Comparison

Retrotype vs Emotion

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

Emotion

This app offers a distraction-free writing experience with a vintage typewriter aesthetic. It features unique themes, mechanical keystroke sounds, and tools to build a daily writing habit. All content is saved offline and can be shared as PDFs.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free writing interface
  • Vintage typewriter themes
  • Mechanical keystroke sound and feel
  • Daily writing streak tracking
  • Offline functionality
  • PDF export and sharing
Features
Read full description

Emotion is a distraction-free, aesthetic typewriter for your daily thoughts. No feeds, no notifications, no clutter — just a page and a keyboard, styled after real vintage typewriters. Pick a machine, load the page, and write. WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • Emote your life daily — a calm space built for one thing: writing • Three hand-picked typewriter themes — Study Lamp, Floral Pink, and Forest Green — each with its own vintage machine, ink color, and paper • Real mechanical keystroke sound and feel with every letter you type • Daily writing streak and word-count tracking to help you build the habit • Every page autosaves as you type — nothing to lose, nothing to save manually • Print or share any page as a beautifully styled PDF • Works completely offline — everything stays on your device, always

Screenshots

Retrotype3 screens
Emotion4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Emotion at 5.0 against Retrotype's 3.9. Emotion also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). Retrotype's advantage is ratings volume (20 vs 1). On price, ads, 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. Retrotype sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Emotion asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Emotion holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrotype has 20 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Retrotype's written reviews are positive against 100% of Emotion's.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Retrotype versus Emotion: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetrotypeEmotion
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (20 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings20 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGood Loop Software LLCRishav Kant

Customer experience

Retrotype

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

Emotion

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Retrotype

One-time1
  • Unlock Everything$4.99
None

Emotion

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Retrotype free?
Retrotype is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Emotion free?
Emotion is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Retrotype or Emotion?
Emotion is rated higher. Retrotype averages 3.9 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Emotion averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Retrotype or Emotion have ads?
Neither Retrotype nor Emotion shows ads.

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