Free beta · macOS & Windows
Verified before you cite it.
Solas is a free app for writing essays. When you pause on a paragraph, it finds real published research for it and shows which sources back you up, which argue against you, and which add to your point. It never writes a word for you.
On your phone? Email yourself the download linksWorks on macOS 11 or later and Windows 10 or 11.
Sleep and revision
Your paragraph
Students are often told to revise late into the night before an exam. Sleep after learning helps the brain keep what it has learned. A night without sleep makes it harder to take in new material the next day. Protecting sleep before an exam may therefore do more for recall than extra hours of revision.
Point atTap a sentence to see its sources.
Supports 2
Challenges 1
Extends 1
A live example. All four papers are real.
Searches academic sources through
- OpenAlex
- Crossref
- Semantic Scholar
- PubMed
- Europe PMC
How it works.
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Write
Write your essay in Solas, as you would in Word. It is saved on your computer and exports to Word or PDF.
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Pause, and it checks
When you stop typing, Solas checks the paragraph you are on. Prefer to ask? Turn that off and click Check this paragraph.
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Read, then cite
Each source opens at the passage that matters, highlighted. Then add the reference in Harvard, APA, MLA or Chicago.
New to Solas? A short tutorial shows you each part, on your own screen, the first time you reach it.
Also in the app
Source check
Before you hand in, it reads the sources you cite and flags any that may not back the point you use them for, so you know which passages to read again.
Go deeper
Turns one paragraph into a reading list: what to read first, and what each source adds.
Follows your brief
Add your assignment and your lecturer’s instructions, such as set readings or date ranges, and Solas searches with them in mind.
Also in the app: Referencing
Cite as you browse.
A panel that opens beside your web browser. Create a reference from the page’s publication details, then save it for your essay.
- Open a page in your browser. A journal article, a report or a PDF.
- Click Cite this page. Solas reads the page’s publication details and, where it can, compares them with the published record. Harvard, APA, MLA or Chicago.
- Save it or use it. Keep it in your Library, or put it straight into your essay.
Comes with the Solas app; no browser extension needed. On a Mac it sits beside Chrome, Safari, Arc, Edge or Brave, and your Mac asks once for each browser before Solas can see the page. On Windows, copy the page’s address from your browser and click Paste link.
Free to use.
£0Everything in the app, today
- Write and export essays
- Sources for every paragraph
- Referencing and your Library
Writing and citing web pages have no limits. Source checks have hourly and daily limits to keep the service affordable.
A paid Pro plan with higher limits is planned. Tell me when it opens
Questions.
What am I downloading?
The Solas app, free for your Mac or Windows computer. It is one app: you write your essay in it and it finds sources for each paragraph. It also turns the web page you are reading into a reference.
Will it show me how to use it?
Yes, on Mac and Windows. The first time you reach each part of Solas, a short tutorial shows you what to click, on your own screen. Skip it whenever you like, and replay it any time from the ? button.
Solas is in beta. What does that mean?
Solas works and is free to use, and we are improving it with feedback from students, so you may meet the odd bug. If something goes wrong or looks wrong, report a problem and tell us what you were doing.
Does Solas write any of my essay?
No. It finds and explains sources. Every sentence is yours.
Could Solas make up a reference?
No. Every source comes from a real academic database, such as Crossref or PubMed. The AI only reads and sorts them.
What happens to my essay?
It is saved on your computer. When you check a paragraph, Solas sends that paragraph, a short summary of your essay (your main argument and key ideas) and your brief if you added one. Nothing else leaves, and Solas does not keep your words.
Is it allowed at my university?
Solas helps you find sources; it does not write for you. Most universities allow that, sometimes with a note that you used it. Check your module's AI policy to be sure.
Do I need an account?
Not to write. Finding sources needs a free account, which you can make with Google in seconds.
Which referencing styles does it use?
Harvard, APA, MLA and Chicago. If your lecturer names one, Solas offers to switch to it.
How do I get it on my computer?
Click Download. On a Mac, open the file and drag Solas into Applications; the first time you open it, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. On Windows, run the installer; if Windows says it protected your PC, click More info, then Run anyway.