Comparison

Markup R vs Loop Sphere

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Markup R

This app allows users to mark up any stitch chart from any designer. It can automatically detect grids, symbols, and colors from PDFs or photos, and even stitch together multi-page charts. Users can track progress, identify stitch counts, and utilize built-in shade cards for thread colors.

Highlights
  • Load any chart from any designer
  • Automatic grid, symbol, and color detection
  • Stitch multi-page charts together
  • Automatic symbol and thread color detection
  • Built-in shade cards (DMC, Anchor, Madeira)
  • Track progress and statistics
  • Customizable markup tools
Features
Read full description

• Powerful markup made simple Spend less time managing your chart and more time stitching, with a clear interactive view that makes every symbol and remaining stitch easy to find. • Free two-week trial Try every feature free for two weeks and experience how Markup R-XP can make your stitching simpler and more enjoyable. • Easy chart importing and setup Start stitching sooner, even when your chart is a PDF, scan, image or photo, with tools that straighten the chart and help detect its grid and symbols - even one that’s angled or curled in a book! • Automatic thread setup Save setup time and avoid colour-matching mistakes by identifying threads from the chart key, creating blended symbols and choosing from a wide range of built-in manufacturer shade cards. • Multi-page and Stitch-Along support Enjoy multi-page charts as one seamless, correctly counted design without troublesome page boundaries and expand Stitch-Along (SAL) projects as new sections are released. • Comprehensive stitch and annotation tools Keep every detail of your work in one place by marking full and fractional stitches, adding backstitch, and recording instructions or reminders with text and freehand annotations. • Organised projects and detailed progress Always know where you are and what remains, with keys, reference pictures, finished samples, notes and detailed progress information kept together and easy to find. • Customisable to suit you Create a clearer, more comfortable stitching experience by personalising the app theme, grids, guides, colours, sizes and other display options. • Help, community and regular improvements Find answers when you need them, connect with a friendly community of stitchers and enjoy ongoing improvements inspired by user feedback.

About

Loop Sphere

Measure ambient noise levels in real-time with a decibel meter and create a calming sound environment with a variety of white noise options. Ideal for focus, relaxation, sleep, and even for soothing little ones. Integrates with Loop earplugs for enhanced sound awareness.

Highlights
  • Real-time decibel meter
  • White noise generator
  • Sound environment control
  • Sleep and focus sounds
  • White noise for children
  • Loop earplug integration
Read full description

Loop Sphere lets you measure the noise around you, understand your sound environment, and unwind with white noise. Check the sound around you in real time with the decibel meter, then switch to white noise whenever you want to focus, relax, or drift off to sleep. Loop Sphere puts sound awareness and calm together in one app. Live sound levels See how loud your surroundings really are with a real-time decibel meter. Get a clear read on the sound around you, whether you're at a concert, on your commute, or at home with family. It's an easy way to stay aware of loud environments and tune into your everyday sound, so you always know what you're listening to. White noise for sleep, focus, and calm Block out distractions and shape the sound environment you want. Choose from a range of white noise, from steady tones to gentle rain, and use it however suits you: drifting off to sleep, settling into focus, studying, relaxing, or simply making any space feel more comfortable. White noise for little ones Use gentle white noise to ease little ones into nap time or wind down for bed. A steady, soft sound can help build a calm bedtime routine, at home or while you travel. Got a Loop product? Already wear Loop earplugs? Loop Sphere works right alongside them. Use the app to get a clearer picture of the sound around you and get even more from your Loop product. Why Loop Sphere? Plenty of apps do one thing well. Loop Sphere brings real-time sound awareness and white noise together in one place. It comes from the team behind Loop, who've spent years helping people live better with sound. Ready to take control of your sound environment? Download Loop Sphere and get an accurate decibel meter plus soothing white noise for sleep, focus, and calm. Measure the noise around you, enjoy calming sounds, and make any space feel more comfortable.

Screenshots

Markup R4 screens
Loop Sphere4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Loop Sphere at none against Markup R's 2. Loop Sphere also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Markup R's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (3K vs 4). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Markup R sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Loop Sphere asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Loop Sphere holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Markup R has 3K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Markup R versus Loop Sphere: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarkup RLoop Sphere
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings3K — better4
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size317 MB148 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKewin Lawson Smith LimitedLoop Earplugs

Customer experience

Markup R

All ratings3,035 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews342 reviews
Positive67.8%
Neutral5.3%
Negative26.9%

Loop Sphere

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Markup R

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes and freezes when marking up certain patterns
  • Inconsistent symbol highlighting and placement
  • Difficulty loading and aligning some scanned patterns

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to track floss stash and needed supplies
  • Syncing across multiple devices
  • Improved support for password-protected PDFs
  • Font size controls for rulers and labels
  • Rotation/flipping options for patterns

Loop Sphere

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Markup R

Subscriptions1
  • Yearly Access$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Markup R-XP Full$9.99
None

Loop Sphere

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Markup R free?
Markup R is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Loop Sphere free?
Loop Sphere is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Markup R or Loop Sphere?
Loop Sphere is rated higher. Markup R averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while Loop Sphere averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Markup R or Loop Sphere have ads?
Loop Sphere shows ads; Markup R does not.

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