# alphaXiv vs COLM

The clearest difference is update cadence: alphaXiv at every 4 days against COLM's fortnightly. COLM'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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

alphaXiv ships an update every 4 days, COLM fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | alphaXiv | COLM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphaxiv/id6782411985/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **17** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 73 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [alphaXiv Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/6782411987) | [Anthony Manzo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1777483769) |

## What reviewers say

### alphaXiv

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphaxiv/id6782411985)

This app helps researchers stay updated with the latest AI studies from arXiv. It offers AI-powered summaries, literature reviews, and visual explanations of complex papers. Users can also annotate papers and track their research interests.

**Highlights:** Trending research feed, AI-powered literature reviews, Interactive paper reader with notes, AI Visual Blogs for paper explanations, Personalized research recommendations

**In-app purchases:** none


### COLM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colm/id6793222505)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is alphaXiv free?

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

### Is COLM free?

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

### Do alphaXiv or COLM have ads?

Neither alphaXiv nor COLM shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, alphaXiv or COLM?

alphaXiv ships an update every 4 days, and COLM fortnightly. Most recently, alphaXiv was updated on October 1, 2026 and COLM on October 14, 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.*