# Microsoft Loop vs Niàn

The clearest difference is price: Microsoft Loop at Free against Niàn's $4.99. Microsoft Loop also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.5). Niàn's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Microsoft Loop is free to download; Niàn costs $4.99 up front. Microsoft Loop sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Niàn asks for nothing beyond the download.

Microsoft Loop ships an update monthly, Niàn every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Loop | Niàn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-loop/id1637682491/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 21.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 167 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Tangential Technologies, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1604740821) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Loop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-loop/id1637682491)

This app facilitates collaborative thinking, planning, and creation across devices. It brings together teams, content, and tasks, allowing users to capture ideas, manage projects, and communicate in real-time. Seamlessly integrate with existing tools for a unified workflow.

**Highlights:** Co-creation experience, Content and task management, Idea capture and task lists, Project workspace, Real-time commenting and reactions, Customizable notifications, Cross-Microsoft 365 component editing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $99.99 | per year |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $129.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient and useful
- 👍 Clean and simple UI
- 💡 Great integration with Microsoft 365
- 🚀 Powerful collaboration features
- 👍 Promising app with potential

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 🔍 Limited functionality on mobile
- 🔍 Missing key features compared to desktop
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and sync issues
- 🔍 Unintuitive navigation and user experience

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on certain workspaces
- Inability to save new content
- Formatting issues with code blocks
- Keyboard issues and cursor jumping
- Inconsistent theme and UI behavior

**Requested features**

- Ability to duplicate pages
- Improved handwriting and whiteboard support
- Export/copy to Word or PDF
- Offline functionality
- Better access management and guest collaboration


### Niàn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nian-personalized-chinese-ocr/id6787375108)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Loop free?

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

### Is Niàn free?

Niàn costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Microsoft Loop or Niàn have ads?

Neither Microsoft Loop nor Niàn shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Loop or Niàn?

Microsoft Loop ships an update monthly, and Niàn every 3 days. Most recently, Microsoft Loop was updated on November 11, 2026 and Niàn 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.*