# Papers by ReadCube vs Instrument Connect

The clearest difference is rating: Papers by ReadCube at 3.7 against Instrument Connect's 3.1. Papers by ReadCube also leads on ratings volume (551 vs 10) and review sentiment (41% vs 25%). Instrument Connect's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Papers by ReadCube holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Papers by ReadCube has 551 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Papers by ReadCube's written reviews are positive against 25% of Instrument Connect's.

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, Instrument Connect every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Papers by ReadCube | Instrument Connect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (551 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981/reviews)** | [3.1 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instrument-connect/id1042301575/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **551** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **41.2% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 77 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/864042984) | [Thermo Fisher Scientific](https://appshunter.io/developer/407517076) |

## What reviewers say

### Papers by ReadCube

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981)

Manage, read, and discover research literature on your mobile devices. Annotate PDFs, organize your library with custom lists and tags, and receive personalized recommendations for new papers. Syncs seamlessly with desktop and web applications.

**Highlights:** Read and manage research papers, Annotate PDFs with notes and highlights, Organize library with custom lists and tags, Discover new research with personalized recommendations, Search and download articles, Sync across devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices
- 📚 Excellent for organizing and managing research papers
- 🔍 Helpful search and discovery features
- 💻 Good integration with desktop and web versions
- 📝 Useful annotation and highlighting tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy annotation and handwriting tools
- 🔍 Inconsistent search and metadata retrieval
- 💾 Unreliable cloud sync and data loss issues
- 🖍️ Limited annotation features compared to competitors
- 🕰️ Slow development and lack of updates

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Sync issues causing data loss and duplication
- Unreliable PDF downloads and access
- Inconsistent behavior of annotation tools
- Compatibility problems with newer devices and OS versions

**Requested features**

- Add eraser tool for handwritten annotations
- Improve PDF viewing and navigation experience
- Implement better organization and folder management
- Integrate citation and bibliography tools
- Provide more customization options


### Instrument Connect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instrument-connect/id1042301575)

Monitor your cloud-enabled laboratory instruments remotely in real-time. Track run progress, view amplification plots, and ensure peace of mind by catching issues as they happen.

**Highlights:** Real-time instrument availability check, Monitor PCR run progress, View real-time amplification plots, Filter plots by sample or target, Remote access to cloud-enabled devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Papers by ReadCube free?

Papers by ReadCube is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Instrument Connect free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Papers by ReadCube or Instrument Connect?

Papers by ReadCube is rated higher. Papers by ReadCube averages 3.7 out of 5 from 551 ratings, while Instrument Connect averages 3.1 from 10 ratings.

### Do Papers by ReadCube or Instrument Connect have ads?

Neither Papers by ReadCube nor Instrument Connect shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Papers by ReadCube or Instrument Connect?

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, and Instrument Connect every 3 months. Most recently, Papers by ReadCube was updated on September 25, 2026 and Instrument Connect on September 21, 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.*