Pharos Print vs PaperCut Hive
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pharos Print
Submit documents from your iOS device to a secure print queue. Edit finishing options, preview, and manage print jobs. Requires a Pharos MobilePrint solution within your organization.
- Submit content to secure print queue
- Edit finishing options
- Preview documents
- Delete print jobs
- View print queue
- Release print jobs
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The Pharos Print app, part of the Pharos MobilePrint solution, allows you to easily submit content from your iOS device to a Pharos secure print queue. To use this app, Pharos MobilePrint and a Pharos secure print solution must be in place within your organization. Features • Easily submit content from your phone or tablet into a Pharos secure print queue. • Edit your finishing options before you print. • Preview your document(s) before you print. • Delete a print job from your Pharos secure print queue. • View all documents in your Pharos secure print queue. • View your Available Funds and job cost (when applicable). • Release print jobs to the printer (if configured). • Select printers for release by scanning QR code (if configured). Operating Environment • Supports iOS 14.0 and newer iPhone and iPad models. • Supports Pharos MobilePrint 2.0+ with Pharos Uniprint 9.0+ • Supports Pharos MobilePrint 2.0+ with Pharos Blueprint 5.2+ • QR Print Release requires MobilePrint 2.4 and Uniprint 9.1 SP3 Supported Files (Important) Uploading or opening files from other apps via “Open In” and "Sharing", or via the "Upload" button in the app supports the following file formats: Microsoft Office® documents, Microsoft Outlook®, PDF, images (JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP), text files (CSV, RTF & TXT), and OpenOffice documents. How to use the features of Pharos Print app [Note: some features or settings may be disabled by your organization, as noted] A. Download and install the Pharos Print app to your iOS device. B. Connect Pharos Print to your organization’s Pharos MobilePrint server. a. Open the Pharos Print app. b. Contact your organization’s IT administrator to obtain the Pharos MobilePrint server information (URL). c. Enter the Pharos Server Name and Server Port (both are required). d. Select Connect e. The Pharos Print app will connect to the Pharos server and display a User Authentication Screen. C. Authenticate to the Pharos Server. a. Enter the credentials that you normally use to print (your username and password). b. Select Log On to enter the Pharos Print app. D. Files can be submitted either via the Upload icon in the app or by using the native iOS “Open In” or the "Sharing" command to submit your print job. a. To upload supported documents from the app, simply log in and use the "Upload" button. Sources for files on your device, or cloud, will be presented. b. To upload supported documents using “Open In" or "Sharing" i. Select content in any app that supports “Open In" or "Sharing". ii. Select Open In/Share. iii. Select the Open/Share in Pharos Print icon. E. You may set finishing options, preview, or delete a document a. Select a print job in your job list. b. Apply your desired finishing options via the "Print Options" tab at the bottom of the app: i. 1 sided or 2 sided ii. Color or Black & White iii. Pages per side iv. Number of copies v. Page range to print c. To preview documents, select a document and use the "Preview" button. d. To delete documents, select a document and use the "Delete" button. F. To print documents, this option must be allowed by your organization a. Select document(s) to print b. Then either use the tab at the bottom of the app to select a printer (if available) c. Or use the “QR Code” icon at the top right of the app (if available) to enable the camera and point it at the QR code on the printer you want to print to. G. To view available funds you have for printing, use the “Payment method” tab at the bottom of the app. a. If made available by your organization, the app may offer the ability to “Add Funds” via the link on this tab. H. Logging out a. To log out of the Pharos Print app, select the gear icon in the upper left corner and select Log out.
PaperCut Hive
Securely release print jobs from your mobile device at your organization's printers. This app offers a convenient, touch-free way to manage your printing needs, with options to review and adjust print settings before collection.
