# Essayist vs Task Done

The clearest difference is price: Essayist at Free against Task Done's $0.99. Essayist also leads on ratings volume (429 vs 1). Task Done's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 61%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Essayist is free to download; Task Done costs $0.99 up front. Essayist sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Task Done sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Task Done holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Essayist has 429 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Essayist's written reviews are positive against 100% of Task Done's.

Essayist ships an update fortnightly, Task Done every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and June 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Essayist | Task Done |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (429 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essayist-academic-writing-app/id1537845384/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/task-done-task-management/id1628004663/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **429** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 60.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Paid** |
| Size | 82 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Essayist Software Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1537845386) | [Amit Wadhera](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626600987) |

## What reviewers say

### Essayist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essayist-academic-writing-app/id1537845384)

This app simplifies academic writing by automatically formatting essays in various styles like APA, MLA, and Chicago. It includes a universal reference manager, citation tools, and equation support, allowing for distraction-free writing and easy export to PDF or Word.

**Highlights:** Automatic essay formatting, Universal reference manager, In-text citation and footnote insertion, LaTeX equation support, Export to PDF and Word, Minimalist interface

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for academic writing
- 🚀 Saves time on formatting
- 👍 Accurate citations
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Privacy concerns
- 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
- 🔧 Limited functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to add references
- Formatting issues when copying and pasting
- Inability to edit title pages and section headings
- Inconsistent behavior across devices (iPad vs. Mac)
- Issues with in-text citations and reference lists

**Requested features**

- Add more citation styles (e.g. MHRA, Vancouver)
- Improve table and image handling
- Integrate with reference managers like Zotero
- Add grammar and spell check tools
- Allow more customization of templates and formatting


### Task Done

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/task-done-task-management/id1628004663)

Build positive habits and track your progress with success streaks. Visualize your schedule and stay motivated to improve daily. This app helps you achieve your goals through consistent tracking.

**Highlights:** Habit building, Success streaks, Progress tracking, Daily motivation, App calendar integration

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Task Done - Premium | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Essayist free?

Essayist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Task Done free?

Task Done costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Essayist or Task Done?

Task Done is rated higher. Essayist averages 4.5 out of 5 from 429 ratings, while Task Done averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Essayist or Task Done have ads?

Neither Essayist nor Task Done shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Essayist or Task Done?

Essayist ships an update fortnightly, and Task Done every 3 weeks. Most recently, Essayist was updated on October 29, 2026 and Task Done on June 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*