Comparison

Paperpile vs Plasmids X

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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.

About

Plasmids X

Design, create, and analyze custom DNA plasmids with this intuitive molecular genetics tool. Supports importing, editing, and sharing plasmids, with powerful in silico analysis features for researchers and students.

Highlights
  • Create plasmids from sequences
  • Import from .dna and Genbank files
  • Edit plasmids by adding features
  • In silico analysis (sequence alignment, PCR, digestion)
  • Share and collaborate on plasmids
Features
Read full description

Plasmids X: Your ultimate plasmid editor! A plasmid is a small circular DNA molecule commonly found in bacteria and some other microorganisms. It exists independently of the organism's chromosomal DNA and can replicate itself within the cell. Scientists frequently use plasmids in genetic engineering and biotechnology, as they are easily manipulated and serve as vehicles for introducing new genes into cells for various purposes including research and the production of useful proteins. Whether you're an expert researcher or just starting in the world of molecular genetics, Plasmids X allows you to design, create, and analyze plasmids effortlessly. Key Features: Create Plasmids: Create plasmids from scratch! Just provide a sequence, in FASTA format or raw sequence, and the app will create a new plasmid and automatically add common DNA features. Alternatively, you can create a new plasmid from smaller DNA fragments from the library embedded in the app (this is a paid feature). Import Plasmids: Import plasmid sequence and features from .dna and Genbank formatted files. Edit Plasmids: Editing plasmids could not be easier! This function of the Plasmids X app allows you to add custom DNA features to an existing plasmid. Powerful Analysis Tools: the Plasmids X app not only allows you to visualize your plasmids, it also enables you to perform critical in silico analysis such as sequence alignment, primer Tm estimation, PCR, and restriction enzyme digestion analysis on your plasmid in seconds! (Some of these are paid features.) Share and Collaborate: Collaborate with your peers by sharing your plasmids with a tap! Whether you're conducting research in molecular biology and genetics or learning the very principles of genetics, the Plasmids X app is here to assist you. Important information: To use enhanced iPad support a monthly or annual subscription is required. Try Enhanced iPad Support free for 3 days. Terms of service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: https://aminmahpour.com/privacy_plasmids.html

Screenshots

Paperpile3 screens
Plasmids X4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Paperpile at 4.5 against Plasmids X's 3.4. Paperpile also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 33%) and in-app purchases (none vs 14). Plasmids X's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Plasmids X sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Paperpile asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Paperpile holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paperpile has 129 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Paperpile's written reviews are positive against 33% of Plasmids X's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Paperpile ships an update every 2 months, Plasmids X monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Paperpile versus Plasmids X: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaperpilePlasmids X
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (129 ratings) — better3.4 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews71.6% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings129 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18
Further details — not scored
Size242 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaperpile LLCAmin Mahpour

Customer experience

Paperpile

All ratings129 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral3.9%
Negative9.3%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive71.6%
Neutral4.9%
Negative23.5%

Plasmids X

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and 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
Show 7 more
  • 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
Show 12 more
  • 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

Plasmids X

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Paperpile

No in-app purchases

14 purchases

Plasmids X

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Yearly3 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time12
  • A cup of coffee!$1.99
  • Split View Support$1.99
  • Manual Cloning$3.99
Show 9 more
  • In-silico PCR Support$3.99
  • NCBI Entrez Support$3.99
  • Local Alignment Support$3.99
  • A box of joe!$4.99
  • BLAST Support$4.99
  • ApE File Support$4.99
  • Genbank Support$4.99
  • dna File Support$5.99
  • All Features$24.99

Questions

Is Paperpile free?
Paperpile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Plasmids X free?
Plasmids X is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Paperpile or Plasmids X?
Paperpile is rated higher. Paperpile averages 4.5 out of 5 from 129 ratings, while Plasmids X averages 3.4 from 7 ratings.
Do Paperpile or Plasmids X have ads?
Neither Paperpile nor Plasmids X shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Paperpile or Plasmids X?
Paperpile ships an update every 2 months, and Plasmids X monthly. Most recently, Paperpile was updated on September 21, 2026 and Plasmids X on June 1, 2026.

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