Comparison

References On Tap vs Paperpile

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

Head to head
About

References On Tap

This app helps you find, display, and import reference information and PDFs from various academic databases. Organize your references into groups, perform advanced searches, and sync your library across devices. It offers both a one-time purchase for core features and a subscription for cloud syncing.

Highlights
  • Search academic databases (arXiv, Google Scholar, PubMed, etc.)
  • Import reference information and PDFs
  • Organize references in static and smart groups
  • Advanced boolean and full-text search options
  • Sync libraries across iOS and macOS devices via iCloud
  • Share references for reading or import
Features
Read full description

••• Check out Bookends - References' big brother ••• References searches arXiv, Google Books, Google Scholar, JSTOR, the Library of Congress, PubMed, PubMed Central, and Semantic Scholar to find, display, and import reference information and pdfs of the full article (if you have access privileges). You can search your personal reference library, organize your references in groups (static and smart), and share references in a form suitable for reading or importing into desktop reference management applications. Many features are optimized for reference retrieval and management (advanced boolean searches, search for Full Text or Free Full text, recall recent searches, etc.). Use iCloud to sync all your libraries and attachments across iOS and macOS devices, and have full access to your references and sources when you're on the go. Standard, one-time purchase ($4.99): • No limit on searches or importing. Premium, yearly subscription ($4.99). Requires a Standard purchase. • Cloud sync with all your iOS and macOS devices. Subscription is for one year and can be auto-renewable. The subscription can be managed in iOS -> Settings > iTunes & App Store > Subscriptions. The subscription might renew if it wasn't canceled more than 24 hours before the renewal date. If the subscription is not renewed, Premium will be disabled. Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Paperpile

Organize and manage your research papers effortlessly. Collect, read, and annotate PDFs from millions of academic journals. Beat paper chaos with a tidy digital library.

Highlights
  • Search millions of academic papers
  • Collect PDFs with one tap
  • Organize with folders and labels
  • Read and annotate PDFs
  • Highlight and add notes
  • Browser integration for saving
Features
Read full description

Get a head start for you research and finally beat the paper chaos on your desk. With Paperpile you have all your research PDFs in one place — nice and tidy. Paperpile makes it easier than ever to collect, manage, read, and annotate your papers. FIND & COLLECT - Search millions of papers from 20,000+ academic journals right in the app. - Add new papers to your collection with one tap and the PDF will be downloaded automatically. - Save directly from your browser to your Paperpile library - User your university's off-campus proxy access to get restricted content behind paywalls. MANAGE & ORGANIZE - Bring structure to your library with folders and subfolders - Organize your library visually with colored labels - Mark important papers with stars. - Search your library to find the paper you need fast. READ & ANNOTATE - Read like on paper with a fast and slick PDF viewer experience - Highlight important sections in different colors - Add notes and never forget an important idea. - Add hand-drawn annotations - with your fingers or your Apple Pencil The Paperpile App requires a Paperpile account.

Screenshots

References On Tap4 screens
Paperpile3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Paperpile at none against References On Tap's 2. Paperpile also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 50%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. References On Tap sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Paperpile asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

References On Tap holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 304 and 131 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of References On Tap's written reviews are positive against 72% of Paperpile's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
References On Tap versus Paperpile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReferences On TapPaperpile
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (304 ratings) — better4.5 (131 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews71.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings304 — better131
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB242 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReferencesOnTapPaperpile LLC

Customer experience

References On Tap

All ratings304 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative41.7%

Paperpile

All ratings129 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral3.9%
Negative9.3%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive71.6%
Neutral4.9%
Negative23.5%

Bugs and requests

References On Tap

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Paperpile

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • App crashes frequently on iPad and iOS devices
  • Highlighting disappears when revisiting papers
  • Overlapping annotations delete together when removing one
  • Sync failures requiring logout/login cycles
  • Annotations not syncing between iPad and web versions
Show 7 more
  • PDF metadata recognition failures when adding papers
  • Settings reset when returning to previously edited files
  • App incompatible with older iOS versions (iOS 12)
  • Login authentication errors with university accounts
  • App crashes without reliable internet connection
  • Search functionality broken after updates
  • Annotations not saving/loading on iOS 14.4.2

Requested features

17 requests
  • Dark mode implementation
  • Edit citation metadata on mobile app
  • Change PDF file functionality
  • Save to downloads feature
  • Dictionary/lookup function for reading
Show 12 more
  • Cite while you write feature
  • BibTeX export capability
  • Ability to upload PDFs directly from mobile app
  • Support for Safari and other browsers
  • Desktop application version
  • Shared library access in mobile app
  • Advanced sorting options (by title, author, date)
  • Custom color options for annotations
  • Paste images into PDFs
  • Shape snapping for drawing tools
  • University email authentication
  • Paper rating system beyond stars

In-app purchases

2 purchases

References On Tap

Subscriptions1
  • Premium$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Standard$4.99
None

Paperpile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is References On Tap free?
References On Tap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Paperpile free?
Paperpile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, References On Tap or Paperpile?
References On Tap is rated higher. References On Tap averages 4.7 out of 5 from 304 ratings, while Paperpile averages 4.5 from 131 ratings.
Do References On Tap or Paperpile have ads?
Neither References On Tap nor Paperpile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, References On Tap or Paperpile?
References On Tap ships an update every 2 months, and Paperpile every 2 months. Most recently, References On Tap was updated on October 21, 2026 and Paperpile on October 23, 2026.

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