Comparison

Retrotype vs Citely

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

Head to head
About

Retrotype

Experience the satisfying feel of a classic typewriter on your device. Choose from multiple vintage models, customize sounds and visuals, and enjoy distraction-free writing with authentic haptic and audio feedback.

Highlights
  • Authentic typewriter models
  • Customizable sound packs
  • Haptic feedback
  • Multiple color palettes and paper themes
  • External keyboard support
  • Distraction-free writing environment
Features
Read full description

Rediscover the joy of writing without distractions. Retrotype transforms your device into a beautiful, tactile typewriter — complete with the sounds, rhythm, and charm of the classics. CHOOSE YOUR MACHINE Four meticulously crafted typewriter models, each with a distinct personality: - Clean, timeless design. The one that started it all. - Vintage European style with warm, earthy tones. - Mid-century curves in playful pastel palettes. - Bold industrial form with exposed ribbon cartridges. MAKE IT YOURS 22+ hand-picked color palettes. 12 paper themes. 5 authentic sound packs — from the sharp snap of a classic to the soft press of a modern electric. Dial in your haptics, adjust your margins, and set your bell. FEEL EVERY KEYSTROKE Authentic sound and haptic feedback bring every key press to life. Carriage returns, margin bells, and the steady rhythm of typing pull you into a focused flow. WRITE ANYWHERE Designed for iPhone, iPad, and Mac with seamless external keyboard support. Your documents are always ready. ONE PRICE. EVERYTHING INCLUDED. Retrotype Premium is a single purchase — no subscriptions, no recurring fees. Every model, palette, sound pack, and future update is yours forever. Retrotype is a place to slow down, find your flow, and let words unfold one keystroke at a time.

About

Citely

Features
Read full description

Paper due and the bibliography still to do? Citely formats your sources in MLA 9, APA 7 or Chicago and gives you an alphabetized Works Cited, References or Bibliography page as a PDF — or as text to paste into your document. Pick a style, add each source with a simple form, then tap Make Works-Cited PDF. • THREE STYLES — MLA 9 (Works Cited), APA 7 (References) and Chicago (Bibliography). Switch styles and every entry is reformatted. • SIX SOURCE TYPES — books, journal articles, websites, book chapters, newspaper articles and reports, each with the fields it needs: authors, year, publisher, city, edition, volume, issue, pages, URL and DOI. • AUTHORS DONE RIGHT — add as many authors as you need, or none; last names are used for sorting, initials are built for APA, and a missing year becomes “n.d.”. • ALPHABETIZED AUTOMATICALLY — entries are sorted by author, or by title when there's no author (ignoring a leading A, An or The). • PRINT-READY PAGE — US Letter, 1-inch margins, double-spaced, hanging indents and italic titles. • COPY CITATIONS — copy the whole list as plain text to paste into your paper, or print, share or save the PDF. Please check your work: Citely formats what you type — it does not look up sources online, so the result is only as accurate as the details you enter, and some rules (like title capitalization) can't be fully automated. It makes the reference list only — no in-text citations or footnotes. Always compare with your style guide. Your list isn't saved between sessions, so copy or export it before closing. Everything runs on your iPhone — nothing is uploaded and no account is needed. Try it free — 3 exports. A one-time $4.99 purchase unlocks unlimited exports. No subscription, no ads. Questions: overlapmarr@gmail.com

Screenshots

Retrotype3 screens
Citely3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Citely at every 4 days against Retrotype's every 3 months. Retrotype's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Retrotype sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Citely sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retrotype ships an update every 3 months, Citely every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Retrotype versus Citely: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetrotypeCitely
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGood Loop Software LLCJhomar Maravillas

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Retrotype

One-time1
  • Unlock Everything$4.99
1 purchases

Citely

One-time1
  • Unlock Unlimited$4.99

Questions

Is Retrotype free?
Retrotype is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Citely free?
Citely is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Retrotype or Citely have ads?
Neither Retrotype nor Citely shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retrotype or Citely?
Retrotype ships an update every 3 months, and Citely every 4 days. Most recently, Retrotype was updated on October 7, 2026 and Citely on October 6, 2026.

Other comparisons