archive vs Persimmon
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
archive
Access and view scientific preprints from arXiv.org with this free application. Search for papers across various scientific disciplines and read them directly within the app. All features are available without cost.
- arXiv preprint search
- PDF viewer
- Access scientific papers
- Free to use
- Supports multiple disciplines
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It's arXiv preprint search & PDF viewer app. All features are completely free to use. arXiv.org e-Print archive https://arxiv.org/ URL scheme: preprint:// Note: - This app uses arXiv APIs. - This app is run by an individual and has nothing to do with arXiv. Thank you to arXiv for use of its open access interoperability. --- * arXiv arXiv (pronounced "archive"—the X represents the Greek letter chi [χ]) is an open-access repository of electronic preprints and postprints (known as e-prints) approved for posting after moderation, but not peer review. It consists of scientific papers in the fields of mathematics, physics, astronomy, electrical engineering, computer science, quantitative biology, statistics, mathematical finance and economics, which can be accessed online. In many fields of mathematics and physics, almost all scientific papers are self-archived on the arXiv repository before publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Some publishers also grant permission for authors to archive the peer-reviewed postprint. Begun on August 14, 1991, arXiv.org passed the half-million-article milestone on October 3, 2008, and had hit a million by the end of 2014. As of April 2021, the submission rate is about 16,000 articles per month. Quoted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArXiv
Persimmon
This app simplifies complex scientific research papers from arXiv and SocArXiv using AI. It offers customizable summaries tailored to your expertise level and allows you to search, save, and get daily updates on new publications. You can also use it as a basic preprint browser without AI.
- AI-powered paper summaries
- Customizable AI models and expertise levels
- Search arXiv and SocArXiv
- Save papers for offline access
- Daily updates and notifications
- Privacy-focused, no data collection
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Welcome to Persimmon, the ultimate AI-assisted research exploration tool for iOS! In a world where scientific breakthroughs are accelerating faster than ever but many struggle to keep pace, Persimmon bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and everyday understanding. Designed for researchers, scientists, students, and anyone with a passion for discovery, the app transforms complex arXiv and SocArXiv paper abstracts into digestible, tailored insights using the language models of your choice. Whether you’re diving into machine learning, quantum computing, or macroeconomic trends, Persimmon makes research accessible, engaging, and available at your fingertips. Why Persimmon? The sheer volume of scientific research published today is staggering. Thousands of papers flood leading preprint servers like arXiv and SocArXiv each week, making it nearly impossible to stay informed without specialized knowledge. At the same time, scientific literacy is declining, with many people feeling disconnected from the innovations shaping our future. Persimmon tackles these challenges head-on by simplifying the process of exploring, understanding, and saving research papers – no PhD required! Key Features: - Customizable AI Summaries: Choose your preferred OpenAI-compatible language model (LLM) to generate summaries. Control costs and model preferences with your own API configurations. - Switch Between Providers: Seamlessly toggle between multiple LLM providers (e.g., OpenAI, Mistral, DeepSeek, Claude, custom models) using secure, on-device saved settings. - Tailored to Your Level: Set your expertise level (beginner, intermediate, or expert) for each topic to receive summaries that match your understanding. - arXiv & SocArXiv Search Made Easy: Find papers instantly with full-text search across arXiv and SocArXiv. Filter by categories to discover what interests you. - Offline Access: Save your favorite papers to read without an internet connection. - Daily Updates: Never miss a breakthrough! Get automatic notifications for the latest arXiv and SocArXiv papers in your chosen fields. - Privacy First: Persimmon respects your privacy. There’s no data collection, tracking, or analytics. - Breezy Performance: Built entirely in SwiftUI with minimal dependencies, Persimmon is snappy, intuitive, and optimized for iOS. - AI-Optional: Prefer raw data? Use Persimmon as a no-frills preprint browser. How It Works: 1. Set Your Interests: Select arXiv/SocArXiv categories or topics that fascinate you. 2. Choose Your AI Model: Configure your preferred LLM and expertise level to personalize summaries. 3. Explore & Save: Dive into abstracts, search papers, or save key findings for offline access. 4. Stay Informed: Get daily notifications to keep up with the latest advancements in your field. Privacy & Control: We believe knowledge should be private and empowering. Persimmon stores all configurations and preferences securely on your device – accounts are absolutely not required. Optional cloud syncing of preferences is available via Persimmon Cloud. Your exploration stays yours. Persimmon is completely free to use, with a setup time under 30 seconds. At best, it becomes your go-to tool for staying ahead of the curve. At worst, you’ve got a sleek, private browser for preprints. Either way, we’re excited to help you unlock the world of research. Join the movement to make science accessible to all. Download Persimmon now and start exploring the future of knowledge – one paper at a time.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Persimmon at none against archive's shown. Persimmon also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for archive against 5.0 for Persimmon. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.
archive ships an update every 2 months, Persimmon every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | archive | Persimmon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 18.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | FugaPiyo Inc. | Momenta Lab LLC |
Customer experience
archive
Persimmon
In-app purchases
archive
No in-app purchases
Persimmon
No in-app purchases









