References On Tap vs PageKit
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/
PageKit
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Merge, split, sign, redact and scan PDFs — fifteen tools that run entirely on your iPhone, with no account and no upload. FIFTEEN TOOLS, ALL ON YOUR DEVICE • Scan to PDF — use the camera to make a cropped, straightened PDF • Merge PDFs — combine several documents into one • Split PDF — break one document into several • Extract Pages — pull a range into its own PDF • Delete Pages — remove the pages you don't need • Reorder Pages — drag pages into a new order • Rotate Pages — turn pages the right way up • Sign & Fill — add a signature, a date or a tick • Redact PDF — black out words so they are really gone • Protect PDF — add or remove a password • Clean PDF — strip hidden author and app details • Make Searchable — find the text inside a scan • PDF to Images — save pages as JPEG, PNG or HEIC • Images to PDF — turn photos into a document • Batch Process — apply one tool to a whole stack at once PRIVATE BY CONSTRUCTION PageKit contains no networking code at all. This is not a promise not to upload your documents — the app has no way to. There are no analytics, no third-party libraries, no tracking, and no identifiers of any kind. Your documents, scans, signatures and passwords stay in the app's own storage on your device. Redaction genuinely removes the text rather than drawing a black rectangle over it. Cleaning strips the author, creator and keywords that a PDF carries without ever showing you. Every tool writes a new document, so your original is left exactly as it was. BUILT FOR iOS • Works offline, always • Share sheet — send a PDF into PageKit from any app • Home Screen widgets and a Control Centre scan button • Shortcuts and Siri for merging, converting and opening tools • Spotlight — find your documents from the Home Screen, indexed on device and switchable off • Full VoiceOver and Dynamic Type support • A proper iPad layout, not a stretched phone • English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and Spanish FREE AND PRO Most of PageKit is free and unlimited. Splitting, extracting, deleting, reordering, rotating, signing, redacting and cleaning have no cap at all. Merging is free up to 3 PDFs at a time, and converting images is free up to 5 at a time. PageKit Pro removes those limits and unlocks scanning, text recognition, password protection, image export and batch processing. • PageKit Pro Lifetime; paid once • PageKit Pro Monthly Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A monthly subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. The lifetime option is a one-time purchase and never renews. Privacy Policy: https://olumayhor99.github.io/pagekit-privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: PageKit at weekly against References On Tap's every 2 months. References On Tap's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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 PageKit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
References On Tap ships an update every 2 months, PageKit weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | References On Tap | PageKit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (304 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 304 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ReferencesOnTap | Ademola Mayowa Olatunji |
In-app purchases
References On Tap
- Premium$4.991 Year
- Standard$4.99
PageKit
- PageKit Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- PageKit Pro Lifetime$9.99









