Compare PaperSpan and Gemmy AI: Which App is the Best?
A reliable read-it-later app with clean formatting and offline reading. Great for organizing articles by category, though the interface feels dated. | Gemmy AI is a Gemini-powered chat assistant that helps with creativity, productivity, and daily tasks through smart conversations and helpful prompts. | |
| Key Features A summary of the most important features offered by each app. |
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| Our Rating Prod Apps's expert review score for each app, based on hands-on testing and research. | 7.2 Winner in this category | 6.9 |
| Total users Total active users across all major browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. | 0 | 0 |
| Total ratings Total number of user ratings received across all supported browsers. | 0 | 0 |
| Average rating Average user rating across all browsers, calculated from available store ratings. | — ⭐ | — ⭐ |
| Entry Level Price The minimum price required to start using the app. "Free" means a free tier is available. | Free | Free |
| Android User rating and stats for the app on Android browser. |  Downloads | Downloads |
| iOS User rating and stats for the app on iOS browser. |  | |
| Features Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Features' aspect of each app. | 7.3 PaperSpan is pretty good at the basic stuff. It takes messy web articles and makes them actually readable, which is honestly the main thing you want from an app like this. No ads, no random pop-ups, just clean text that's easy on the eyes.
The annoying part is that sometimes the text gets cut off halfway through an article, so you have to switch to the web view to finish reading. Also, the search could be better. It's a solid app for basic use, but if you want fancy features, you might be disappointed. We'd give it 7.3 out of 10. | 7.5 Gemmy AI packs in enough features to make it a solid AI assistant. Beyond just chatting with AI, it offers tools for creative work and productivity that actually come in handy. What Gemmy AI does well: 1. Gemini AI Integration: This is where Gemmy shines. It uses Google's advanced AI model for conversations that actually make sense. You can ask questions, get creative help, and receive detailed responses powered by one of the best AI models around. When we tested it, we could easily chat about various topics - from creative writing to technical questions. The AI responses were generally helpful and well-structured, though we did notice some outdated information here and there. 2. Prompt Library: This is a standout feature. There's a huge collection of pre-made prompts for different situations. Need help writing a story? Crafting social media content? Brainstorming ideas? There's likely a prompt to get you started. The prompts are organized well and easy to browse. We found this really useful when we needed inspiration for creative projects or wanted to try different writing styles. 3. Multi-language Support: Gemmy works in multiple languages, making it accessible to users worldwide. You can chat with the AI in your preferred language without any complicated setup. This feature works smoothly, and we tested it with several languages. The AI keeps its conversational quality across different languages, which is pretty impressive. 4. Save & Share: You can easily save important conversations and share insights with others. This is great for collaborative projects or when you want to keep track of useful AI responses for later. The save feature works reliably, and sharing is straightforward. We found this helpful when working on projects that needed input from multiple people. 5. Creative Content Help: Whether you need help writing stories, poems, or social media content, Gemmy can assist with various creative tasks. The AI provides suggestions and can help you develop ideas further. We tested this with several creative projects and found the AI quite helpful in generating ideas and providing structure for creative writing. 6. Regular Updates: The prompt library gets updated regularly with fresh content, so you always have access to current and relevant prompts. What's missing:
That's why we give features a 7.5 out of 10. The core AI functionality is strong, but the free tier limitations and occasional accuracy issues keep it from scoring higher. Winner in this category |
| Performance Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Performance' aspect of each app. | 6.9 Performance is PaperSpan's biggest weakness. When everything works correctly, the app is fast and responsive. Article saving is quick, reading is smooth, and offline functionality is excellent. The problem is consistency—too many things go wrong too often. The most common issues we encountered include sync problems between devices, network connectivity failures during signup, and the frustrating text view cutoff that interrupts reading sessions. The discontinued Chrome extension also limits desktop integration significantly. These aren't dealbreaking problems, but they add up to an inconsistent user experience. The positive news is that recent ratings have improved significantly (4.13/5 for the last 100 reviews compared to 3.8/5 overall), indicating the developers are actively addressing these issues. Performance score: 6.9/10. Winner in this category | 6.5 The app works okay in most situations, letting you chat with the AI without major interruptions. However, we noticed some performance issues that could affect the user experience. The basic functionality works fine - you can send messages and get responses from the AI without significant delays. The prompt library loads quickly, and the save and share features work reliably without performance problems. Performance strengths:
