# Papers by ReadCube vs PaperCut Hive

The clearest difference is rating: PaperCut Hive at 5.0 against Papers by ReadCube's 3.7. Papers by ReadCube's advantage is review sentiment (41% vs 12%) and ratings volume (551 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

PaperCut Hive holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Papers by ReadCube has 551 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of Papers by ReadCube's written reviews are positive against 12% of PaperCut Hive's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, PaperCut Hive every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on September 20, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Papers by ReadCube | PaperCut Hive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (551 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papercut-hive-secure-print/id1520121351/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **551** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **41.2% of reviews** | 11.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 77 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/864042984) | [PaperCut Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/1343622618) |

## 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


### PaperCut Hive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papercut-hive-secure-print/id1520121351)

Securely release print jobs from your mobile device at your organization's printers. This app offers a convenient, touch-free way to manage your printing needs, with options to review and adjust print settings before collection.

**Highlights:** Secure print job release via mobile, Touch-free printing options (NFC, QR code), Print job review and modification, Cross-device printing support, Contactless document collection, Find-me/pull-printing functionality

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 New app is much better
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Works on iPhone and iPad
- 👍 Convenient release from phone
- 👍 Preview before releasing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App regularly crashes
- 🐛 App closes on opening
- 🐛 Inefficient and irritating
- 🐛 Causes headaches and stress
- 🐛 Unnecessarily complicated

**Reported bugs**

- App regularly crashes
- App closes as soon as it's opened
- Print jobs disappear
- App crashes preventing phone release
- Printers becoming inoperable

**Requested features**

- Enable search in printer list
- Enable ascii copy paste of QR code value
- App works natively with iPad screen resolution
- Support QR code loading from images
- Mark specific printers as favorites


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Papers by ReadCube free?

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

### Is PaperCut Hive free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Papers by ReadCube or PaperCut Hive?

PaperCut Hive is rated higher. Papers by ReadCube averages 3.7 out of 5 from 551 ratings, while PaperCut Hive averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Papers by ReadCube or PaperCut Hive have ads?

Neither Papers by ReadCube nor PaperCut Hive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Papers by ReadCube or PaperCut Hive?

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, and PaperCut Hive every 5 weeks. Most recently, Papers by ReadCube was updated on September 20, 2026 and PaperCut Hive on September 20, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*