# Author vs DanceStepper

The clearest difference is price: DanceStepper at Free against Author's $19.99. DanceStepper also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (17.2 vs 26.0). Author's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On ads there is nothing between them.

DanceStepper is free to download; Author costs $19.99 up front. Author sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. DanceStepper asks for nothing beyond the download.

## The numbers

| Metric | Author | DanceStepper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/author/id951792010/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.2** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Augmented Text Company LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/459748478) | [Madhava Rao](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685756974) |

## What reviewers say

### Author

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/author/id951792010)

This app serves as a companion to its macOS counterpart, offering a minimalist and powerful writing experience on iOS devices. It allows users to create and manage their written content seamlessly across platforms.

**Highlights:** Minimalist writing interface, Powerful writing tools, iOS companion app, Syncs with macOS version

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Export & AI | Free | one-time |
| Eng | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Clean, minimalist interface design
- 💡 Innovative concept mapping and mind mapping features
- 📚 Excellent citation and reference management
- ⌨️ Useful keyboard shortcuts and productivity features
- 🎯 Powerful outlining and document folding capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss issues
- 📱 iOS/iPad app severely broken and non-functional
- 🔄 Syncing problems between devices
- 🎨 Limited formatting and customization options
- 📊 Poor image handling capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently, causing data loss
- iOS app shows blank screen and won't open documents
- iPad app completely non-functional
- Text disappears or becomes greyed out during iCloud saves
- Vision OS app lacks cursor for text input

**Requested features**

- iPad and iOS app that actually works
- Typewriter scrolling mode
- Variable screen width for large displays
- Complete LaTeX export with full file support
- Markdown support


### DanceStepper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dancestepper/id6448710672)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Author free?

Author costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is DanceStepper free?

DanceStepper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Author or DanceStepper have ads?

Neither Author nor DanceStepper shows ads.

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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.*