ResearchGate vs Papaya (ESN)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ResearchGate
Access over 150 million scientific publications and connect with millions of researchers worldwide. Stay updated on new research in your field, track your academic stats, and download full-text articles for offline reading.
- Access 150+ million publications
- Connect with 20+ million researchers
- Stay updated on new research
- Track academic stats and reports
- Download full-texts for offline reading
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Staying connected to the world of science is even easier with the ResearchGate app. ACCESS 150+ million publication pages Discover millions of publications right on your device, from anywhere. CONNECT with 20+ million researchers Discover other researchers and potential collaborators in your field. STAY UP TO DATE on new research in your field Get updates from the people you follow, and discover new and relevant research in your home feed. TRACK YOUR STATS and get weekly reports Keep track of your reads, citations, Research Interest Score, and more, and get notified when people interact with your work. DOWNLOAD full-texts to read anytime Discover interesting research while on the go, and save it to read whenever you want. To use the app, you need to have a registered ResearchGate account and be 18+ years old.
Papaya (ESN)
Connect with local students for support during your exchange program. Find help with integration, transportation, and language learning through a dedicated matching system.
- Buddy system for exchange student integration
- Pick-up system for arrival assistance
- Language tandem partner matching
- Local student support
- Assistance with new city integration
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Papaya (an ESN matching system) gives you access to many Erasmus Student Network's projects — as Buddy system, Pick-up system, Language tandem — and much more! BUDDY SYSTEM: The Buddy system is a project that aims to integrate and make feel at home exchange students, from the earliest days in their new cities. Each international student can ask to receive a local student as a tutor - the Buddy - who will be there to answer his/her questions, to clarify his/her doubts and that will help him/her take his first steps in the new city. PICK-UP SYSTEM: You are just arrived in your new city, ready for your brand new adventure. And now? Do you need a helping hand to carry the luggage in your new flat? Our pick up system is exactly what you need! We will do our best to find a Buddy who will come and pick you and your stuff up at the train or bus station (or even the airport), taking you then home, safe and sound. LANGUAGE TANDEM: Do you want to learn or improve another language? We will assign you a tandem partner who speaks the native language that you need! In return, your partner will be interested in the languages you speak so you'll both have the opportunity to improve in front of a coffee or a cup of tea.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Papaya (ESN) at none against ResearchGate's shown. Papaya (ESN) also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and device support (3 vs 1). ResearchGate's advantage is review sentiment (46% vs 33%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ResearchGate ships an update every 5 weeks, Papaya (ESN) every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ResearchGate | Papaya (ESN) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (15K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | ResearchGate GmbH | ITER IDEA |
Customer experience
ResearchGate
Papaya (ESN)
Bugs and requests
ResearchGate
Reported bugs
5 issues- Notifications not working properly
- Inconsistent data between app and website
- Login issues with Facebook and LinkedIn
- Crashes when opening certain content
- UI elements overlapping on iPhone X/newer
Requested features
5 requests- Add iPad/tablet support
- Improve search and filtering options
- Streamline registration and account management
- Integrate question/answer functionality in app
- Provide more customization and personalization
Papaya (ESN)
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ResearchGate
No in-app purchases
Papaya (ESN)
No in-app purchases
