References On Tap vs Paperpile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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••• 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/
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | References On Tap | Paperpile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (304 ratings) — better | 4.5 (131 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 71.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 304 — better | 131 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 242 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ReferencesOnTap | Paperpile LLC |
Customer experience
References On Tap
Paperpile
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
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- 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
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- 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
References On Tap
- Premium$4.991 Year
- Standard$4.99
Paperpile
No in-app purchases








