Comparison

Reader's Bench vs Uni

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Reader's Bench

This app is a PDF reader and markup tool designed for serious study and research. It allows users to read, annotate, take notes, and review highlighted content from PDF documents with efficient performance and a distraction-free interface.

Highlights
  • PDF reading and markup
  • Handwriting and typed notes
  • Annotation extraction for review
  • Highlight, underline, strikethrough
  • Image capture and insertion
  • Export notes and annotated PDFs
  • Word definition and sentence translation
Features
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Reader's Bench — Read, Annotate & Take Notes Reader's Bench is a powerful PDF and ePub reader built for students, researchers, and professionals who need to study documents deeply. Import PDFs and ePub files, annotate them with a rich set of tools, take handwritten notes side by side, and organize everything in one place. KEY FEATURES • PDF & ePub Reader Import PDFs from the Files app, share sheet, or Safari. Supports vertical and horizontal scrolling, single-page and continuous page views, and a comfortable dark mode for reading in any lighting. • Rich PDF Annotations Highlight, underline, and strikethrough text. Add text boxes, image boxes, freehand drawings, and capture areas with Apple Pencil or your finger. Every annotation can be edited, moved, or deleted at any time. • Annotation Review View all your annotations in a summary list, filter by type, and export the review as a separate PDF report. Revisit key points without re-reading the entire document. • Handwritten Notes Take notes on a digital canvas with Apple Pencil. Switch between Canvas (infinite scroll) and Page (discrete pages) modes. Choose from dotted, squared, lined, or blank backgrounds and customize colors. Shape detection automatically perfects hand-drawn shapes. • Split View Work with your PDF and notes side by side. Switch between horizontal and vertical layouts and resize panels with a draggable divider. • Bookmarks & Search Bookmark pages for quick access and browse them in one place. Search inside documents and jump to results by page instantly. • Export & Share Export annotated PDFs, handwritten notes as PDFs, or annotation reviews as reports. Share via the iOS share sheet or print directly from the app. • iCloud Sync Documents and annotations sync across your devices via iCloud, so your work is always with you. • ePub Support Import ePub books and convert them to PDF for reading and annotation. • Share Extension Import PDFs directly from any app using the system share sheet. Reader's Bench turns your iPad and iPhone into a complete study and research workstation.

About

Uni

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Create problem sets and study with “Learned” and “Not Yet”, all within your note app. With Uni:Note, you can review alongside your original notes and study problem sets in the companion app Uni:Note Pocket by importing a backup. Uni:Note is a handwriting app for iPad with a simple, ad-free interface that lets you write as you would in a paper notebook. Designed under the guidance of a current university student, it focuses on being easy to use in class. Along with Apple Pencil handwriting, it supports writing on images and PDFs, vertical notebooks, and multiple windows. Keep taking notes while working with class handouts and PDF materials. Use the notes you write for review. Study Assistant (AI) supports Circle to Solve, problem set generation, and AI Summary. You can also create and edit problem sets yourself. Recording and real-time transcription are also supported. Take notes while recording a class, then use AI Summary to summarize the transcription. Customize the navigation bar and palette to suit the tools you use most. ■Key Features • Create and edit problem sets with handwriting, the keyboard, pasted text, or TSV/CSV files • AI problem set generation from your notes • Study with “Learned” and “Not Yet”, resume where you left off, and shuffle questions • Review with your original notes displayed alongside • Study problem sets imported from a backup in Uni:Note Pocket • Handwriting with Apple Pencil • Writing on images and PDFs • Vertical notebooks and multiple windows • Recording and real-time transcription • AI Summary and Circle to Solve • Sticky Marker • Ruler, Move Selection • Undo and Redo for moves and changes to shapes, pasted images and PDFs, and sticky notes, plus lines drawn with the ruler • Open the Button Guide with “?” (from the “…” menu in a notebook) • Pomodoro timer • Navigation bar and palette customization • Export PDF • Backup and restore ■About Privacy Uni:Note uses in-app identifiers that do not directly identify you to manage your AI Balance and purchase status. It also collects diagnostic information, such as crash logs when the app crashes, to investigate issues. When you use AI features, data needed for processing, such as selected note content and transcriptions, is sent to an AI service to generate answers, problem sets, summaries, and similar output. Routine diagnostic information does not include information that directly identifies you or the contents of notes, audio, transcriptions, or attachments. The information collected is used to provide AI features, manage their use, and improve app quality. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Reader's Bench4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Uni at none against Reader's Bench's shown. On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Reader's Bench sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Uni sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reader's Bench ships an update every 6 days, Uni every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Reader's Bench versus Uni: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReader's BenchUni
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRohmiapps Inc.Yuya Nakamura

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Reader's Bench

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly1 Month trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$69.99
6 purchases

Uni

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Plus$1.991 Month
One-time5
  • AI Balance Small$0.99
  • AI Balance Medium$2.99
  • Premium$5.99
Show 2 more
  • AI Balance Large$8.99
  • AI Balance Extra Large$19.99

Questions

Is Reader's Bench free?
Reader's Bench is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Uni free?
Uni is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Reader's Bench or Uni have ads?
Reader's Bench shows ads; Uni does not.
Which is updated more often, Reader's Bench or Uni?
Reader's Bench ships an update every 6 days, and Uni every 5 days. Most recently, Reader's Bench was updated on November 3, 2026 and Uni on November 5, 2026.

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