Roommate Albert vs Paperless 24
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Roommate Albert
Effortlessly track utility meter readings by simply taking photos. The app automatically detects values and timestamps from your pictures, offering suggestions for easy confirmation. It supports various meter types and keeps all data securely on your device.
- Read meter values from photos
- Automatic value and timestamp detection
- Supports electricity, gas, and water meters
- Handles day/night tariffs
- On-device data processing
- Export data to CSV
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Meter readings from the photos you take anyway. Snap your electricity, gas or water meter with the Camera app whenever you walk past it. Roommate Albert later finds those photos in your library, reads the value and the time each was taken, and hands you a ready-made suggestion. One tap confirms it. HOW IT WORKS • Snap it: with the Camera app, Roommate Albert doesn’t have to be open. A photo from three months ago is found just like one from today. • Find it: in the Review tab, tap Search Photos. The app compares new photos with each meter’s reference photo and reads the serial number, so it tells apart two identical meters in the same basement. • Confirm it: every suggestion arrives filled in with meter, register, value and the date from the photo. A value lower than an earlier one is flagged for correction, because meters never run backwards. FOR YOUR METERS • Electricity, gas, cold water, hot water and heat • Day and night tariff meters as two registers (HT and NT) • Meter replacement: add the new meter as a new device, earlier readings stay, and the statistics show both in one series • Monthly consumption statistics • Enter a reading without a photo by hand under Enter Reading YOUR DATA • Everything stays on your iPhone: photos, recognition and readings are processed on the device. No server, no account. • Nothing enters your history before you confirm it. • Export as a ZIP with a CSV file for spreadsheets and the photos of all readings. • Import data from the previous version under Settings → Import, as often as you like, without duplicates. Reading with the on-device language model requires iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence; without it, text recognition reads on its own. Did the app misread a value or miss a meter? Write to us from Settings → Contact Support.
Paperless 24
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Paperless 24 puts your document archive on your iPhone and iPad. The app talks straight to your own paperless-ngx server — no detour through someone else's cloud, no subscription, no account with us. SCAN AND FILE • Document scanner with edge detection, multi-page • Quick scan: scan and upload without the form — your server handles title, date and assignment • Photos, PDFs and other files from your library or the Files app, several at once • Drive a network scanner over Wi-Fi (AirScan/eSCL, 300 dpi) • Batch scan: feed a whole stack at once — the app splits it into separate documents, and one tap corrects a wrong split • Send anything into the archive from any other app via the share sheet NAMED FOR YOU • The magic wand reads the first page and suggests title, correspondent, type, tags and date • Missing correspondents, types and tags are created along the way • It all runs on device — the text never leaves your iPhone FIND • Full-text search across the recognised text of every document, with search history • Filter by tag, correspondent, type, date range and custom fields • Load, apply and create saved views from your server • Spotlight: your documents show up in iOS search • Ask your archive: put a question in your own words and get an answer with its sources READ AND EDIT • PDF view with search hits highlighted • Recognised text in reading mode: warm paper tone, serif type, adjustable size • Phone numbers, links and addresses are tappable • Summary at the press of a button • Translate with no connection needed • Change title, date, correspondent, type, ASN, tags and custom fields • Add and delete notes • Create, list and revoke share links STAY ON TOP OF IT • Overview: inbox, deadlines due, pinned documents and saved views on one page — can be turned off • Inbox as its own tab, with a badge • Swipe to tag, edit or delete • Multi-select: set a tag or correspondent on many documents at once • Manage tags, correspondents and types — nested tags included • Trash with restore and permanent delete • Custom fields of every kind: text, number, date, select, yes/no, monetary, document link OFFLINE • Download everything and read it with no connection • Edits and uploads are queued and sent automatically once you are back • Storage use always visible, single files removable MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS • As many servers and users as you like, with separate data per account • Face ID or Touch ID lock • Two-factor sign-in (TOTP) • Sign in with a password or an API token (for SSO/OIDC) • Credentials live in the iOS keychain ON EVERY DEVICE • Widget with your latest documents or an overview • Siri and Shortcuts: scan, search, open inbox, ask your archive • A notification when new post lands in the inbox • Three-column layout on iPad • Settings kept in sync across devices via iCloud • Six colour themes, a free accent colour, OLED black, five alternative app icons • German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch WHAT YOU NEED Paperless 24 is a client app. You need your own paperless-ngx server (version 2.x through 3.0.x). Without one, try the demo mode with sample data at any time. PRIVACY The app only ever talks to your server. No tracking, no ads, no analytics, no relay servers. Summaries, suggestions and translations run on device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Paperless 24 at Free against Roommate Albert's $3.99. Paperless 24 also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Paperless 24 is free to download; Roommate Albert costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Roommate Albert ships an update every 2 weeks, Paperless 24 every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Roommate Albert | Paperless 24 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.0% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Julian Kahnert | Thomas Dillmann |
In-app purchases
Roommate Albert
No in-app purchases
Paperless 24
No in-app purchases









