# References vs *scratch*

The clearest difference is update cadence: *scratch* at daily against References's monthly. *scratch* also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 89%) and price ($2.99 vs $4.99). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

References costs $4.99 and *scratch* $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for References against 4.9 for *scratch*. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 27 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of References's written reviews are positive against 100% of *scratch*'s.

References ships an update monthly, *scratch* daily. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | References | *scratch* |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | [4.9 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/references/id1481843213/reviews) | [4.9 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratch/id1671420139/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 25 | **27** |
| Positive reviews | 88.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 87 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Benjamin Burton](https://appshunter.io/developer/687735578) | [Xenodium Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/304568690) |

## What reviewers say

### References

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/references/id1481843213)

Browse and interact with your BibTeX libraries on your mobile device. View references, follow links, and access file attachments like PDFs. Supports both classic BibTeX and BibLaTeX formats.

**Highlights:** Browse BibTeX libraries, Search references, Follow links (DOIs, URLs), View file attachments (PDFs), Supports BibLaTeX, Group by keywords

**In-app purchases:** none


### *scratch*

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratch/id1671420139)

Quickly jot down notes, phone numbers, or directions on the go. This simple scratchpad app requires no sign-in or cloud storage, offering a straightforward way to capture information instantly. Supports plain text and basic Emacs org mode markup.

**Highlights:** Instant note-taking, Plain text support, Checkbox lists, Share to other apps, Save to Files, Emacs org mode markup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is References free?

References costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is *scratch* free?

*scratch* costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, References or *scratch*?

References and *scratch* are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 25 and 27 ratings respectively.

### Do References or *scratch* have ads?

Neither References nor *scratch* shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, References or *scratch*?

References ships an update monthly, and *scratch* daily. Most recently, References was updated on October 14, 2026 and *scratch* on October 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*