Comparison

Highlights vs SpousePlan

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

Head to head
About

Highlights

This app is a fast and lightweight PDF reader designed for research. It allows users to read, highlight, and annotate documents, and then extract this information into organized notes. Advanced features include table data extraction, text recognition, and smart copying of annotations into various formats.

Highlights
  • Read and browse PDF documents
  • Highlight, underline, and strikethrough text
  • Add comments and sticky notes
  • Extract annotations into organized notes
  • Convert table data and recognize text
  • Smart copy annotations to various formats (CSV, BibTex)
  • Lookup citation metadata and DOI links
Features
Read full description

"... an app that students, academics, and anyone who does substantial amounts of PDF-based research should try" - Macstories.net "It’s the novel approach to PDF annotation that makes this app a cut above the rest"- TapSmart.com *** "App of the Day" - App Store, US *** USE HIGHLIGHTS FOR FREE Highlights is a fast and lightweight PDF reader (under 10MB) packed with features to help you do your best research. Free users have access to standard PDF reader features including document browsing, reading and annotating. There are NO ADS, time limits or tracking. READ PDF DOCUMENTS • Open PDF documents from anywhere • Browse files using the familiar document browser • Open PDFs in Single Page or Two Page scroll mode • Double tap to Smart Zoom in on a paragraph or figure • Scrub smoothly to the desired page • Search the entire document in an instant • Navigate using any connected keyboard or mouse STORE YOUR FILES WHERE YOU WANT • Full support for "Open In Place" lets you make edits to the file where it is • Access your files from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or Box using the document browser • Or keep them privately on device only HIGHLIGHT AND ANNOTATE FASTER • Select text with your finger, Apple Pencil or mouse pointer • Highlight, underline, strikethrough text and make image selections • Add comments to annotations or as individual sticky notes • Annotate with fewer taps using context aware popovers • Default annotation colors prevents you from having to repeatedly setting the color for the same type of annotation every time TURN ANNOTATIONS INTO NOTES • As you markup text and images the contents are extracted and sorted into notes • Customize the formatting and contents of your notes • Sort the annotations chronologically or create your own color coding EXTRACT TABLE DATA AND RECOGNIZE TEXT • Convert images containing text or tables to actual text and tables using machine learning - letting you get to the underlying data with a single tap SMART COPY Copy annotations to the desired format with one tap: • Text markup as text • Image selections as images • Tables as CSV • Citations as BibTex LOOKUP CITATIONS • Highlights will fetch DOI-links and metadata • Markup any reference and tap the link icon to look it up • If you have read the work already or have it in your reference manager library, Highlights will link you to it EXPORT ANYWHERE • Save or share your notes as portable files: Markdown, TextBundle, HTML, WebArchive or PDF • Share them to your favorite notes app: Apple Notes, Bear, Craft, Evernote, DEVONThink, Keep It, MindNode, Notion, Obsidian, Roam Research or Ulysses • Or send them to a colleague via mail. It's your notes, you decide where they go MUCH MORE • Dark mode • Multi-window support on iPadOS • Keyboard shortcuts and navigation • Support for system Copy and Undo gestures • Alternative app icons • Custom accent colors • Apple Pencil double-tap gestures • Power annotation tools For a full list of features see: highlightsapp.net/features HIGHLIGHTS PRO The Highlights Pro subscription unlocks advanced features on your iPhone, iPad and Mac: • Export options for other apps and easily editable formats • Extract information using table and text recognition • Customize accent colors and alternative app icons • Power annotation tools • Citation lookups • Smart Copy Highlights Pro includes a 14-day free trial. You can cancel your subscription at any time. The subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off within 24-hour prior to the end of of the current period. Payments will be charged to your iTunes account and your account will be charged within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. For more information about Highlights Pro: highlightsapp.net/pro Privacy Policy: highlightsapp.net/privacy Terms of Use: highlightsapp.net/terms

About

SpousePlan

Features
Read full description

Prepare together now. Carry on tomorrow. Developed from a real couple's preparation journey, SpousePlan grew from the real-world process of helping a couple work through what each spouse would actually need to know for the future. SpousePlan helps couples organize the practical household information that may otherwise live in one spouse's memory, files, or routines. From financial accounts and retirement income to bills, insurance, important documents, home information, professional contacts, family and friends, household services, wishes and instructions, SpousePlan brings it together in one guided place. As that real couple worked through their own preparation, additional questions naturally emerged: What are we forgetting? What would one spouse have difficulty finding? What needs to happen after a loss? Those questions helped shape SpousePlan into a comprehensive system designed to help other couples prepare together. Build your personalized readiness plan, identify what's still missing, learn about important financial and practical considerations, and create an After a Loss action plan—before your spouse ever has to figure it out alone. ORGANIZE Keep important household information together in one guided place. Use Readiness Checklists to identify what applies to your household, add supporting records and documents, and see what still needs attention. KNOW YOUR READINESS SpousePlan calculates a personalized Spouse Readiness score based on the items you identify as applicable and complete. See what's missing by category and review information periodically to help keep it current. CREATE AN AFTER-LOSS ACTION PLAN Prepare a personalized list of actions that may need attention during the First Week, First Month, First Six Months, and Ongoing. Track applicable actions, contacts, notes, follow-up dates, and completion. LEARN Access practical guidance on topics that may become important after the loss of a spouse, including household administration, financial accounts, retirement income, Social Security, Medicare, wills, ownership, taxes, funeral arrangements, and other common considerations. PRINT WHAT MATTERS Print household records, readiness checklists, and your personalized After a Loss Action Plan. Password fields on printed household records are intentionally left blank so passwords can be handwritten after printing and the document stored securely. DESIGNED WITH PRIVACY IN MIND SpousePlan is designed to keep household records on your device. The app does not require an account, and SpousePlan is intentionally designed not to store your actual passwords. SpousePlan is an organizational and educational tool. It does not provide legal, tax, financial, medical, Social Security, Medicare, or estate-planning advice. Laws, rules, benefits, procedures, and individual circumstances vary. Consult the appropriate professional or government agency when needed. No subscription. No recurring fees. Lifetime access.

Screenshots

Highlights4 screens
SpousePlan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Highlights at 4 against SpousePlan's 1. Highlights also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Highlights sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and SpousePlan sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Highlights versus SpousePlan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHighlightsSpousePlan
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1.6K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews53.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.6K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonas Myren RibeHelion Sardina

Bugs and requests

Highlights

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Highlights and annotations randomly disappearing
  • Text selection issues, especially with footnotes
  • Compatibility problems with certain PDF files
  • Syncing issues across devices
  • Export functionality not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add handwriting and freeform annotation support
  • Implement a table of contents or bookmarking feature
  • Allow editing of notes directly in the app
  • Provide a one-time purchase option instead of subscription
  • Improve search capabilities with visual results and navigation

SpousePlan

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Highlights

Subscriptions3
  • Highlights Pro: Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Highlights Pro14 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Highlights Pro: Legacy Upgrade1 Year trial$29.991 Year
1 purchases

SpousePlan

One-time1
  • SpousePlan+ Lifetime Access$9.99

Questions

Is Highlights free?
Highlights is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SpousePlan free?
SpousePlan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Highlights or SpousePlan have ads?
Neither Highlights nor SpousePlan shows ads.

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