scroll is just a few clicks away at any moment makes the Freewrite Alpha better than this. There’s a good case for single-use tech.
Freewrite Alpha Discount
If you want a discount on the Freewrite Alpha, click here. This link will give you a 5% discount on the Freewrite Alpha. It will give me a 5% commission if you purchase through my link.
