# Papers by ReadCube vs Uploader for Mendeley

The clearest difference is rating: Uploader for Mendeley at 5.0 against Papers by ReadCube's 3.7. Uploader for Mendeley also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Papers by ReadCube's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and ratings volume (557 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, 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.

Uploader for Mendeley 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 557 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Papers by ReadCube's written reviews are positive against 50% of Uploader for Mendeley's.

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, Uploader for Mendeley every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Papers by ReadCube | Uploader for Mendeley |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (557 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uploader-for-mendeley/id1606546011/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **557** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 48.4% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 79 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/864042984) | [Sven Gowal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557039598) |

## 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


### Uploader for Mendeley

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uploader-for-mendeley/id1606546011)

Effortlessly upload articles and PDFs to your Mendeley library. This app automatically extracts bibliographic data from web pages and documents, offering customization and duplicate prevention for a streamlined research workflow.

**Highlights:** Direct URL pasting for uploads, Share webpages or PDFs, Recognizes bibliography from PDFs, Accurate bibliography for many websites, Duplicate prevention, Quick actions with custom tags

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, 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 Uploader for Mendeley free?

Uploader for Mendeley is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Papers by ReadCube or Uploader for Mendeley?

Uploader for Mendeley is rated higher. Papers by ReadCube averages 3.7 out of 5 from 557 ratings, while Uploader for Mendeley averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Papers by ReadCube or Uploader for Mendeley have ads?

Neither Papers by ReadCube nor Uploader for Mendeley shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Papers by ReadCube or Uploader for Mendeley?

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, and Uploader for Mendeley every 3 months. Most recently, Papers by ReadCube was updated on October 29, 2026 and Uploader for Mendeley on October 30, 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.*