Write. Cite. Manage References.

The academic writing app for students, scholars & professionals..

Screenshot of Essayist on macOS with a citation popover opened

How It Works

Choose citation style, add references, write & cite.

Screenshot showing formatted references in Essayist

Automatic Formatting

Reference manager.

Screenshot of Essayist's reference manager

Google Scholar

Apa, mla & more.

Screenshot of the citation style chooser in Essayist

Various Reference Types

Figures & equations.

Photo of louvre

Extra Sections

More features, export to pdf or word, import bibtex, backgrounds, ratings and reviews, outstanding application & support.

I've been using Essayist for years as for a while I only had an iPad as my main driver yet had to write papers for school and this was the only applicaiton that allowed me to do so on the iPad while not only maintaining all APA formatting requirements but making it even easier to cite articles with it's Google Scholar search function. I've also had a couple of times where i'd reach out to their customer support and they were prompt in responding with answers or even potential updates and timing. I highly recommend this app to every student at every level as I used it through my MBA and i'm now using it to complete a doctorate.

AMAZING tool for college students!

I am so glad I found this app because it has come in very handy in writing my essays for college. Essayist is very easy to use and supports many citation styles for all my essay writing needs. Has not let me down yet, thank you!!

It's worth it's weight in gold at least 10X over. I really don't know what I would do without this app. I use it for every single assignment and it's such a time saver and helps make sure everything is correct. I absolutely love it and recommend it to every single person I know in school.

Marvelous, Superb, and a Joy to Use

Essayist is an app designed with simplicity in mind. The team behind this application has eliminated the burden of the “essay criteria.” In its stead, we have a clear and perfectly structured canvas on which to begin writing without distractions. Upon purchase - which is worth every penny, you're prompted to choose your citation of choice. Your paper format and structure are based on this selection. Adding a works cited or bibliography is as simple as pressing a button. The app allows for chapters of books/magazines/ journals, websites, films, etc., and the user-friendly OS will enable you to seamlessly integrate those references as in-text citations, all with the press of a button. This app is a flagship creation of a solution to a long-standing problem. A problem that can perhaps be phrased as, “How can I have all the formatting and citations already done for me so that I can focus on just writing”? Essayist does just that.

Yearly・Save 40%

Still have questions, what is essayist, who is essayist for, how does essayist work, how much does essayist cost, can i use essayist on all my devices, which operating system do i need, is essayist available for android/windows, what citation styles does essayist support, can i generate references in essayist, does essayist have a user guide, subscribe to our newsletter, information.

Essayist: Academic Writing App 4+

Apa, mla, chicago & more, essayist software inc..

