Comparison

SymEditor vs ivySCI

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

Head to head
About

SymEditor

This application provides a visual and interactive way to create complex mathematical and scientific formulas. It supports a wide range of symbols and functions, and allows for easy sharing and integration with document editing software.

Highlights
  • Interactive visual formula editing
  • Support for multiple symbols and functions
  • LaTeX, Png, Svg, and MathML export
  • Integration with Word and WPS
  • LaTeX command and code editing
  • System and hardware keyboard support
Features
Read full description

Symeditor is a completely new formula editor, which is suitable for people in education, teaching, scientific research institutions, engineering and other fields, easy to write complex mathematical and physical formulas and symbols, a necessary tool for science students! Features: 1. Fully interactive and visual formula editing 2. Easy to learn, easy to control 3. Support multiple symbols and powerful functions Common, arrow, Greek character, geometric symbol, relation symbol, set, matrix, integral, etc 4. Support to share latex, Png, Svg and MathML, cooperate with word, markdown and other document editing 5. Support latex command 6. Support latex and MathML code editing and execution 7. Supports system input method and hardware keyboard 8. Support working with Word and WPS Download this app now and write math formulas with ease! Important tips: 1. Subscript input: start with '_' 2. Superscript input: start with '^' 3. Latex command input: start with '\' and end with enter Terms of use: https://mathfuns.com/servagree?app=symeditor Privacy Policy: https://mathfuns.com/policy?app=symeditor Contact us: Website: www.mathfuns.com Mailbox: mathfuns@hotmail.com Sina Weibo: Mathfuns

About

ivySCI

This app helps researchers manage and read scientific papers efficiently. It automatically extracts metadata, offers AI-assisted reading and proofreading, and allows for easy note-taking and citation integration with word processors.

Highlights
  • Automatic PDF metadata identification
  • AI-assisted reading and Q&A
  • Built-in translation and dictionary
  • Reference extraction and download
  • Image extraction and side-by-side viewing
  • Cloud-synced notes across devices
  • Word processor citation plugin
Features
Read full description

ivySCI is dedicated to providing thoughtful and intelligent literature reading and management tools for researchers, helping them save valuable time and focus more effectively on their research, rather than getting bogged down in time-consuming literature management, especially the tedious task of formatting references for graduate theses. As your helpful assistant, ivySCI offers a comprehensive range of services from the outset, including: 1. After you import PDF documents, we automatically identify the metadata of each paper, including titles, authors, abstracts, DOIs, journals, and important journal impact factors (CiteScore). 2. For each document, we provide built-in translation and dictionary lookup to overcome language barriers. 3. We offer AI-assisted reading for each document, providing quick answers to your questions. In the Mac version, we also provide AI proofreading and translation functions. 4. We analyze each document so that you can access references directly when needed, without flipping to the end of the paper. After viewing the references, you can decide whether to download them. You can customize the download engine to provide more channels to help you find the required literature faster. 5. We extract images from papers and provide side-by-side text and image viewing when necessary. You can zoom in or out on images to focus on specific details. 6. We analyze the PDF structure and present it in an outline format. Thumbnails are also available for viewing. 7. You can create notes on any device, and these notes are shared via the cloud for easy access anytime, anywhere. 8. Your literature and notes are associated with your account, so you can use them on any device (including iPhone, iPad, and Mac) after logging in. 9. When writing in Word or WPS, you can cite literature and notes at any time using the ivyCite plugin provided by ivySCI. This ensures that your thought process remains uninterrupted. ivySCI offers various client options tailored to research needs, including Mac and PC, iPad, and iPhone. Each device serves a different purpose, with desktop versions offering comprehensive management capabilities, iPad versions focused on reading and basic operations, and iPhone versions providing basic information access. Depending on the intelligence analysis capabilities and the limitations of different PDF formats, some features may not be available, but we continuously optimize the engine.

Screenshots

SymEditor4 screens
ivySCI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ivySCI at 80% against SymEditor's 0%. ivySCI also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). SymEditor's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. SymEditor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and ivySCI sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ivySCI holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of SymEditor's written reviews are positive against 80% of ivySCI's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SymEditor ships an update monthly, ivySCI fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SymEditor versus ivySCI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSymEditorivySCI
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (2 ratings)4.6 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings29 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB74 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeijing Xingxinghai Technology Co., LtdNanjing IvyScience Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

SymEditor

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

ivySCI

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

SymEditor

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly membership$1.991 Month
  • Half year membership$9.496 Months
  • Year membership3 Days trial$16.491 Year
3 purchases

ivySCI

Subscriptions3
  • ivySCI VIP Monthly Service$2.991 Month
  • Annual VIP Subscription$29.991 Year
  • Annual AI Pro Subscription$39.991 Year

Questions

Is SymEditor free?
SymEditor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ivySCI free?
ivySCI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SymEditor or ivySCI?
ivySCI is rated higher. SymEditor averages 4.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while ivySCI averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.
Do SymEditor or ivySCI have ads?
Neither SymEditor nor ivySCI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SymEditor or ivySCI?
SymEditor ships an update monthly, and ivySCI fortnightly. Most recently, SymEditor was updated on June 1, 2026 and ivySCI on September 10, 2026.

Other comparisons