Comparison

Academia.edu vs API

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

Head to head
About

Academia.edu

Access a vast library of open-access research papers on your mobile device. Discover new studies, track mentions and readership of your work, and connect with fellow scholars. Explore millions of academic papers on diverse topics.

Highlights
  • Discover and read research
  • Save research papers
  • Track mentions and readership
  • Search scholarly topics
  • Connect with scholars
  • View colleague activity
Features
Read full description

Get the world’s largest open access library in your pocket with the Academia mobile app. Use the app to: - Discover, read and save new research - See who has mentioned you in their work. - See who is reading you papers and profiles. - Search for scholarly research on thousands of topics. - Find and connect with like-minded scholars - See what friends and colleagues are working on Academia.edu has over 23 million academic papers to explore from by millions of researchers around the world. Download the app to access your Academia.edu account whenever and wherever your curiosity strikes. __ Academia.edu Terms of Use: https://www.academia.edu/terms

About

API

Features
Read full description

API - Training is the trainee app for the Arab Planning Institute. Explore training programs and manage your participation from your phone. • Browse and search available programs, details and schedules. • Follow your programs and registration status. • Update your profile and upload required registration documents. • Open meeting links when available for your programs. • Complete training satisfaction and administrative/logistics evaluations when assigned. • View and share available certificates and verify certificates using QR codes. • Use Arabic or English, with Arabic right-to-left layout and light/dark appearance. Public programs can be browsed without signing in. Personal profile, registration and program-specific evaluations require a trainee account. Program availability, admission and certificate eligibility are governed by the institute.

Screenshots

Academia.edu4 screens
API2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: API at none against Academia.edu's 3. Academia.edu's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 15 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). 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. Academia.edu sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. API asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Academia.edu ships an update every 2 weeks, API every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Academia.edu versus API: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAcademia.eduAPI
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (17K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings17K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 15 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAcademia.eduMERGE DMCC

Bugs and requests

Academia.edu

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • PDF files not loading properly
  • Crashing and freezing issues
  • Inconsistent behavior across platforms

Requested features

5 requests
  • Landscape mode support
  • Improved search and filtering options
  • Ability to bookmark and organize papers
  • Better integration with other research tools
  • More transparent pricing and subscription options

API

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Academia.edu

Subscriptions3
  • Academia Premium - Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Academia Premium - Annual$98.991 Year
  • Academia Premium - Annual7 Days trial$98.991 Year
None

API

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Academia.edu free?
Academia.edu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is API free?
API is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Academia.edu or API have ads?
Neither Academia.edu nor API shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Academia.edu or API?
Academia.edu ships an update every 2 weeks, and API every 15 months. Most recently, Academia.edu was updated on October 31, 2026 and API on October 25, 2026.

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