# Papyrus vs PhoneDeck

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PhoneDeck at none against Papyrus's 2. Papyrus's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Papyrus sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. PhoneDeck asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Papyrus against 5.0 for PhoneDeck. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

Papyrus ships an update weekly, PhoneDeck every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Papyrus | PhoneDeck |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papyrus-research-library/id6766133716/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonedeck/id6773256172/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 29 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zhenda Fu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896207907) | [Vansh Parihar](https://appshunter.io/developer/6773256174) |

## What reviewers say

### Papyrus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papyrus-research-library/id6766133716)

Organize, annotate, and cite research papers within a native Apple ecosystem. This workspace allows you to import PDFs and citation records, take notes, and manage your reading collections as structured projects. It offers local-first storage with optional cloud sync and various export formats.

**Highlights:** Read and annotate PDFs, Organize citation records, Take Markdown notes, Search entire library, Create structured projects, Local-first storage, Optional iCloud/WebDAV sync

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Papyrus Lifetime Unlock | $3.99 | one-time |
| Papyrus Lifetime Unlock | $5.99 | one-time |


### PhoneDeck

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonedeck/id6773256172)

Transform your iPhone into a wireless controller for your Mac. Launch any application, control system functions, or open websites with a single tap. It offers a streamlined, privacy-focused experience without requiring an account or cloud services.

**Highlights:** Launch any Mac app with one tap, Control system functions (volume, brightness, media), Open websites instantly, Organize tiles into pages, Works over local WiFi, No account or cloud required

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Papyrus free?

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

### Is PhoneDeck free?

PhoneDeck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Papyrus or PhoneDeck?

Papyrus and PhoneDeck are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Papyrus or PhoneDeck have ads?

Neither Papyrus nor PhoneDeck shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Papyrus or PhoneDeck?

Papyrus ships an update weekly, and PhoneDeck every 2 weeks. Most recently, Papyrus was updated on October 24, 2026 and PhoneDeck on October 24, 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.*