# References On Tap vs Paperpile

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | References On Tap | Paperpile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (304 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/references-on-tap/id1092709557/reviews)** | [4.5 (131 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperpile/id1187562736/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **304** | 131 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **71.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 68 MB | 242 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ReferencesOnTap](https://appshunter.io/developer/301316543) | [Paperpile LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1187562735) |

## What reviewers say

### References On Tap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/references-on-tap/id1092709557)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $4.99 | per year |
| Standard | $4.99 | one-time |


### Paperpile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperpile/id1187562736)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent reference library management
- 🔄 Seamless cross-device synchronization
- ✍️ Intuitive PDF annotation and highlighting
- 🎨 Clean and minimalist user interface
- 📱 Strong iPad and mobile integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and instability
- ⏱️ Lack of updates for extended periods
- 📱 Mobile app significantly behind web version features
- 🔋 High battery drain on iPad
- 🌙 No dark mode support

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Dark mode implementation
- Edit citation metadata on mobile app
- Change PDF file functionality
- Save to downloads feature
- Dictionary/lookup function for reading


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*