PaperCode vs SoloWrite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PaperCode
Organize your books and papers by assigning them to custom places and associating them with barcodes or QR codes. Quickly update an item's location by scanning its code. Automatically gather book information from databases by scanning ISBN barcodes.
- Manage items and places
- Scan barcodes/QR codes
- OCR for printed text
- Automatic book information retrieval
- Customizable place names
- Quick item location updates
Read full descriptionHide full description
What you can do with this app: [The app remembers where your books/papers are.] *Manage ITEMS with PLACES where they belong to. -You can manage ITEMS and PLACES related to Barcodes/QR-codes by scanning codes or printed texts(OCR) using your phone's camera. -Only you need is minimum effort to add, update and search PLACES and ITEMS. -You can add and name any PLACES, such as "Bookshelf:A", "Box:B" and "Bed room closet". It is not necessary that PLACES are real physical places. They can be "Borrowed by John Doe", "Papers to copy", "Things to survey" and so on. -Though this app is designed for management of academic books and treatises(papers), you can also add and name any ITEMS. They can be "Golf shoes", "Water bottles for emergency", "Tax payment documents of 2019", "Buy salt", "Reserve restaurant" and so on. [Easier is better.] *Add, move, search, sometimes manage. With this app, you will: -Add(register) PLACES. Add(register) ITEMS and relate them to barcodes/QR-codes. -When you move an ITEM, scan a barcode/QR-code to update its PLACE to belong to. -Search an ITEM's name to find out its PLACE. -You can rename ITEMS and PLACES, update relationship between them and new codes, update their order in the lists at any time. [No automation, no life.] *ITEMS and PLACES cooperate with barcodes/QR-codes. -You can relate ITEMS and PLACES to any barcodes/QR-codes. -Once you created relationships between ITEMS/PLACES and codes, when you move an ITEM from current PLACE to another PLACE, all you have to do is: 1.Scan the code of the new PLACE using the camera, 2.Scan the code of the ITEM. That's it. It won't take more than 3 seconds. -The code will be scanned automatically when your camera focuses it. You don't even need to press the shutter button. -If the books or papers don't have barcodes/QR-codes, add codes to them. (for example, codes printed directly on the papers using handy printers or codes printed on sticker labels.) Any unique digits or characters will work. *Automatically collect information. -Information of books and papers (author, title, publisher, published date) will be collected automatically by searching with keyword(s). -This app accesses CiNii/CiNiiBooks database OpenSearch service on the web to get the information. -If you scan a barcode and the code is an ISBN, this app will collect and fill all necessary information automatically. All you need is to tap "OK" button. -You can search and find books or papers by using keyword(s). Use space for AND search and use slash for OR search. If multiple results hit, you can choose one to add as a new ITEM. -A particular chapter of a book can be added in the same way as a paper. *Relate ITEMS and PLACES to barcodes/QR-codes -Both ITEMS and PLACES can be related to barcode/QR-code. -You can delete or update(relate again) relationships between codes and ITEMS/PLACES. *Script(handwriting) recognition -If you can't use barcodes/QR-codes in some reason, you can try script(handwriting) recognition. It works, but it takes a lot of time and it won't recognize 100% correctly. So I strongly recommend you to use barcodes/QR-codes. [Nothing is more important than safety.] *Backup and export your data. -You can backup your data(ITEMS/PLACES) to a text file (as SQL expressions). -You can export backup file(s) to external storages/apps/services, such as iPhone's documents folder(which syncs with iCloud), Dropbox app, GoogleDrive app and so on. [Search and find at once.] *See all items in the place or search with keyword(s) -You can see all the ITEMS belonging to particular PLACE. -You can search an ITEM by keyword(s). AND/OR search is available. -You can search a PLACE as well. (but only AND search is available.)
SoloWrite
A minimalist writing application focused on providing a distraction-free environment for authors. It removes common digital interruptions to allow for uninterrupted creative flow and uninterrupted writing sessions.
- Distraction-free writing environment
- Minimalist interface
- Focus on continuity
- No formatting distractions
- No cloud accounts
- No social features
Read full descriptionHide full description
SoloWrite is the digital version of a blank page. It is not a project manager and not a social network - it is the calm space where your ideas land before the noise makes them disappear. Open the app. Write. That's it. JUST WRITE - A start screen with two choices: New document, or continue exactly where you left off - Your recent notes one tap away - rename or delete them with a swipe - The editor fills the whole screen; every gram of cognitive friction has been removed - A live status bar with word, character and line counts and the autosave time 12 EDITING MODES - Write Markdown, or switch the editor to Swift, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, JSON, HTML, CSS, YAML, XML, plain text or todo lists - Real syntax highlighting for each language, rendered live as you type LIVE MARKDOWN - Headings, bold, italics, quotes, lists, links, highlights and code blocks are styled as you type - while your text stays 100% plain Markdown - Line numbers, GitHub style - double-tap a number to select the whole line - A tiny code toolbar inserts Markdown snippets so you never have to remember the syntax MAKE IT YOURS - 12 hand-tuned themes: the dark developer theme Pushword, Paper, Sepia, Solarized, GitHub, Dracula, Nord, Gruvbox, Tokyo Night, Rose Pine, pure-black Night and more - The theme dresses the whole app, not just the editor - Monospaced fonts and adjustable sizes - English and Spanish, switchable in-app YOUR WORDS BELONG TO YOU - Standard .md files stored in YOUR iCloud Drive - browse them any time in the Files app - No proprietary database. Works natively with Obsidian, iA Writer and any text editor - Automatic sync: your draft is preserved as you type, and the Save button is one tap away - Start on iPhone, continue on the Mac companion app exactly where you left off PRIVATE BY DESIGN - No account. No login. No analytics. No servers. - Your text never leaves your devices and your iCloud ONE-TIME PURCHASE - Pay once, keep it forever. No subscriptions, no ads. SoloWrite. Don't get distracted. Just write.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: PaperCode at Free against SoloWrite's $3.99. PaperCode also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). On ratings volume, update cadence, 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
PaperCode is free to download; SoloWrite costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PaperCode holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PaperCode | SoloWrite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.5 (2 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yuichiro Momosaki | Moscoso Pacheco, Gonzalo Juvenal |
Customer experience
PaperCode
SoloWrite
In-app purchases
PaperCode
No in-app purchases
SoloWrite
No in-app purchases









