# archive vs Persimmon

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | archive | Persimmon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archive-preprint-pdf-e-print/id1614203938/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/persimmon-research-simplified/id6747952930/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [FugaPiyo Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497887610) | [Momenta Lab LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1615879512) |

## What reviewers say

### archive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archive-preprint-pdf-e-print/id1614203938)

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.

**Highlights:** arXiv preprint search, PDF viewer, Access scientific papers, Free to use, Supports multiple disciplines

**In-app purchases:** none


### Persimmon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/persimmon-research-simplified/id6747952930)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is archive free?

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

### Is Persimmon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, archive or Persimmon?

archive and Persimmon are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do archive or Persimmon have ads?

archive shows ads; Persimmon does not.

### Which is updated more often, archive or Persimmon?

archive ships an update every 2 months, and Persimmon every 3 weeks. Most recently, archive was updated on November 3, 2026 and Persimmon on October 30, 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.*