# Essayist vs SamePage

The clearest difference is device support: Essayist at 3 against SamePage's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Essayist sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and SamePage sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Essayist | SamePage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (430 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essayist-academic-writing-app/id1537845384/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **430** | — |
| Positive reviews | 60.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 82 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Essayist Software Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1537845386) | [ALAN KEITH DUVALL](https://appshunter.io/developer/6809993268) |

## 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


### SamePage

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samepage-better-texts/id6809993266)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SamePage Pro Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| SamePage Pro Annual | $149.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Essayist free?

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

### Is SamePage free?

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

### Do Essayist or SamePage have ads?

Neither Essayist nor SamePage shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Essayist or SamePage?

Essayist ships an update fortnightly, and SamePage fortnightly. Most recently, Essayist was updated on November 3, 2026 and SamePage on October 31, 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.*