Comparison

Papers by ReadCube vs Labiro

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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!

About

Labiro

Features
Read full description

Labiro turns any shape into a maze you can actually solve. Draw a shape with your finger or Apple Pencil, or import a photo and trace its outline — Labiro fills the inside with a real, solvable maze from start to goal. Every maze is guaranteed to have a path. FEATURES - Draw freehand or import an image and trace the shape - Choose the maze area: the whole shape, a rectangle, or a lasso - Solvable mazes built with proven algorithms (DFS, Wilson) - Customize complexity, difficulty, wall color and thickness, and background - Live preview and instant regeneration - Play right in the app — trace from start to goal with your finger or Pencil - Show the solution on screen or on paper - Export to PDF and print (AirPrint) in A4, A5, B5, or Letter - Output "puzzle only" or "puzzle + solution" GREAT FOR - Kids and families looking for screen-free, printable fun - Teachers and tutors who need worksheets in seconds - Puzzle and labyrinth lovers - Events, parties, and classrooms — fun handouts and activities Everything works offline. Your drawings and images stay on your device. The first export each day is free. From the second export, a short rewarded ad is shown — or remove ads forever with a one-time purchase.

Screenshots

Papers by ReadCube4 screens
Labiro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Papers by ReadCube at none against Labiro's 1. Papers by ReadCube also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). Labiro's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). On price and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Labiro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Papers by ReadCube asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, Labiro every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Papers by ReadCube versus Labiro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPapers by ReadCubeLabiro
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (551 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews41.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings551 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB5 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperDigital Science & Research Solutions Inc.Ryoma Yanagimoto

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

Labiro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Papers by ReadCube

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Labiro

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is Papers by ReadCube free?
Papers by ReadCube is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Labiro free?
Labiro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Papers by ReadCube or Labiro have ads?
Labiro shows ads; Papers by ReadCube does not.
Which is updated more often, Papers by ReadCube or Labiro?
Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, and Labiro every 3 days. Most recently, Papers by ReadCube was updated on October 3, 2026 and Labiro on October 10, 2026.

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