Papers by ReadCube vs Logseq
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Papers by ReadCube
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.
- 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
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Papers by ReadCube is the simplest way to read, manage and discover research literature. Papers on your iPhone and iPad are the perfect companions to the Papers desktop software, enabling you to access your papers anywhere – read on the go, organize your library, and annotate PDFs with notes and highlights. Enhanced PDF: • Tap-able inline citations, reference lists, and author names so you can quickly find cited articles and related information • Supplements are automatically attached where available • Fullscreen or double-page PDF viewing plus multi-touch zoom/navigation for an optimal reading experience • Multi-color highlighting and note taking tools Easily find new papers: • Search the Papers databases within the app • Quickly download new articles with a single tap when you’re on campus or with your institutional proxy • Import directly from Safari, email attachments, and other apps • In your preferred browser, use any search engine to find article PDFs • Use the “Open In…” option from the browser or any app to add PDFs to your Papers library • Metadata is automatically resolved - no more guessing with cryptic file names Personalized Recommendations: • Discover relevant new papers based on your library or lists – you’ll never miss another important paper again! Stay organized: • Create custom lists and sort articles into one or multiple lists • Quickly search your entire library (and all annotations) • Add any number of #tags to further customize your library organization • Sync everything – papers, notes, highlights – between the Papers desktop and web apps or your other mobile devices Simplify your research life – try Papers for free on your iPhone, iPad, and computer. We love feedback from our users - please email support@papersapp.com with any suggestions or issues. Thanks for using Papers!
Logseq
This open-source outliner helps you write, organize, and share your thoughts using local Markdown and Org-mode files. Manage tasks, build a digital garden, and integrate with various services for enhanced productivity.
- Backlinks
- Knowledge Graph
- Page and block references
- Tasks & Todos
- SRS Cards
- Zotero integration
- Audio recorder
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Logseq is a joyful, open-source outliner that works on top of local plain-text Markdown and Org-mode files. Use it to write, organize and share your thoughts, keep your to-do list, and build your own digital garden. Logseq includes the following features: 1. Backlink 2. Knowledge Graph 3. Page and block references 4. Page and block embeds 5. Tasks & Todos 6. SRS Cards 7. Zotero integration 8. Youtube, Twitter, etc. integration 9. Audio recorder 10. Powerful queries 11. Whiteboards
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Logseq at 4.4 against Papers by ReadCube's 3.7. Logseq also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 41%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Logseq holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 551 and 252 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Papers by ReadCube's written reviews are positive against 59% of Logseq's.
Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, Logseq every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Papers by ReadCube | Logseq |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (551 ratings) | 4.4 (252 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 41.2% of reviews | 58.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 551 — better | 252 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 77 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc. | Logseq Inc. |
Customer experience
Papers by ReadCube
Logseq
User reviews
Papers by ReadCube
From 551 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 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
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
Logseq
From 252 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful note-taking features
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🔒 Local data storage
- 💡 Unique folderless structure
- 🚀 Efficient for daily note-taking
Room to improve
- 🐛 Sync issues and data loss
- 🔍 Confusing mobile navigation
- 🔍 Lack of plugin support on mobile
- 🔍 Sluggish performance on older devices
- 🔍 Limited sync options (only iCloud)
Bugs and requests
Papers by ReadCube
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
Logseq
Reported bugs
4 issues- Sync issues leading to data loss
- Inconsistent behavior when creating new blocks
- Cursor jumping issues when editing text
- Disappearing UI elements on mobile
Requested features
4 requests- Add support for other cloud storage options (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
- Improve mobile UI and UX for better usability
- Implement plugin support on mobile
- Optimize performance for older devices
In-app purchases
Papers by ReadCube
No in-app purchases
Logseq
No in-app purchases
