Comparison

SelfCloud Drive vs PaperFlow

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

Head to head
About

SelfCloud Drive

Features
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SelfCloud Drive is a client for accessing and managing files stored on Seafile servers. It allows you to connect to your personal or organization’s Seafile instance and access your files securely from your iPhone. With SelfCloud Drive, you can easily browse your libraries, upload and download files, preview documents, and stay connected to your cloud storage wherever you are. Features β€’ Connect to your Seafile server β€’ Browse and manage your libraries and folders β€’ Upload and download files β€’ Preview images, videos, and documents β€’ Share files and links β€’ Secure access to your private cloud storage β€’ Optimized for speed and performance SelfCloud Drive is designed for users who host their own Seafile server or use Seafile provided by their organization. Your data stays on your server β€” giving you full control over privacy and security.

About

PaperFlow

Features
Read full description

Write by hand and link like you type. A word you wrote becomes a link, your handwritten pages sit in the same graph as the notes you type, and one search reads both. CIRCLE A WORD. IT BECOMES A LINK. Lasso a word on the page, tap "Link to a note" and pick the note. That note lists the page under "Mentioned in". A link like [[Calculus II - notebook#page=12]] opens your handwriting on page 12. HANDWRITTEN AND TYPED, ONE GRAPH Every notebook you write is a node beside the notes you type, with links and backlinks both ways. Tap a node to see what it connects to. TYPE A WORD. FIND THE PAGE YOU WROTE. One search covers your handwriting, the notes you type and the text inside your PDFs. Your handwriting is read on your device, and it stays handwriting: it turns into text only when you ask. THE SYNTAX YOU ALREADY TYPE Wikilinks with autocomplete, note embeds, callouts, YAML properties, a templates folder, a daily note, LaTeX, Mermaid flowcharts and code blocks. Tabs, split panes, floating windows, a command palette and a quick switcher. PLAIN FILES, ON YOUR DEVICE Your notes are files: .md for what you type, .ink for what you write. The vault shows up in the Files app, every notebook exports to PDF or PNG, and the whole vault exports as a zip. Everything works offline, and two devices writing on the same page don't erase each other. A PEN WORTH WRITING WITH Press and the line thickens; tilt the pencil and it shades. Squeeze or double-tap Apple Pencil to switch tools, hover shows where the tip will land, and Pencil Pro's barrel roll turns the nib. Your palm leaves no mark. A different paper on every page. PDFS AND GOODNOTES NOTEBOOKS COME IN Import a PDF and write on top of it. Goodnotes notebooks open as PaperFlow notebooks. WHAT'S FREE, WHAT'S PLUS The notebook is free forever, with no page limit: writing, linking, search, the graph, import and export. That list doesn't shrink. PaperFlow Plus adds sync across your devices with a copy in the cloud, AI that suggests links up to a monthly allowance, and MCP access so your own AI assistant can read and write the vault once you allow it. 7 days free for new subscribers. PAPERFLOW PLUS Monthly or annual subscription with a free trial, renewed automatically until you cancel in your device Settings. The price is shown in the app before you confirm. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://paperflow.dev/privacy/en Support: https://paperflow.dev/support

Screenshots

SelfCloud Drive4 screens
PaperFlow3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SelfCloud Drive at none against PaperFlow's 3. PaperFlow's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26). 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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. PaperFlow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SelfCloud Drive asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SelfCloud Drive ships an update every 2 weeks, PaperFlow every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
SelfCloud Drive versus PaperFlow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSelfCloud DrivePaperFlow
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 3 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS2615.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size7 MB85 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRendi WijiatmokoFreedom It

In-app purchases

None

SelfCloud Drive

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

PaperFlow

Subscriptions2
  • PaperFlow Plus (Monthly)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • PaperFlow Plus (Annual)7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Founder Plan (lifetime)$99.90

Questions

Is SelfCloud Drive free?
SelfCloud Drive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PaperFlow free?
PaperFlow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SelfCloud Drive or PaperFlow have ads?
Neither SelfCloud Drive nor PaperFlow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SelfCloud Drive or PaperFlow?
SelfCloud Drive ships an update every 2 weeks, and PaperFlow every 3 days. Most recently, SelfCloud Drive was updated on October 9, 2026 and PaperFlow on October 16, 2026.

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