# Y Combinator vs alphaXiv

The clearest difference is review sentiment: alphaXiv at 100% against Y Combinator's 50%. alphaXiv also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). 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.

alphaXiv holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Y Combinator's written reviews are positive against 100% of alphaXiv's.

Y Combinator ships an update every 3 weeks, alphaXiv every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Y Combinator | alphaXiv |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/y-combinator/id6464718392/reviews) | **[4.7 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphaxiv/id6782411985/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 84 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Y Combinator](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706164044) | [alphaXiv Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/6782411987) |

## What reviewers say

### Y Combinator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/y-combinator/id6464718392)

Access Y Combinator's extensive library of startup content, including YouTube videos, podcasts, and essays. It also serves as a mobile client for Hacker News, offering the latest startup news for founders and programmers. Additional features are available for YC-funded founders.

**Highlights:** Organized YC YouTube videos, Startup School content, On-the-go podcast listening, Hacker News mobile client, YC founder-only knowledge base, Access Bookface feed and messages

**In-app purchases:** none


### alphaXiv

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphaxiv/id6782411985)

This app helps researchers stay updated with the latest AI studies from arXiv. It offers AI-powered summaries, literature reviews, and visual explanations of complex papers. Users can also annotate papers and track their research interests.

**Highlights:** Trending research feed, AI-powered literature reviews, Interactive paper reader with notes, AI Visual Blogs for paper explanations, Personalized research recommendations

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Y Combinator free?

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

### Is alphaXiv free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Y Combinator or alphaXiv?

alphaXiv is rated higher. Y Combinator averages 4.3 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while alphaXiv averages 4.7 from 17 ratings.

### Do Y Combinator or alphaXiv have ads?

Neither Y Combinator nor alphaXiv shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Y Combinator or alphaXiv?

Y Combinator ships an update every 3 weeks, and alphaXiv every 4 days. Most recently, Y Combinator was updated on September 18, 2026 and alphaXiv on September 14, 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.*