Comparison

Researchist vs Seconded

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

Head to head
About

Researchist

Features
Read full description

Researchist is the PDF reader designed for academic reading. Import a paper and it becomes more than a static document: references turn into links, every section gets an outline you can jump through,, and figures and tables are one tap away. READ WITHOUT FRICTION • A focused reading experience built for research papers • Open papers in tabs, or side by side in multiple windows • Highlight with Apple Pencil and attach notes • See all your highlights and notes together in one place, ready to review and share PAPER INTELLIGENCE (BETA) Researchist analyzes each paper using Apple Intelligence • Automatic table of contents, even for PDFs without one • A detailed outline under every heading: one line for what each passage does, linking straight back to it • Figures and tables extracted with their captions for quick reference • Title, authors, and metadata found automatically FOLLOW THE CITATION TRAIL • References and in-text citations are extracted and linked • Tap any citation to see the full reference without losing your place • See how often each work is cited throughout the paper • Jump from a reference to the linked paper with a single tap BUILD YOUR RESEARCH LIBRARY • Organize papers into collections • Personalize your library with color themes and cover styles • Import your existing library from Zotero • Find any paper or note from Spotlight • Create and manage notes with Shortcuts and Apple Intelligence via App Intents WORKS WITH ESSAYIST Researchist and Essayist share the same reference library through iCloud. Papers you add on one device or in either app are automatically available everywhere you work. PRIVATE BY DESIGN All AI analysis runs entirely on your device — your documents never leave it. Researchist collects no analytics by default and never uploads your papers. Network access is used only for public metadata lookup, downloading linked papers, and optional Zotero import. FREE AND PRO
Reading, highlighting, and notes are free. Researchist Pro unlocks Paper Intelligence, collections, quick access to linked articles, and color themes & cover styles. Paper Intelligence (Beta) requires an Apple Intelligence compatible device. Start your personal research knowledge base today. Terms of Use: https://www.essayist.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.essayist.app/privacy

About

Seconded

Features
Read full description

Seconded is where discerning readers save what's worth keeping. No infinite feed. No algorithm guessing what you'll click next. Just a fast, beautiful way to save articles, essays, and ideas — and actually find them again. Built for people who read Aeon, the LRB, and The Point. Who bookmark things they intend to finish. Who want a reading list that reflects their taste, not their impulses. WHAT YOU GET — Save from anywhere in one tap (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and iOS extensions) — Clean, automatic previews — Unlimited saves, free, forever

Screenshots

Researchist4 screens
Seconded4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Seconded at none against Researchist's 1. Seconded also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 27.0). Researchist's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence 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. Researchist sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $39.99 per year. Seconded asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Researchist ships an update fortnightly, Seconded every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Researchist versus Seconded: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterResearchistSeconded
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS27.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size113 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEssayist Software Inc.IRL Engagements, LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Researchist

Subscriptions1
  • Researchist Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$39.991 Year
None

Seconded

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Researchist free?
Researchist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Seconded free?
Seconded is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Researchist or Seconded have ads?
Seconded shows ads; Researchist does not.
Which is updated more often, Researchist or Seconded?
Researchist ships an update fortnightly, and Seconded every 2 weeks. Most recently, Researchist was updated on October 30, 2026 and Seconded on October 31, 2026.

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