Comparison

Bookends vs Reclaim

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

Head to head
About

Bookends

Manage your research references and PDFs on your mobile device. Search online databases, import metadata, annotate PDFs, and organize your library. Offers basic functionality for free with optional one-time purchase and yearly subscription for advanced features like cloud sync and unlimited imports.

Highlights
  • Search online reference databases
  • Import metadata and PDFs
  • PDF annotation and markup
  • Barcode scanning for references
  • Cloud sync across devices
  • Share online libraries
  • Create multiple libraries
Features
Read full description

Bookends is the reference management app you've been looking for. The basic version offers: • Search online sites directly (arXiv, Google Books, Google Scholar, JSTOR, the Library of Congress, PubMed, PubMed Central, and Semantic Scholar) or use the built-in browser (EZProxy-compliant) to download reference metadata and PDFs (access privileges required). Searches can return a maximum of 20 references, and only 50 references can be stored in your personal database. • Use unique identifiers such as DOI, PMID, ISBN, or arXiv id to autofill references. • View the text of PDF annotations in a note stream, and create your own with our powerful PDF markup engine. • Barcode scanning, one per day. • And many more features designed to help you discover, organize, and use reference information. Standard, one-time purchase ($14.99): • No limit on searches or importing. Premium, yearly subscription ($14.99). Requires a Standard purchase. • Cloud sync with all your iOS devices and Bookends for Mac (separate purchase). • Share online libraries with colleagues. • Scan documents with Mellel Mobile*. • Create multiple libraries. • Unlimited barcode scanning. • Extract PDF annotations with deep links to annotations and text. • Convenient UI to add PDF notes to the library. • Automate your actions with Shortcuts. * iPad-only. Requires a Mellel Mobile Premium subscription. Subscription is for one year and has an auto-renew option. The subscription can be managed in iOS -> Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions. A subscription will renew if it isn't canceled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. If the subscription is not renewed, Premium will be disabled but Standard will continue to work. Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Reclaim

Features
Read full description

*** Reclaim — Pomodoro Focus Timer *** - Stop losing track of time. Reclaim is a Pomodoro timer built for knowledge workers and software developers who juggle 5+ tasks a day and need to stay in deep focus. - One task at a time. Reclaim shows only what you're working on right now — nothing else competes for your attention. - Never lose a task again. Write down every task before you start. They carry over until done, so nothing lives in your head. - Always know how long you've been working. A focused timer countdown keeps time visible and honest. Key Features - Pomodoro timer with automatic focus/break cycles - Task list with drag-to-reorder and priority management - Customisable focus duration (15 / 25 / 45 min) and break duration - Per-task estimated vs. actual time comparison - Daily Summary — see how your day went at a glance - Home Screen Widgets (small + medium) with live countdown - Live Activity on Dynamic Island and Lock Screen - Session completion stats: focus time, break time, interruptions - Smart notifications: morning task reminder + end-of-day summary - Dark and light mode How it works 1. Add your tasks for the day 2. Tap Start — the Pomodoro timer begins 3. Work through focus sessions with short breaks in between 4. See your progress and stats when the task is done Simple. Focused. Built for real workdays.

Screenshots

Bookends4 screens
Reclaim4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Reclaim at none against Bookends's 2. Reclaim also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Bookends's advantage is iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Bookends sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Reclaim asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bookends ships an update every 2 months, Reclaim weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Bookends versus Reclaim: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookendsReclaim
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (400 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings400 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.6 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size114 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSonny Software, LLCTran Trung Tuyen

Bugs and requests

Bookends

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incompatibility with iCloud Optimized Storage
  • Unreliable sync between desktop and mobile versions
  • Occasional data loss or corruption

Requested features

4 requests
  • Nested folders and tags for better organization
  • Automatic PDF metadata extraction
  • Improved search and filtering capabilities
  • Seamless integration with third-party services

Reclaim

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Bookends

Subscriptions1
  • Premium3 Months trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Standard$14.99
None

Reclaim

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bookends free?
Bookends is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Reclaim free?
Reclaim is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bookends or Reclaim have ads?
Neither Bookends nor Reclaim shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bookends or Reclaim?
Bookends ships an update every 2 months, and Reclaim weekly. Most recently, Bookends was updated on October 23, 2026 and Reclaim on October 25, 2026.

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