Papers by ReadCube vs Newton AI Lab Assistant
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
Read full descriptionHide full description
ReadCube is the simplest way to read, manage and discover research literature. ReadCube on your iPhone and iPad are the perfect companions to the ReadCube web and 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 ReadCube 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 ReadCube 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 ReadCube desktop and web apps or your other mobile devices Simplify your research life – try ReadCube for free on your iPhone, iPad, and computer. We love feedback from our users - please email support@readcube.com with any suggestions or issues. Thanks for using ReadCube!
Newton AI Lab Assistant
This app serves as an AI co-pilot and precision calculator for scientific research. It streamlines experiments by consolidating calculations, notes, and data, acting as a digital bench partner for chemists, biologists, and neuroscientists.
- AI-powered experiment troubleshooting
- Molarity and molecular weight calculations
- Smart formula parsing and elemental analysis
- Solution prep, dilution, and dosing tools
- Digital lab notebook with cross-device sync
- Colony management and task reminders
- Stereotaxic brain atlas coordinate lookup
Read full descriptionHide full description
Newton is a lab assistant built for scientists, by scientists - an AI lab co-pilot paired with a precision chemistry calculator, molarity calculator, notebook, and database, designed for the realities of wet-lab work. It turns your phone into a real bench partner. Stop juggling sticky notes, generic calculators, and browser tabs mid-experiment. Newton keeps molecular weight, solution prep, dilution math, colony records, and protocol questions in one fast, distraction-free tool. Built for chemists, biologists, neuroscientists, and biotech researchers who need answers at the bench, not after it. YOUR AI SCIENCE ASSISTANT • Smart Chat: Troubleshoot experiments in real time. Ask about reaction mechanisms, double-check a protocol step, or get an instant unit conversion - by typing or with voice dictation - without leaving the app. CHEMISTRY & MOLARITY CALCULATOR • Molecular Weight: Instantly compute molar mass for complex structures, groups, and hydrates — Ca(OH)₂, CuSO₄·5H₂O, and beyond. • Smart Formula Parser: Typos happen at the bench. Newton catches capitalization slips and offers "Did you mean?" fixes (h2o → H₂O) so you never lose your place. • Elemental Analysis: See element-by-element mass distribution and percent composition at a glance. • Interactive Periodic Table: Tap any element to inspect it or build a formula on the fly. SOLUTION PREP, DILUTIONS & DOSING A full bench toolkit - not just one calculator: • Reagent Prep: solute mass from concentration and volume • Dilution: C₁V₁ = C₂V₂ in seconds • Serial Dilution planner • Buffer pH: Henderson-Hasselbalch • Injection Dosage • Micro-Infusion Timer • Normality and Osmolarity / tonicity LAB NOTEBOOK + CROSS-DEVICE SYNC • Log It: Save calculations, formulas, and notes straight into your digital lab notebook. Search, filter by category, and edit anytime. • Export Clean Reports: One-tap export to PDF or CSV for your report workflow. • Sync Everywhere: Your notebook and colony sync securely across iPhone, Android, and desktop. COLONY MANAGEMENT • Track It All: Manage rooms, racks, and cages with a fast card-based view. • Never Miss a Task: Set reminders with notifications. • Live Census: See counts at the click of a button, and export census reports to PDF/CSV. STEREOTAXIC BRAIN ATLAS • Coordinate Lookup: Reference stereotaxic brain-region coordinates on the go — built for neuroscience and surgery planning. • Allen Atlas Portals: Jump to reference, gene-expression, single-cell, and developing-brain atlases without leaving the app. Newton is free for labs. Download it and bring a real lab assistant to your bench.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Newton AI Lab Assistant at 5.0 against Papers by ReadCube's 3.7. Newton AI Lab Assistant also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Papers by ReadCube's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (557 vs 2). On price, ads, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Newton AI Lab Assistant sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Papers by ReadCube asks for nothing beyond the download.
Newton AI Lab Assistant 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.
Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, Newton AI Lab Assistant every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Papers by ReadCube | Newton AI Lab Assistant |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (557 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 48.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 557 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 79 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc. | Arun Asok |
Customer experience
Papers by ReadCube
Newton AI Lab Assistant
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
Newton AI Lab Assistant
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Papers by ReadCube
No in-app purchases
Newton AI Lab Assistant
- Newton Premium$2.99
Questions
Is Papers by ReadCube free?
Is Newton AI Lab Assistant free?
Which has better reviews, Papers by ReadCube or Newton AI Lab Assistant?
Do Papers by ReadCube or Newton AI Lab Assistant have ads?
Which is updated more often, Papers by ReadCube or Newton AI Lab Assistant?
Other comparisons















