# arXiver vs Persimmon

The clearest difference is rating: Persimmon at 5.0 against arXiver's 3.3. Persimmon also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). arXiver's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.1). On price, ratings volume, ads 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.

Persimmon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.

arXiver ships an update every 2 months, Persimmon every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | arXiver | Persimmon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arxiver/id378764355/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/persimmon-research-simplified/id6747952930/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 0 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Yuji Tachikawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/378764358) | [Momenta Lab LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1615879512) |

## What reviewers say

### arXiver

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arxiver/id378764355)

Browse pre-print research papers from arXiv directly on your iPad. Filter by categories and open PDF files in your preferred external application.

**Highlights:** Browse arXiv pre-prints, Category selection, Open PDFs externally, iPad optimized interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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 arXiver free?

arXiver 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, arXiver or Persimmon?

Persimmon is rated higher. arXiver averages 3.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Persimmon averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do arXiver or Persimmon have ads?

Neither arXiver nor Persimmon shows ads.

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

arXiver ships an update every 2 months, and Persimmon every 3 weeks. Most recently, arXiver was updated on October 3, 2026 and Persimmon on September 29, 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.*