# EndNote vs References On Tap

The clearest difference is rating: References On Tap at 4.7 against EndNote's 2.6. References On Tap also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 28%). EndNote's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. References On Tap sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. EndNote asks for nothing beyond the download.

References On Tap holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 165 and 304 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of EndNote's written reviews are positive against 50% of References On Tap's.

EndNote ships an update every 4 months, References On Tap every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | EndNote | References On Tap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (165 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/endnote/id593994211/reviews) | **[4.7 (304 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/references-on-tap/id1092709557/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 165 | **304** |
| Positive reviews | 27.6% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 91 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1291059975) | [ReferencesOnTap](https://appshunter.io/developer/301316543) |

## What reviewers say

### EndNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/endnote/id593994211)

Manage your research from anywhere with this popular tool. Organize, search, and share academic papers and bibliographies seamlessly across devices. Sync your library and annotate PDFs on the go.

**Highlights:** Sync research library across devices, Search academic databases, Annotate PDFs, Import reference file formats, Share references with collaborators, Attach files from cloud storage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Syncs well with desktop version
- 📚 Convenient for reading and annotating papers
- 💻 Good companion to desktop app
- 🔍 Useful for managing references on the go
- 🖋️ Annotation tools work well with Apple Pencil

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔍 Clunky search and organization
- 📁 Sync issues and lost annotations
- 🔒 Incompatible with other cloud storage
- 🔧 Missing key features from desktop version

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when editing references
- Indexing issues and lost library data
- Compatibility problems with iOS updates
- PDF viewer issues (e.g. no rotation, lost page position)
- Login and authentication problems

**Requested features**

- Cite while you write functionality
- Better PDF annotation tools (e.g. eraser, text notes)
- Support for group sets and nested folders
- Automatic citation data population from PDFs
- Improved syncing and offline access


### References On Tap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/references-on-tap/id1092709557)

This app helps you find, display, and import reference information and PDFs from various academic databases. Organize your references into groups, perform advanced searches, and sync your library across devices. It offers both a one-time purchase for core features and a subscription for cloud syncing.

**Highlights:** Search academic databases (arXiv, Google Scholar, PubMed, etc.), Import reference information and PDFs, Organize references in static and smart groups, Advanced boolean and full-text search options, Sync libraries across iOS and macOS devices via iCloud, Share references for reading or import

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $4.99 | per year |
| Standard | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is EndNote free?

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

### Is References On Tap free?

References On Tap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, EndNote or References On Tap?

References On Tap is rated higher. EndNote averages 2.6 out of 5 from 165 ratings, while References On Tap averages 4.7 from 304 ratings.

### Do EndNote or References On Tap have ads?

Neither EndNote nor References On Tap shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, EndNote or References On Tap?

EndNote ships an update every 4 months, and References On Tap every 2 months. Most recently, EndNote was updated on September 28, 2026 and References On Tap on September 21, 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.*