# Papers by ReadCube vs Plasmids X

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Papers by ReadCube at none against Plasmids X's 14. Papers by ReadCube also leads on ratings volume (555 vs 7) and rating (3.7 vs 3.4). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plasmids X sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Papers by ReadCube asks for nothing beyond the download.

Papers by ReadCube holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Papers by ReadCube has 555 ratings behind it against 7, 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 33% of Plasmids X's.

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, Plasmids X monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Papers by ReadCube | Plasmids X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (555 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981/reviews)** | [3.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plasmids-x/id1524584676/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **555** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **41.0% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 79 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/864042984) | [Amin Mahpour](https://appshunter.io/developer/1524584678) |

## 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, Vision Pro support

**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


### Plasmids X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plasmids-x/id1524584676)

Design, create, and analyze custom DNA plasmids with this intuitive molecular genetics tool. Supports importing, editing, and sharing plasmids, with powerful in silico analysis features for researchers and students.

**Highlights:** Create plasmids from sequences, Import from .dna and Genbank files, Edit plasmids by adding features, In silico analysis (sequence alignment, PCR, digestion), Share and collaborate on plasmids

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

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| A cup of coffee! | $1.99 | one-time |
| Split View Support | $1.99 | one-time |
| Manual Cloning | $3.99 | one-time |
| In-silico PCR Support | $3.99 | one-time |
| NCBI Entrez Support | $3.99 | one-time |
| Local Alignment Support | $3.99 | one-time |
| A box of joe! | $4.99 | one-time |
| BLAST Support | $4.99 | one-time |
| ApE File Support | $4.99 | one-time |
| Genbank Support | $4.99 | one-time |
| dna File Support | $5.99 | one-time |
| All Features | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Papers by ReadCube free?

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

### Is Plasmids X free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Papers by ReadCube or Plasmids X?

Papers by ReadCube is rated higher. Papers by ReadCube averages 3.7 out of 5 from 555 ratings, while Plasmids X averages 3.4 from 7 ratings.

### Do Papers by ReadCube or Plasmids X have ads?

Neither Papers by ReadCube nor Plasmids X shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Papers by ReadCube or Plasmids X?

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, and Plasmids X monthly. Most recently, Papers by ReadCube was updated on October 15, 2026 and Plasmids X on October 9, 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.*