  • 4.8 • 714 Ratings
  • Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

Try Essayist for free today! "App of the Day" — Apple "Editors' Choice" — Apple "A-Plus Apps for Students " — Apple "Apps You Need This Week" — Apple Essayist allows you to write APA, MLA, Chicago & Harvard Style essays with ease. From in-text citations and footnotes to references and page setup, Essayist takes care of everything. It greatly simplifies the academic writing process. AUTOMATIC FORMATTING Essayist formats everything for you. Upon starting a new essay it sets up the title section/page, margins, font, line spacing, alignment, page headers/footers, etc. It formats your references, in-text citations, footnotes/endnotes, figures, tables, table of contents and more. UNIVERSAL REFERENCE MANAGER Store and manager references in a universal reference manager backed by iCloud. Search for, add, and store references in one place and use references across multiple essays. Create separate collections (folders) within the reference manager to organize and manage references. Add references quickly and easily using Google Scholar, Essayist’s built-in search, by pasting a URL or manual entry forms. Once added, references are automatically formatted and added to your essay’s references/works cited list. CITATIONS (IN-TEXT CITATIONS, FOOTNOTES, ENDNOTES) Add in-text citations and footnotes/endnotes with ease. Simply click the insert citation button and select the reference you wish to cite. An in-text citation/footnote/endnote is automatically created for you GENERAL FOOTNOTES Add general footnotes to any essay. EQUATIONS Essayist supports equations backed by LaTeX. CITATION STYLES Essayist supports four citation styles: APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian & Harvard. *Supported Versions: APA 7th Edition, MLA 8th & 9th Edition, Turabian 9th Edition, Harvard Snooks Style Manual and Cite Them Right 11th Edition, among various other versions from institutions throughout the UK and Australia* EXPORT Export your work to PDF or Word. MINIMAL INTERFACE A simple interface helps you write without distractions. You know all those buttons in other word processors you never use? We got rid of those. ABSTRACT, APPENDICES & TABLE OF CONTENTS Add an abstract, appendices and a table of contents to your essay. FIGURES & TABLES Easily add figures and tables with all the required information (caption, title, numbering, notes, etc.). REGULAR UPDATES We are working hard to make Essayist the best academic writing app it can be. If you have feature requests or encounter issues, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] MORE - iOS & macOS versions (universal purchase) - Built-in Universal Reference Manager - Pre-defined & customizable paragraph styles (Block Quote, Headings, etc.) - Bold, Italicize & Underline options - Import BibTeX - Multiple reference types (News Article, Magazine, Website, Dictionary, etc. …) - Two paper sizes: US Letter & A4 - Two font choices: Times New Roman & Arial - Word Count & Page Count - Multiple background choices - Spell Check, Auto Completion & Auto Capitalization - Dark mode - Designed for Accessibility FREE TRIAL Essayist features a free trial that enables you to use all features at no cost (including export and sync). PRICING Essayist requires a subscription. Choose between a monthly and a yearly subscription. Both subscription options offer a free trial. READ-ONLY MODE Download Essayist and review essays for free! *Editing functionality is locked without an active subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.iubenda.com/terms-and-conditions/82031685 Privacy Policy: https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/82031685

Version 1.13.0

WRITING TOOLS Essayist now supports Apple’s Writing Tools, which include a built-in proofreading feature that corrects grammar, spelling, and punctuation. *Requires compatible device and OS version. BIBTEX IMPORT ENHANCEMENTS BibTeX import has been significantly improved and now highlights entries with formatting issues. REFERENCE TYPE MODIFICATION You can now modify the reference type of a reference. PROFESSOR OR TEACHER? Email us for class discounts. If you have feature requests or experience an issue, please email us. We usually respond very quickly and it really helps us improve Essayist.

Ratings and Reviews

714 Ratings

Editors’ Choice

The simplest way to compose an A+ essay. Choose your citation style and the app will format your work to match. Then use the built-in source manager to look up–and properly cite–your references.

Outstanding Application & Support

I've been using Essayist for years as for a while I only had an iPad as my main driver yet had to write papers for school and this was the only applicaiton that allowed me to do so on the iPad while not only maintaining all APA formatting requirements but making it even easier to cite articles with it's Google Scholar search function. I've also had a couple of times where i'd reach out to their customer support and they were prompt in responding with answers or even potential updates and timing. I highly recommend this app to every student at every level as I used it through my MBA and i'm not using it to complete a doctorate.

Developer Response ,

Hi. Thank you very much for your kind review! We wish you all the best for your doctorate :) Till

Just short of perfect, but the glitch is significant

This is an excellent app all things considered. I wish it was around when I was in college. It would be perfect in my mind but for one thing…..exporting. There is an export feature - and it exports, it just does so without carrying over any of the formatting. You can fix it in one of two ways. Get rid of the feature, and do not claim that essayist can export to word or docs with formatting, or make it work. This is an app that costs money. The export feature as it currently functions might as well not be there at all. If you do not need to export, if you are happy to simply do the entire project on essayist it is perfect. Problem is most professors are not using is, so yes…fix the export feature please. It does hurt the value of the product in my mind.
Hi. We are happy to hear you like Essayist! Regarding export: Exporting to Word should work with all formatting intact. I have myself noticed that the preview in Word on iOS can have a glitch and sometimes look like the formatting is off, but once the file is saved and you are in editing mode it’s all there. Please contact us at [email protected] so we can better assist you. Kind regards, Till

App Privacy

The developer, Essayist Software Inc. , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

  • Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

  • Monthly Subscription $5.99
  • Yearly Subscription $39.99
  • Developer Website
  • App Support
  • Privacy Policy

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