# Researchist vs Stackby 2.0

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stackby 2.0 at none against Researchist's 1. Stackby 2.0 also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 27.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Researchist sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $39.99 per year. Stackby 2.0 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Researchist ships an update fortnightly, Stackby 2.0 monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Researchist | Stackby 2.0 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Size | 113 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 27.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Essayist Software Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1537845386) | [Relytree Technologies Pvt. Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1528175769) |

## What reviewers say

### Researchist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/researchist-pdf-reader/id6749282472)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Researchist Pro (Yearly) | $39.99 | per year |


### Stackby 2.0

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stackby-20/id6790438013)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Researchist free?

Researchist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Stackby 2.0 free?

Stackby 2.0 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Researchist or Stackby 2.0 have ads?

Neither Researchist nor Stackby 2.0 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Researchist or Stackby 2.0?

Researchist ships an update fortnightly, and Stackby 2.0 monthly. Most recently, Researchist was updated on October 4, 2026 and Stackby 2.0 on October 17, 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.*