# ivySCI vs PoleX

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PoleX at none against ivySCI's 3. PoleX also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). ivySCI's advantage is ratings volume (9 vs 2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

PoleX holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 2 respectively.

ivySCI ships an update fortnightly, PoleX weekly. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ivySCI | PoleX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivysci/id1600901406/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polex/id6470937359/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 66 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nanjing IvyScience Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1600901408) | [Hunan Yaoxiang Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1703949342) |

## 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 |


### PoleX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polex/id6470937359)

This app uses AI to predict optimal study times and helps organize knowledge points. Create and share custom flashcard sets or use pre-made ones for efficient learning.

**Highlights:** AI-predicted optimal study times, Custom flashcard creation, Flashcard sharing, Knowledge point categorization, Pre-made flashcard decks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ivySCI free?

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

### Is PoleX free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ivySCI or PoleX?

PoleX is rated higher. ivySCI averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while PoleX averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do ivySCI or PoleX have ads?

Neither ivySCI nor PoleX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ivySCI or PoleX?

ivySCI ships an update fortnightly, and PoleX weekly. Most recently, ivySCI was updated on October 14, 2026 and PoleX on October 14, 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.*