References On Tap vs ivySCI
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/
ivySCI
This app helps researchers manage and read scientific papers efficiently. It automatically extracts metadata, offers AI-assisted reading and proofreading, and allows for easy note-taking and citation integration with word processors.
- Automatic PDF metadata identification
- AI-assisted reading and Q&A
- Built-in translation and dictionary
- Reference extraction and download
- Image extraction and side-by-side viewing
- Cloud-synced notes across devices
- Word processor citation plugin
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ivySCI is dedicated to providing thoughtful and intelligent literature reading and management tools for researchers, helping them save valuable time and focus more effectively on their research, rather than getting bogged down in time-consuming literature management, especially the tedious task of formatting references for graduate theses. As your helpful assistant, ivySCI offers a comprehensive range of services from the outset, including: 1. After you import PDF documents, we automatically identify the metadata of each paper, including titles, authors, abstracts, DOIs, journals, and important journal impact factors (CiteScore). 2. For each document, we provide built-in translation and dictionary lookup to overcome language barriers. 3. We offer AI-assisted reading for each document, providing quick answers to your questions. In the Mac version, we also provide AI proofreading and translation functions. 4. We analyze each document so that you can access references directly when needed, without flipping to the end of the paper. After viewing the references, you can decide whether to download them. You can customize the download engine to provide more channels to help you find the required literature faster. 5. We extract images from papers and provide side-by-side text and image viewing when necessary. You can zoom in or out on images to focus on specific details. 6. We analyze the PDF structure and present it in an outline format. Thumbnails are also available for viewing. 7. You can create notes on any device, and these notes are shared via the cloud for easy access anytime, anywhere. 8. Your literature and notes are associated with your account, so you can use them on any device (including iPhone, iPad, and Mac) after logging in. 9. When writing in Word or WPS, you can cite literature and notes at any time using the ivyCite plugin provided by ivySCI. This ensures that your thought process remains uninterrupted. ivySCI offers various client options tailored to research needs, including Mac and PC, iPad, and iPhone. Each device serves a different purpose, with desktop versions offering comprehensive management capabilities, iPad versions focused on reading and basic operations, and iPhone versions providing basic information access. Depending on the intelligence analysis capabilities and the limitations of different PDF formats, some features may not be available, but we continuously optimize the engine.
Screenshots
Verdict
References On Tap and ivySCI both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of ivySCI's written reviews are positive against 50% of References On Tap's. ivySCI also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). References On Tap's advantage is ratings volume (304 vs 9). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 and ivySCI sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for References On Tap against 4.6 for ivySCI. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: References On Tap has 304 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of References On Tap's written reviews are positive against 80% of ivySCI's.
References On Tap ships an update every 2 months, ivySCI fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | References On Tap | ivySCI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (304 ratings) — better | 4.6 (9 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 304 — better | 9 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 66 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ReferencesOnTap | Nanjing IvyScience Information Technology Co., Ltd. |
Customer experience
References On Tap
ivySCI
In-app purchases
References On Tap
- Premium$4.991 Year
- Standard$4.99
ivySCI
- ivySCI VIP Monthly Service$2.991 Month
- Annual VIP Subscription$29.991 Year
- Annual AI Pro Subscription$39.991 Year








