# ivySCI vs 知网cnki

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ivySCI at 80% against 知网cnki's 0%. ivySCI also leads on rating (4.6 vs 1.3). 知网cnki's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ivySCI sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. 知网cnki asks for nothing beyond the download.

ivySCI holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of ivySCI's written reviews are positive against 0% of 知网cnki's.

ivySCI ships an update fortnightly, 知网cnki every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ivySCI | 知网cnki |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivysci/id1600901406/reviews)** | [1.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cnki/id6445806100/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 66 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nanjing IvyScience Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1600901408) | [CGIT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1635092243) |

## What reviewers say

### ivySCI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivysci/id1600901406)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ivySCI VIP Monthly Service | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual VIP Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual AI Pro Subscription | $39.99 | per year |


### 知网cnki

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cnki/id6445806100)

Access a vast collection of global academic resources, including international journals, research papers, and literature. Features include document translation, CAJ file viewing, and intelligent search to help you discover and utilize academic content.

**Highlights:** Access international journals and research papers, Document translation (PDF/Word), CAJ file viewer with original layout, Integrates millions of academic resources, Intelligent search and discovery, Supports various resource types (theses, patents, etc.)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ivySCI free?

ivySCI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 知网cnki free?

知网cnki is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ivySCI or 知网cnki?

ivySCI is rated higher. ivySCI averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while 知网cnki averages 1.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do ivySCI or 知网cnki have ads?

Neither ivySCI nor 知网cnki shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ivySCI or 知网cnki?

ivySCI ships an update fortnightly, and 知网cnki every 3 weeks. Most recently, ivySCI was updated on October 24, 2026 and 知网cnki on October 18, 2026.

---

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