Researchly vs mdisco
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Researchly
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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.
mdisco
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mdisco β A lighter Notion alternative. Save it in Markdown. Find it later. Built for the moment when Notion feels too heavy, Obsidian too plugin-hungry, and Google Keep stops finding what you wrote three weeks ago. Throw in URLs, notes, todos, and code as Markdown β then find them later by keyword or tag. Need to collaborate? Get Google-Docs-level real-time co-editing. β Capture anywhere - Mobile capture button auto-detects URLs, todos, notes - Inbox to triage in batches β Precise search - Keyword Β· tag Β· folder Β· title β instant, full-text across every note - Edits and deletions stay searchable through version history β Markdown editor - One-tap toggle between WYSIWYG and raw Markdown source - Autosave + automatic version history β roll back anytime - Dark mode Β· 5 languages (English Β· νκ΅μ΄ Β· ζ₯ζ¬θͺ Β· δΈζ Β· EspaΓ±ol) β Collaborate - Invite to a workspace or share by link - Read-only or edit permissions - Real-time co-editing (Pro) β Sync everywhere - The same notes on every device - Localized push notifications for new activity - Offline indicator β Private by default - Nothing leaves your workspace until you explicitly share - Email signup with verification, Apple & Google sign-in - Granular read / edit permissions β Use cases - Researchers β papers, clippings, interview notes - Designers β references and decisions - Engineers β code snippets, architecture, on-call logs - PMs β PRDs, meeting notes, OKR wiki - Students β lectures, assignments, exam summaries - Writers β from idea to draft Stop juggling seven apps to take one note. One mdisco is enough.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: mdisco at none against Researchly's 4. mdisco also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. Researchly sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. mdisco asks for nothing beyond the download.
Researchly ships an update every 4 months, mdisco every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Researchly | mdisco |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 days β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No β better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tridib Banerjee | tapahalab |
In-app purchases
Researchly
- Pro (Monthly)$0.991 Month
- Max (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- Pro (Yearly)$9.991 Year
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- Max (Yearly)$49.991 Year
mdisco
No in-app purchases









