# BrainGear App vs Rectoly for Mendeley

The clearest difference is update cadence: Rectoly for Mendeley at every 2 days against BrainGear App's every 3 weeks. BrainGear App's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BrainGear App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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.

BrainGear App ships an update every 3 weeks, Rectoly for Mendeley every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BrainGear App | Rectoly for Mendeley |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rectoly-for-mendeley/id6798338667/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 46 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Lobel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881345929) | [Takaki Takemura](https://appshunter.io/developer/6793454900) |

## What reviewers say

### BrainGear App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/braingear-app/id6759870701)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BrainGear Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| BrainGear Pro Annual | $19.99 | per year |


### 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, particularly those using Mendeley. It offers features like a reflowable reading mode, in-line annotation with Apple Pencil, text-to-speech, and tools for organizing research themes and figures.

**Highlights:** Reflowable Reading Mode, In-line PDF Annotation, Read Aloud (Text-to-Speech), Research Themes organization, Cross-paper annotation search, Manuscript side-by-side view, Mendeley Library Sync

**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 BrainGear App free?

BrainGear App 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.

### Do BrainGear App or Rectoly for Mendeley have ads?

Neither BrainGear App nor Rectoly for Mendeley shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BrainGear App or Rectoly for Mendeley?

BrainGear App ships an update every 3 weeks, and Rectoly for Mendeley every 2 days. Most recently, BrainGear App was updated on October 25, 2026 and Rectoly for Mendeley on October 29, 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.*