Comparison

Researchly vs Embark Reader

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

Head to head
About

Researchly

Features
Read full description

Researchly is a privacy focused research and publication manager for students, academics, and curious readers. The app combines paper search, personal library organization, PDF attachments, citation creation, publication tracking, and deeper research understanding in one calm native experience. SEARCH AND SAVE Papers can be found by DOI, title, author, or keyword. Metadata, abstracts, and PDFs can be saved in a searchable library. Sorting and filters keep large collections manageable. IMPORT WITHOUT BUSYWORK Publications can be imported from ORCID and Zotero. Supported file formats include BibTeX, BibLaTeX, RIS, CSL JSON, EndNote XML, NBIB, MODS, RDF, MARC, plain text, and PDF. Items can be reviewed before import, while duplicate detection keeps the library organized. CITE WITH CONFIDENCE Ready to use citations can be created from the full Citation Style Language catalog with more than 10,000 styles. Available formats include APA, MLA, IEEE, Chicago, Nature, BibTeX, and BibLaTeX. Results can be copied or shared. UNDERSTAND MORE Concise summaries, key highlights, and limitations can be generated for supported papers. Supported summaries can be translated on device. Publications, citations, and H-index can be tracked over time. PRIVATE BY DESIGN The local library is encrypted on the device. Cloud sync stays off until enabled. Signing in enables library sync across iPhone and iPad. Paid plans add encrypted PDF sync. Researchly does not sell reading or search history. BUILT FOR APPLE DEVICES The native SwiftUI experience includes widgets, Live Activities, dynamic windowing, Apple Intelligence support, on-device translation, accessibility support, and ten interface languages. Useful offline tools are available for free. Pro and Max plans add higher online limits, cloud intelligence, ORCID and Zotero imports, and encrypted PDF sync. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled through the associated Apple account.

About

Embark Reader

Organize and track research papers from arXiv. Browse daily updates, mark papers as read, download PDFs for offline access, and manage your reading list with folders. It also tracks linked GitHub repositories and imports browser tabs.

Highlights
  • Browse daily arXiv paper drops
  • Mark papers as read
  • Download PDFs for offline reading
  • Organize papers with folders
  • Track linked GitHub repos
  • Import Chrome tabs
Features
Read full description

Read, organize, and track arXiv research papers. If you're drowning in browser tabs full of papers you'll "read later," this is for you. Browse daily arXiv paper drops by category, mark papers as read, download PDFs for offline reading, and organize everything with folders. Finally bring order to your research reading list. Track GitHub repos linked to papers to see when "code coming soon" actually ships. Import your existing Chrome tabs to escape tab bankruptcy, search arXiv directly from the app. Download the app for desktop too. Thank you to arXiv for use of its open access interoperability. Embark Reader was not reviewed or approved by, nor does it necessarily express or reflect the policies or opinions of, arXiv.

Screenshots

Researchly4 screens
Embark Reader3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Embark Reader at none against Researchly's 4. Embark Reader also leads on iOS requirement (17.2 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. Researchly sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Embark Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Researchly versus Embark Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterResearchlyEmbark Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.017.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB94 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTridib BanerjeeLaan Labs

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Researchly

Subscriptions4
  • Pro (Monthly)$0.991 Month
  • Max (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Pro (Yearly)$9.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Max (Yearly)$49.991 Year
None

Embark Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Researchly free?
Researchly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Embark Reader free?
Embark Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Researchly or Embark Reader have ads?
Neither Researchly nor Embark Reader shows ads.

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