Researchist vs Cinch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Researchist
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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 β’ A focused reading experience built for research papers β’ Open papers in tabs, or side by side in multiple windows β’ Highlight with Apple Pencil and attach notes β’ 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 β’ Automatic table of contents, even for PDFs without one β’ A detailed outline under every heading: one line for what each passage does, linking straight back to it β’ Figures and tables extracted with their captions for quick reference β’ Title, authors, and metadata found automatically FOLLOW THE CITATION TRAIL β’ References and in-text citations are extracted and linked β’ Tap any citation to see the full reference without losing your place β’ See how often each work is cited throughout the paper β’ Jump from a reference to the linked paper with a single tap BUILD YOUR RESEARCH LIBRARY β’ Organize papers into collections β’ Personalize your library with color themes and cover styles β’ Import your existing library from Zotero β’ Find any paper or note from Spotlight β’ 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 β 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 PROβ¨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
Cinch
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Apple Reminders is reliable, private, and built right into your devices. For those who prefer a more visual, spacious approach, Cinch offers a calm alternative designed around intentional daily focus. Cinch is a clean, lightweight client built directly on top of your system's existing database. It brings an airy, timeline-based layout to the tools you already rely on, without forcing you to sign up for a new service or move your data. YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS Cinch doesnβt require an account or operate third-party servers for storing your tasks. Your reminders remain in Apple Reminders and sync through your personal iCloud account when iCloud synchronization is enabled. Changes made in Cinch remain available in Apple Reminders and through Siri. A CALM, SPACIOUS LAYOUT The interface is designed with generous spacing and simple typography to make your day easier to scan. β’ Visual Timelines: Your tasks are organized chronologically by day. If you need to postpone something, just drag and drop the item to a future date. β’ Integrated Dashboard: See your calendar events and reminders together in one place. Customize your view by pinning your most-used lists and adding a personal tagline for daily focus. PRACTICAL TOOLS β’ Natural Language Input: Type tasks naturally, like "Review project details every Tuesday at 10am." Cinch automatically schedules the task and keeps the title clean β no complicated menus. β’ Location Alerts: Receive an alert when you arrive at or leave a specific address, making location-based tasks useful at the right moment. β’ Simple Organization: Customize lists with color schemes and sort tasks by priority or due date. On Mac, global keyboard shortcuts let you quickly add tasks from anywhere. Enjoy the trusted, private Apple foundation you rely on every day, paired with a calm and distraction-free workspace. Note: Natural language input is currently supported in English. CINCH PRO Cinch is free to use with one custom list. Cinch Pro is an optional auto-renewing yearly subscription that unlocks unlimited custom lists, inline calendar events, labels (tags & contacts), location-based tasks, and custom theme accents. Cinch Pro supports Family Sharing. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when the purchase is confirmed. The subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. -- Privacy Policy: https://getcinch.app/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Cinch at every 3 days against Researchist's fortnightly. Cinch also leads on iOS requirement (17.6 vs 27.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Researchist sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $39.99 per year and Cinch sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Researchist ships an update fortnightly, Cinch every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Researchist | Cinch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 3 days β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch β better |
| Requires iOS | 27.0 | 17.6 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 113 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Essayist Software Inc. | Petr Selinger |
In-app purchases
Researchist
- Researchist Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Cinch
- Cinch Pro Yearly14 Days trial$9.991 Year