Performance issues:
However, we found several performance concerns that significantly impact the user experience. Multiple users specifically mentioned that the app is "very slowly" or has slow movement, indicating consistent performance issues. One user noted "Very Slowly moment this apps 😴😴" which suggests the performance problems are noticeable enough to affect user satisfaction. Some users also reported that the app can be resource-intensive, particularly when processing complex AI requests. The performance issues seem to be worse on older devices or when the app is handling multiple requests at once. That's why we give performance a 6.5 out of 10. While the app maintains basic functionality, the reported speed issues and performance inconsistencies prevent it from scoring higher. |
| Design Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Design' aspect of each app. | 6.2 PaperSpan's design prioritizes function over form, which works well for the reading experience but falls short everywhere else. The article reader itself is excellent—clean typography, perfect spacing, and smart image handling make reading genuinely enjoyable.
The problem is everything outside the reading experience. The overall interface looks and feels outdated compared to modern apps. Multiple users mentioned this in reviews, and we completely agree—PaperSpan desperately needs a visual refresh. The functionality is solid, but the dated appearance undermines the user experience. Design score: 6.2/10. | 7.0 The design is clean and functional - you can start using it right away without much fuss. We liked the chat-based interface and how the prompt library is organized. Users seem to love the intuitive chat interface and the well-organized prompt system. It's easy to navigate and find what you need quickly. The app also looks good on mobile devices, making it simple to access your conversations and prompts on your phone. Design highlights:
Design issues:
That's why we give design a 7.0 out of 10. The interface is functional and accessible, but could use more refined visual design and better user onboarding. Winner in this category |
| Value for Money Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Value for Money' aspect of each app. | 8.1 This is where PaperSpan absolutely excels. The free version is genuinely useful—not a crippled demo designed to force you into paying. You get article saving, clean reading, offline access, and basic organization without any artificial restrictions. It's refreshingly honest in a world of manipulative freemium models. The premium subscription at €10.99 monthly unlocks audio playback, enhanced search, Kindle integration, and improved syncing. For heavy readers who use these features daily, it's reasonably priced. Casual users will find the free version more than sufficient for their needs. What impressed us most was user feedback describing PaperSpan as "the only read later app providing all the features for free." While not entirely accurate, it speaks to how generous the free tier feels. The pricing is fair and transparent—no hidden costs or misleading trials. Value for money score: 8.1/10. Winner in this category | 6.0 You can use Gemmy AI for free without signing up, which gives you access to basic AI chat functionality. However, the free tier comes with pretty tight limitations that might not provide great value for regular users. To really enjoy all the benefits of Gemmy AI, including unlimited access to advanced AI capabilities and custom prompts, you'll need to upgrade to premium features through in-app purchases ranging from $4.99 to $36.99 per item. Pricing breakdown:
Value concerns:
The pricing structure is where we found some concerns. The freemium model severely limits free users with daily question restrictions, which many users found frustrating and insufficient for regular use. Several users specifically mentioned that the free tier limitations are too restrictive, with one user noting they should "increase the limit of questions per day for whoever did not take the premium." That's why we give value for money a 6.0 out of 10. While the core AI functionality is valuable, the restrictive free tier and premium pricing structure limit the overall value proposition for many users. |
