ResearchGate vs APA Community
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.
APA Community
This app connects members of the American Psychological Association for professional networking and resource access. Engage in discussions, stay updated on events, and foster a collaborative environment within the association.
- Professional networking
- Resource access
- Discussion forums
- Event updates
- Collaborative experience
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Connect with fellow members of the American Psychological Association (APA) using our exclusive APA Community App! Strengthen professional ties, engage in discussions, access resources, and stay updated on APA events. Join now for a vibrant, collaborative experience tailored for APA members. Welcome to APA Community!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ResearchGate at 4.8 against APA Community's 3.0. ResearchGate also leads on ratings volume (15K vs 2). APA Community's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ResearchGate holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ResearchGate has 15K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of ResearchGate's written reviews are positive against 50% of APA Community's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
ResearchGate ships an update every 5 weeks, APA Community every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ResearchGate | APA Community |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (15K ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 121 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | ResearchGate GmbH | American Psychological Association |
Customer experience
ResearchGate
APA Community
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
APA Community
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ResearchGate
No in-app purchases
APA Community
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ResearchGate free?
Is APA Community free?
Which has better reviews, ResearchGate or APA Community?
Do ResearchGate or APA Community have ads?
Which is updated more often, ResearchGate or APA Community?
Other comparisons
