# Papers by ReadCube vs LiquidText

The clearest difference is rating: LiquidText at 4.6 against Papers by ReadCube's 3.7. LiquidText also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (6.4K vs 551). Papers by ReadCube's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LiquidText sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month. Papers by ReadCube asks for nothing beyond the download.

LiquidText holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LiquidText has 6.4K ratings behind it against 551, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Papers by ReadCube's written reviews are positive against 50% of LiquidText's.

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, LiquidText every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Papers by ReadCube | LiquidText |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (551 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981/reviews) | **[4.6 (6.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/liquidtext/id922765270/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 551 | **6.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 41.2% of reviews | **49.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 77 MB | 317 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/864042984) | [LiquidText, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/922765269) |

## 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


### LiquidText

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/liquidtext/id922765270)

This app provides a dynamic workspace for reviewing and organizing information from documents and webpages. It allows users to extract key facts, connect ideas across different sources, and annotate content for research, writing, or study.

**Highlights:** Import documents and webpages, Extract and organize excerpts, Connect ideas with ink links, Compare document sections, Annotate PDFs, Word, and PowerPoint, Search across all documents

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LiquidText Live, Monthly, Stu | $5.49 | per month |
| LiquidText Live, Monthly, StPr | $5.49 | per month |
| LiquidText Unlimited, Mo, Stu | $10.90 | per month |
| LiquidText Live, Monthly | $10.90 | per month |
| LiquidText Live, Monthly, Upg | $10.90 | per month |
| LiquidText Unlimited, Yr, Stu | $19.00 | per month |
| LiquidText Live, Yearly, Stu | $54.90 | per year |
| LiquidText Live, Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| LiquidText Live, Yearly, Upg | $99.99 | per year |
| LiquidText Unlimited, Yr | $189.99 | per year |
| LT Pro - For Students | $19.99 | one-time |
| LiquidText Pro | $29.99 | one-time |
| LiquidText Pro II | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful annotation and organization features
- 📚 Excellent for academic and research work
- 💡 Innovative concept and workflow
- 🤖 Responsive and helpful customer support
- 🖼️ Smooth integration with Apple Pencil

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive, especially for the subscription model
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable at times
- 🤯 Steep learning curve and unintuitive interface
- 🔗 Lack of seamless cross-device sync and integration
- 🔍 Navigation and file management issues

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and data loss issues
- Inconsistent behavior with Apple Pencil
- Text selection and highlighting problems
- Sync issues between iPad and Mac versions
- Unexpected changes to existing annotations

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved palm rejection and writing experience
- Better export and sharing options
- Thumbnail/outline view for easier navigation
- Ability to rotate and resize text/image annotations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Papers by ReadCube free?

Papers by ReadCube is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is LiquidText free?

LiquidText is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Papers by ReadCube or LiquidText?

LiquidText is rated higher. Papers by ReadCube averages 3.7 out of 5 from 551 ratings, while LiquidText averages 4.6 from 6.4K ratings.

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

Neither Papers by ReadCube nor LiquidText shows ads.

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

Papers by ReadCube ships an update every 2 months, and LiquidText every 2 weeks. Most recently, Papers by ReadCube was updated on October 3, 2026 and LiquidText on October 12, 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.*