# Papers by ReadCube vs Moonlight

The clearest difference is update cadence: Moonlight at every 10 days against Papers by ReadCube's every 2 months. Moonlight also leads on review sentiment (64% vs 41%). 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 ships an update every 2 months, Moonlight every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Papers by ReadCube | Moonlight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (551 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **551** | — |
| Positive reviews | 41.2% of reviews | **64.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 77 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/864042984) | [Corca, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1711708611) |

## 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


### Moonlight

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moonlight-ai-pdf-reader/id6738034562)

Streamline your research by integrating AI tools directly into your PDF documents. Get instant explanations, translations, and citation details without leaving your reading interface.

**Highlights:** AI-powered explanations, Document translation, Citation retrieval, Integrated research tools, Seamless PDF interaction

**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 Moonlight free?

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

### Do Papers by ReadCube or Moonlight have ads?

Neither Papers by ReadCube nor Moonlight shows ads.

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

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, and Moonlight every 10 days. Most recently, Papers by ReadCube was updated on September 25, 2026 and Moonlight on September 18, 2026.

---

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