Free Tools for
Academic Researchers

Lightweight macOS apps designed for the academic workflow. No accounts, no subscriptions.

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AirPDF
PDF Reader for Researchers

A native macOS PDF reader with night mode, Google Scholar sidebar, full-text search with persistent highlights, table of contents, notes pads, 3D perspective tilt, and smart file rename. Built for reading academic papers comfortably.

Night Mode Scholar Sidebar In-PDF Search Notes TOC 3D Tilt
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Econbar
Paper Ticker for Your Menu Bar

A macOS menu bar app that streams the latest papers from 130+ top economics journals. Vsync-smooth scrolling, journal filter panel, customizable display, launch at login, and smart retry with exponential backoff. Just install and forget.

130+ Journals Menu Bar Ticker Journal Filters Auto-Refresh Launch at Login
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