- Secure print job release via mobile
- Touch-free printing options (NFC, QR code)
- Print job review and modification
- Cross-device printing support
- Contactless document collection
- Find-me/pull-printing functionality
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PaperCut Hive makes printing convenient, responsible, and secure in your organization. We're all for flexibility. This app gives you the option to securely release your print jobs using your mobile phone. Of course, you can also release your job at the MFD/Printer touch screen as well. This mobile app just gives you one more option, and a touch-free one at that! To get the most out of this app, make sure you have an approved email invitation to use your organization's printers & MFPs. To release prints using your phone, simply tap your phone on an NFC sticker on the printer, scanning a QR code, or selecting the printer's name from a list. Did you forget to double-side the document? No problem, the PaperCut Hive app will remind you and allow you to make those changes on your way to the printer. PaperCut Hive makes it easy to print from all your devices including desktops, laptops, Chromebooks, and of course your iOS phone. See! You can use your phone for work too! Here’s how it works: - You’ll receive an invitation from your organization - It will guide you through the installation of this app as well as apps on your computers and other devices - You will then be able to select ‘PaperCut Printer’ when printing from any of your devices - This app also allows you to view your print jobs and securely collect your documents at any printer/MFD in your organization - Simply walk up to the printer and tap the NFC stickers, scan a QR code, or use the MFD touch screen. This app gives you a contactless/touch-free release method. Benefits: - Have you ever printed your payslip and had to run (sprint!) to the printer to collect it before anyone else does? Fixed! - Have you walked to the printer only to realise your document has gone somewhere else? Fixed! We call this find-me or pull-printing printing. - Do you forget to select duplex at the time of printing, but then feel guilty as you watch an endless stream of pages roll out? Fixed! - Confused by different print dialogues on different devices? BYOD? Fixed! - Need to set up printing on a new device and wish it could be as easy as installing a new app? Fixed! Have a question? Please email support@papercut.com or get in touch with the PaperCut Partner supporting you. Note: This app requires that your organization has an active and configured PaperCut Hive account and the PaperCut Hive embedded software installed on your MFDs. You should receive an invitation or instruction on how to set up this app from your organization. Your confidentiality is our priority. Your data is treated like we'd want our data to be treated. Check out our Privacy Policy for the full story. In fact your confidentiality is super important to us and that's exactly the reason we invented PaperCut Hive (and of course to reduce print waste and make printing easy).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PaperCut Hive at 4.0 against Pharos Print's 1.3. PaperCut Hive also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 9 months). Pharos Print's advantage is ratings volume (242 vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PaperCut Hive holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pharos Print has 242 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 8% of Pharos Print's written reviews are positive against 12% of PaperCut Hive's.
Pharos Print ships an update every 9 months, PaperCut Hive every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Pharos Print | PaperCut Hive |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.3 (242 ratings) | 4.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 7.6% of reviews | 11.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 242 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 70 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pharos Systems International | PaperCut Software |
Customer experience
Pharos Print
PaperCut Hive
User reviews
Pharos Print
From 242 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Works fine sometimes
- 👍 "It worked fine!"
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 App won't open/load
- 🐛 Constant disconnections
- 🐛 Files disappearing
- 🐛 Network issues
PaperCut Hive
From 4 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 New app is much better
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Works on iPhone and iPad
- 👍 Convenient release from phone
- 👍 Preview before releasing
Room to improve
- 🐛 App regularly crashes
- 🐛 App closes on opening
- 🐛 Inefficient and irritating
- 🐛 Causes headaches and stress
- 🐛 Unnecessarily complicated
Bugs and requests
Pharos Print
Reported bugs
24 issues- App won't open/load
- App crashes
- Constant disconnections
- Files disappearing
- Network issues
Show 19 moreShow fewer
- App freezes
- Login issues
- Server connection issues
- Printing fails
- Blurry prints
- Double-sided printing
- QR code won't scan
- Laggy UX
- Complicated to use
- Incompatible with iOS versions
- Keyboard covers login button
- Cannot add funds
- Doesn't recognize files
- Poor UI testing
- Limited app options
- Doesn't print from other apps
- Slow loading times
- Print button cut off
- No print button
Requested features
8 requests- Add a progress bar for loading
- Fix keyboard blocking login button
- Add an upload feature
- Allow printing from other apps
- Add page range option for printing
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Update app to look more native to iOS
- Fix print button being cut off
- Add a print button
PaperCut Hive
Reported bugs
22 issues- App regularly crashes
- App closes as soon as it's opened
- Print jobs disappear
- App crashes preventing phone release
- Printers becoming inoperable
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Printer resetting itself
- Desktop download doesn't work on Mac
- Crashes and doesn't load prints
- Randomly crashes
- Computer won't cooperate (Macs)
- App crashes after a few uses
- Crashes upon load
- App is too unstable
- App won't open or crashes on click
- Error messages not always appearing
- Crashing since update
- Constantly needed to delete and redownload
- Need to frequently re-request access
- Keeps crashing, can't open app
- Have to delete and reinstall bi-weekly
- System doesn't refresh
- Does not work well with Macs
Requested features
5 requests- Enable search in printer list
- Enable ascii copy paste of QR code value
- App works natively with iPad screen resolution
- Support QR code loading from images
- Mark specific printers as favorites
In-app purchases
Pharos Print
No in-app purchases
PaperCut Hive
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Pharos Print free?
Is PaperCut Hive free?
Which has better reviews, Pharos Print or PaperCut Hive?
Do Pharos Print or PaperCut Hive have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pharos Print or PaperCut Hive?
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