| Ease of Use Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Ease of Use' aspect of each app. | 7.8 PaperSpan gets this right from the first minute. The app is genuinely intuitive—no complex setup, no overwhelming feature lists, just straightforward functionality that works exactly as you'd expect. Within minutes of downloading, you're saving and reading articles effortlessly. The basics are seamless. Save articles with one click from your browser, and the automatic categorization handles organization without any input from you. Reading controls are exactly where you'd expect them, and switching between text and web view is instant when needed. We did encounter some frustrating technical issues. Network connectivity problems during signup affect multiple users, and we experienced sync delays between devices. The text cutoff issue can be annoying mid-article. These problems don't break the app, but they create unnecessary friction in what should be a smooth experience. Ease of use score: 7.8/10. Winner in this category | 7.5 Gemmy AI works right out of the box - no complicated setup needed. Installing it is simple, and you can easily add it to both Android and iOS devices. Once installed, the chat interface is ready whenever you want to talk to the AI. The whole process is intuitive and easy to figure out. If you need help, the prompt library has plenty of examples that guide you through the features. With so many powerful features, Gemmy might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but everything clicks into place pretty quickly. The chat interface, in particular, is easy to use and much simpler than some other AI assistants we've tested. You can start typing immediately and get responses from the AI without any complicated setup. However, we noticed some usability issues that affect the overall experience. Several users mentioned that the app seemed complicated at first, suggesting the onboarding process could be more user-friendly. There's definitely a learning curve, though it's not steep - but it might put off users who expect everything to work immediately. We also found that the premium features and limitations aren't clearly explained upfront, which can be frustrating when users hit usage limits unexpectedly. The aggressive promotion of premium features throughout the interface can also be distracting. That's why we give ease of use a 7.5 out of 10. The app is generally intuitive once you get familiar with it, but could benefit from better onboarding and clearer communication about limitations and premium features. |
| Security & Privacy Prod Apps's expert score for the 'Security & Privacy' aspect of each app. | 6.8 Security and privacy aren't PaperSpan's strongest selling points, mainly because there's limited transparency about how your data is handled. The app stores your reading data on their servers for syncing across devices, which is standard practice but means your reading habits and saved articles aren't kept locally. What concerned us most was the lack of detailed privacy documentation. For an app that handles your reading preferences, article URLs, and potentially sensitive saved content, clearer communication about data protection would be reassuring. We didn't encounter obvious security problems during testing, but the transparency gap is noticeable. Most users probably won't find this problematic for everyday use, but privacy-conscious readers might want to dig deeper into the terms of service or consider alternatives with more transparent data practices. Security and privacy gets 6.8 out of 10. | 7.0 For Security & Privacy, we give Gemmy AI a solid 7.0/10. The app claims to prioritize user privacy and security, which is a good foundation for any AI application. The app says it's built with robust security measures to protect user data, and we didn't find any reports of major security incidents in user reviews. This suggests the basic security implementation is working as intended. Security strengths:
Privacy concerns:
While the app claims to have security measures in place, there's limited transparency about what specific protections are actually implemented. Users have no clear way to understand how their conversations and data are being handled, stored, or shared. That's why we give security and privacy a 7.0 out of 10. While the app makes positive claims about privacy protection, the lack of transparency and clear communication about data handling practices prevents a higher rating. Winner in this category |
| Conclusion A summary of our findings and final thoughts for each app. | After using PaperSpan for a while, we'd actually recommend it to most people. Yeah, it looks a bit old and has some annoying bugs, but it does the main job really well. If you commute a lot or just want to actually read those articles you save instead of letting them pile up forever, this app helps. It's not fancy, but it works, and sometimes that's exactly what you need. | After testing Gemmy AI ourselves, we can say it's a decent AI assistant that does what it promises. The Google Gemini integration works well and provides real value for creative tasks and general productivity. The app is easy to use and has enough features to be useful for writing, brainstorming, and creative projects. The free version works fine for basic needs, but the limits are pretty tight if you want to use it regularly. That said, the freemium model with its restrictive free usage and the performance issues we ran into might not work for everyone. The app shows potential but could use some work on speed and more generous free limits. If you're looking for a basic AI assistant and don't mind the limitations, Gemmy AI is worth a try. But if you need better performance and more generous usage limits, you might want to look elsewhere. |
| Our Recommendation | ||
