Essayist vs Unloop
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Essayist
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.
- Automatic essay formatting
- Universal reference manager
- In-text citation and footnote insertion
- LaTeX equation support
- Export to PDF and Word
- Minimalist interface
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Try Essayist for free today! "Mac App of the Year 2025" — Apple "App of the Day" — Apple "Editors' Choice" — Apple "A-Plus Apps for Students" — Apple "Mac Essentials" — Apple No more fighting margins, hanging indents, or citation formatting. Essayist streamlines academic writing so you can concentrate on your ideas while it takes care of formatting, citations, references, footnotes, page setup, and more. AUTOMATIC FORMATTING Essayist automatically formats margins, fonts, spacing, headings, page numbers, references, citations, footnotes, figures, tables, and other essential elements. UNIVERSAL REFERENCE MANAGER Store and organize references with iCloud, then use them across multiple essays. Add sources through built-in search, Google Scholar, URLs, BibTeX, or manual entry. Essayist formats each source and adds it to your references or works cited list automatically. ZOTERO IMPORT Import your Zotero references and start using them in Essayist. CITATIONS Quickly insert in-text citations, footnotes, and endnotes with the click of a button. CITATION STYLES Choose from APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard, IEEE, AMA, Vancouver, and more than 10,000 other styles. EQUATIONS Add equations using LaTeX. FIGURES & TABLES Insert fully formatted figures and tables with captions, numbering, titles, and notes. Cross-reference them throughout your essay. ABSTRACT, APPENDICES & TABLE OF CONTENTS Easily add an abstract, appendices, and an automatically generated table of contents. WRITE ANYWHERE, STAY IN SYNC Your essays and references sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud, so you can start on one device and finish on another — even offline. YOUR WORK IS YOURS No ads, no selling your data, no lock-in — export anytime as PDF or Word. EXPORT Export your essays as PDF or Word documents. MINIMAL INTERFACE Write in a clean, distraction-free workspace with customizable themes, backgrounds, and dark mode. MORE • Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with universal purchase • US Letter and A4 paper sizes • Times New Roman and Arial fonts • Word and page counts • Spell check, auto-completion, and auto-capitalization • Accessibility support REGULAR UPDATES Have a feature request or found an issue? Contact us at contact@essayist.app. PRICING Essayist is free to download and includes a free trial of Essayist Pro. Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.iubenda.com/terms-and-conditions/82031685 Privacy Policy: https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/82031685
Unloop
This app helps you break free from addictive digital habits by creating automated boundaries around distracting apps and websites. Reclaim lost time for deep work, study, or family by setting up instant focus modes, location-based restrictions, and smart schedules.
- Instant Focus Modes
- NFC Tap-to-Lock
- Location Zones
- Smart Routine Schedules
- School Time Focus
- Parental Controls
- Family Sharing
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Unloop is a mindful digital wellness system that turns smartphones back into intentional tools. By combining system-level app shielding with physical NFC friction and automated routines, Unloop creates a deliberate pause between impulse and distraction—helping you reclaim up to 3 hours of lost time every day. Social feeds and algorithmic apps are engineered to steal hours without you noticing. Willpower alone rarely wins against digital habit loops—real focus requires physical boundaries and automated routines that work even when your discipline slips. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose what to shield: Select distracting apps (social networks, games, video streaming apps), entire categories, or specific website domains. 2. Set your trigger: Tap a physical NFC tag, walk into a geofenced location, or let your smart schedule take over automatically. 3. Live without distraction: Enjoy uninterrupted deep work, restful sleep, and present family time. KEY FEATURES • Physical NFC Tap-to-Lock: Tap any standard NFC tag, sticker, or key fob on your desk or nightstand to immediately start or end a focus session. • Physical Master Key: Assign a dedicated NFC tag located in another room as your exclusive emergency unlock tool to eliminate reflex bypassing. • Smart Automated Schedules: Set autonomous recurring time windows (e.g., Work Hours 9–5, Sleep Protection 11–7) that run reliably via background systems, even if the app is closed. • Location Zones (Geofencing): Automatically engage focus shields the moment you arrive at the office, campus, or gym. • App, Category & Web Shielding: Block individual apps, entire categories, or adult domains, and restrict websites. • Supervised Mode & PIN Lock: Safeguard focus schedules, bedtime rules, and trigger settings behind a secure PIN to prevent tampering. • Child Safety & App Store Locks: Restrict in-app purchases, prevent new app installations, and filter explicit content during focus intervals. • Dynamic Island & Live Activities: Keep track of remaining session time and focus states directly from your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. • Activity Timeline & Insights: Review your progress, skipped sessions, and habit patterns over time. • 100% On-Device Privacy: Zero account sign-up required. Your browsing history, location data, and app usage never leave your device. DESIGNED FOR EVERY PART OF YOUR LIFE • Professionals: Protect high-leverage flow states from notification pings and reflex scrolling. • Students: Automate classroom and library study sessions without willpower fatigue. • Morning & Evening Routine: Protect your sleep windows and first morning moments from screen glare and doomscrolling. • Parents & Families: Enforce healthy homework and bedtime boundaries across shared family devices. Terms and conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Unloop at freemium against Essayist's subscription. Unloop also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). Essayist's advantage is ratings volume (431 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Essayist sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Unloop sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Unloop holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Essayist has 431 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Essayist ships an update fortnightly, Unloop every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Essayist | Unloop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (431 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 431 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 82 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Essayist Software Inc. | Jose Luis Duran |
Customer experience
Essayist
Unloop
Bugs and requests
Essayist
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
6 requests- 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
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- Improve export functionality to preserve formatting
Unloop
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Essayist
- Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year
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- Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$79.991 Year
Unloop
- Individual Plan7 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Family Plan7 Days trial$14.991 Year









