# DataAnalysis vs Highlights

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DataAnalysis at none against Highlights's 3. DataAnalysis also leads on review sentiment (64% vs 53%). Highlights's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Highlights sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. DataAnalysis asks for nothing beyond the download.

Highlights holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Highlights has 1.6K ratings behind it against 106, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of DataAnalysis's written reviews are positive against 53% of Highlights's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

DataAnalysis ships an update every 2 months, Highlights fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DataAnalysis | Highlights |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (106 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dataanalysis/id375603883/reviews) | **[4.5 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlights-pdf-reader-and-notes/id1498912833/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 106 | **1.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **64.2% of reviews** | 53.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 26 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Data Evaluation Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/375603886) | [Jonas Myren Ribe](https://appshunter.io/developer/794854096) |

## What reviewers say

### DataAnalysis

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dataanalysis/id375603883)

This iPad app allows users to plot and fit various types of data using curve fitting, value prediction, and kinetic analysis. Data can be imported or entered manually, with options for preprocessing before plotting and customization of graphs. It supports multiple fitting methods and can generate standard curves for unknowns.

**Highlights:** Plotting and fitting of x,y data, Data import (txt, csv, clipboard), Data preprocessing (average, normalize), Customizable graph generation, Non-linear regression fitting, Standard curve generation, Export graphics and text (PDF, PNG, CSV, TXT)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful for plotting data
- 👍 Good for quick graphs
- 👍 Accurate results
- 👍 Clearly plots points
- 👍 Shows y-intercept and gradient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes
- 🐛 Not working at all
- 🐛 Hangs up
- 🐛 UI/UX poorly made
- 🐛 Tacky UI

**Reported bugs**

- App will not let import .csv files
- No option to import a csv file or to paste data from the clipboard
- Support page not working
- Font and background color is white, unable to make out input
- Forcing users to use Dropbox or mail app for import

**Requested features**

- Import .csv files
- Paste data from clipboard
- Font color format option
- Generate 1/x^2 from x set
- Multiple y-axes


### Highlights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlights-pdf-reader-and-notes/id1498912833)

This app is a fast and lightweight PDF reader designed for research. It allows users to read, highlight, and annotate documents, and then extract this information into organized notes. Advanced features include table data extraction, text recognition, and smart copying of annotations into various formats.

**Highlights:** Read and browse PDF documents, Highlight, underline, and strikethrough text, Add comments and sticky notes, Extract annotations into organized notes, Convert table data and recognize text, Smart copy annotations to various formats (CSV, BibTex), Lookup citation metadata and DOI links

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Highlights Pro: Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Highlights Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Highlights Pro: Legacy Upgrade | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for highlighting and annotating PDFs
- 🔍 Effective for research and note-taking
- 📚 Useful for academic and professional work
- 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface
- 🔗 Good integration with other apps and cloud storage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model is too expensive
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited search functionality
- 🔒 Lack of customization options
- 🔧 Poor customer support and unresponsive developers

**Reported bugs**

- Highlights and annotations randomly disappearing
- Text selection issues, especially with footnotes
- Compatibility problems with certain PDF files
- Syncing issues across devices
- Export functionality not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add handwriting and freeform annotation support
- Implement a table of contents or bookmarking feature
- Allow editing of notes directly in the app
- Provide a one-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Improve search capabilities with visual results and navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DataAnalysis free?

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

### Is Highlights free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DataAnalysis or Highlights?

Highlights is rated higher. DataAnalysis averages 4.1 out of 5 from 106 ratings, while Highlights averages 4.5 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do DataAnalysis or Highlights have ads?

Neither DataAnalysis nor Highlights shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DataAnalysis or Highlights?

DataAnalysis ships an update every 2 months, and Highlights fortnightly. Most recently, DataAnalysis was updated on September 22, 2026 and Highlights on October 6, 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.*