# References vs Box Inventory & Tracker

The clearest difference is review sentiment: References at 89% against Box Inventory & Tracker's 40%. References also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). Box Inventory & Tracker's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Box Inventory & Tracker is free to download; References costs $4.99 up front. Box Inventory & Tracker sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. References asks for nothing beyond the download.

References holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of References's written reviews are positive against 40% of Box Inventory & Tracker's.

References ships an update monthly, Box Inventory & Tracker weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | References | Box Inventory & Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/references/id1481843213/reviews)** | [3.2 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/box-inventory-and-tracker-boxy/id6639614595/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **25** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **88.6% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 87 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Benjamin Burton](https://appshunter.io/developer/687735578) | [David Collado Sela](https://appshunter.io/developer/1241258594) |

## 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


### Box Inventory & Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/box-inventory-and-tracker-boxy/id6639614595)

Catalog, locate, and organize your belongings with this smart box organizer. Add items by typing, speaking, or taking photos, and find them instantly with smart search and NFC tags. Share your inventory with others for free.

**Highlights:** Catalog items with text, voice, or photos, NFC tag integration for instant box contents, Smart search across all boxes, Free sharing with family and friends, Printable QR code labels, Cloud sync across devices

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Boxy weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Boxy Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Boxy Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Boxy Lifetime | $4.99 | one-time |
| Boxy Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is References free?

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

### Is Box Inventory & Tracker free?

Box Inventory & Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, References or Box Inventory & Tracker?

References is rated higher. References averages 4.9 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Box Inventory & Tracker averages 3.2 from 6 ratings.

### Do References or Box Inventory & Tracker have ads?

Neither References nor Box Inventory & Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, References or Box Inventory & Tracker?

References ships an update monthly, and Box Inventory & Tracker weekly. Most recently, References was updated on October 14, 2026 and Box Inventory & Tracker on October 7, 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.*