# Elephant Folio vs Rectoly for Mendeley

The clearest difference is monetization model: Rectoly for Mendeley at free against Elephant Folio's freemium. Rectoly for Mendeley also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Elephant Folio's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Elephant Folio sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.00 per month and Rectoly for Mendeley sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Elephant Folio against 5.0 for Rectoly for Mendeley. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Elephant Folio ships an update every 3 days, Rectoly for Mendeley every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elephant Folio | Rectoly for Mendeley |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elephant-folio-pdf-library/id6758025984/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rectoly-for-mendeley/id6798338667/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 95 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beroea Tech L.L.C](https://appshunter.io/developer/672562554) | [Takaki Takemura](https://appshunter.io/developer/6793454900) |

## What reviewers say

### Elephant Folio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elephant-folio-pdf-library/id6758025984)

Automatically organize and tag your PDF documents based on their content, not just filenames. Capture PDFs from any app, search within their text, and sync your library across all your Apple devices. Enjoy offline access and robust privacy.

**Highlights:** Automated PDF tagging and organization, Content-based file sorting, Cross-device iCloud sync, Offline-first functionality, Universal PDF search, Capture from any app

**Features:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.00 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $25.00 | per year |
| Lifetime License | $55.00 | one-time |


### Rectoly for Mendeley

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rectoly-for-mendeley/id6798338667)

This app enhances the PDF reading and annotation experience for researchers using Mendeley. It offers features like reflowing text for easier reading on mobile devices, on-device translation, and tools for organizing research themes and comparing papers.

**Highlights:** Reading Mode for reflowable text, Annotation tools in Reading Mode, On-device translation, Read Aloud functionality, Workbench for side-by-side viewing, Research Themes organization, Cross-paper search

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14-day Trial | Free | one-time |
| Rectoly Pro (one-time) | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elephant Folio free?

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

### Is Rectoly for Mendeley free?

Rectoly for Mendeley is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Elephant Folio or Rectoly for Mendeley?

Elephant Folio and Rectoly for Mendeley are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Elephant Folio or Rectoly for Mendeley have ads?

Neither Elephant Folio nor Rectoly for Mendeley shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Elephant Folio or Rectoly for Mendeley?

Elephant Folio ships an update every 3 days, and Rectoly for Mendeley every 2 days. Most recently, Elephant Folio was updated on November 9, 2026 and Rectoly for Mendeley on November 8, 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.*