# References On Tap vs ivySCI

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | References On Tap | ivySCI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (304 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/references-on-tap/id1092709557/reviews)** | [4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivysci/id1600901406/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **304** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 68 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ReferencesOnTap](https://appshunter.io/developer/301316543) | [Nanjing IvyScience Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1600901408) |

## 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 |


### ivySCI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivysci/id1600901406)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ivySCI VIP Monthly Service | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual VIP Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual AI Pro Subscription | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is References On Tap free?

References On Tap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ivySCI free?

ivySCI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, References On Tap or ivySCI?

References On Tap is rated higher. References On Tap averages 4.7 out of 5 from 304 ratings, while ivySCI averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.

### Do References On Tap or ivySCI have ads?

Neither References On Tap nor ivySCI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, References On Tap or ivySCI?

References On Tap ships an update every 2 months, and ivySCI fortnightly. Most recently, References On Tap was updated on October 21, 2026 and ivySCI on October 24, 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.*