# Avid: Reading Companion — Book journal, notes & chat.

> AI reading companion for deeper book engagement and insight generation. (iPhone/iPad app by Pascal Okafor.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avid-reading-companion/id6757624905 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Pascal Okafor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1867935859)
- Category: Books, Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.90/5 from 7 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 17.6 · 159 MB
- Languages: British English, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese (Simplified, China), European Spanish and 1 more
- Released: 2026-01-25
- Data updated: 2026-08-21
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avid-reading-companion/id6757624905/reviews.md

## What is Avid?

You read serious books. You think while you read them. And then, a few weeks later, the thinking is gone. The argument you found convincing, the objection you had at page 200, the connection to something you read last year: all of it fades. The highlights are still there. The thinking isn't.
That is what Avid is for.
Avid is an AI reading companion for people who read to think, not to finish. It turns reading into conversation, conversation into insight, and insight into an archive that gets more useful the longer you keep it.
HOW IT WORKS
Tell Avid what you're reading. Scan a cover, search by title, or bring in highlights you already have. Avid works from the whole book, not a handful of isolated passages.
Then have a real conversation about it. Not a summary, not a quiz. A discussion that presses on assumptions, names the tension you were circling, and asks what a well-read friend would ask. Type, or talk out loud.
Over time it compounds. Avid remembers what you have discussed and surfaces connections between books you read months apart: the memoir and the philosophy text arriving at the same conclusion about identity, the history and the business book sharing a model of power you never noticed.
WHAT MAKES AVID DIFFERENT
Cross-book synthesis. Avid finds the thread between books you never thought to compare, because it holds your whole reading life at once.
Depth instead of answers. Avid does not summarize and stop. It goes further with each exchange.
Memory that carries. A thought from three weeks ago comes back when today's book needs it.
A letter every Monday. A short piece of writing about your own week of reading, drawn from what you actually thought.
From the Margins. Books recommended from your highlights and your arguments, not from a bestseller list.
BUILT FOR SERIOUS READERS
- Import highlights from Kindle, Apple Books, Readwise, and Kobo
- Scan a cover to begin in seconds
- Voice conversations for thinking out loud
- Insight cards that keep your strongest thoughts
- Wrap-ups that capture where a conversation landed
- The Reading Year: what you read, and what it did to you
Avid is for the reader who closes a book wanting to go further into it, not straight on to the next one.
Avid is a subscription. Current pricing and terms appear on this page and in the app before anything is charged

Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

## Key features

- AI-powered book discussions
- Import highlights from popular platforms
- Text and voice interaction
- Personalized insight cards
- Cross-book connection discovery
- Build a personal reading library

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Avid Plus Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Avid Plus Yearly | $44.99 | per year |
| Avid Plus Monthly | $8.99 | per month |


## Recent user reviews (7 of 7)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avid-reading-companion/id6757624905/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Update

*2026-07-11*

For better or worse, AI Chatbots do not have access to books and are therefore unable to actually discuss them.

### 1/5 — Insane

*2026-07-09, version 1.1.8*

There’s no literate person with a triple digit iq who would ever want to talk to a chatbot, especially about books. Avid sounds like a middle manager or a corporation. Soulless. Just… why does this exist? Oh yeah, because some illiterate business majors thought it was a good idea.

### 5/5 — Design & Use

*2026-07-04*

This app has become my vade mecum! I totally love this app and use it daily

**Developer response:** “Vade mecum” is about the loveliest description I could hope for. Thank you for making Avid part of your daily reading life, and for taking the time to say so. It means more than you know.

— Pascal, 
Avid.

### 1/5 — Needs a lot of work

*2026-06-14, version 1.1.0*

The idea of a reading companion was interesting to me when I downloaded this, but it doesn’t actually achieve what I thought it would.

It’s essentially Goodreads meets ChatGPT. The first issue with this is that for anybody who is a serious thinker, GPT is incapable of meeting your level of cognition - so you end up explaining the book to the machine, whilst it sits there asking dumb questions which don’t advance anything. It’s about as much good as discussing a book with your dog.

There ‘could’ potentially be more to the app than this, but after one AI prompt I was smacked with the paywall and then you cannot do anything.

Simply can’t imagine anybody signing up for this.

### 5/5 — The App for readers and thinkers

*2026-06-12, version 1.1.0*

If you love reading and want a place to discuss a book’s themes, ideas, and deeper meaning, this app is perfect for you. It’s also great if you simply enjoy having thoughtful conversations about the books you read.
The features are fantastic. Not only does the app help you better understand and engage with what you’re reading, but it also saves your insights so you can revisit them later and remember exactly what you were thinking at the time.
If you’re someone who loves books but sometimes forgets the details of a story or how a particular book made you feel, this app is an invaluable tool. It helps you capture and preserve your reading experience in a meaningful way.
I can’t recommend it enough.

### 2/5 — Has potential

*2026-03-04*

The free trial does not include voice which I find challenging since it is a mobile app only. And the fact that it is mobile only makes its functionality limited for serious reading. Add a way to scan titles, create a desktop version and let the trial include voice and it might be a decent app.

**Developer response:** Hiya! Thank you for this review, it's always great to hear from real people using Avid.

On voice in the trial, you're right, and we're removing that restriction so trial users can use voice mode. I agree it would be quite handy.

Regarding scanning titles, it's already built and coming in the next update (1.0.15). We're looking at it as a way to open or start conversations, but if you have ideas on where else scanning would be handy for readers, we'd love to hear them.

Reach out at pascal@avid.chat and we'll make sure you can experience the latest features. We're always iterating from user feedback and would love to hear more from you.

— Pascal

### 5/5 — Thoughtful by design

*2026-01-28*

Having used Avid since early on, it goes beyond utility. It respects your perspective, builds real conversational depth, and helps you understand before expanding your thinking.

**Developer response:** Thank you so much for this. “Respects your perspective” and “helps you understand before expanding your thinking” are exactly what I hoped Avid would do for people. That you’ve felt this since early on means a lot. I’m grateful you’ve been along for the journey.

## Frequently asked questions about Avid

### What is Avid's core function?

Avid acts as an AI reading companion. It helps users engage more deeply with books by allowing them to import highlights, discuss passages via text or voice, and discover connections across their reading library.

### What books can I import highlights from into Avid?

You can import highlights from Kindle, Apple Books, Readwise, and Kobo. This allows you to centralize your reading notes and reflections from various sources.

### How does Avid help me remember what I read?

Avid remembers your highlights, notes, and past conversations. It then surfaces connections across books you read, helping you retain and build upon your knowledge over time.

### Does Avid offer a free trial?

Yes, Avid offers a free trial for its subscription plans. You can try Avid Plus Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly plans for 14 days before committing to a purchase.

### What are the subscription options for Avid?

Avid offers weekly, monthly, and yearly subscription plans. These are priced at $3.99/week, $14.99/month, and $89.99/year, respectively, all with a 14-day free trial.

### Is Avid suitable for younger readers?

Avid is rated for ages 9 and up. Its features are designed to support deeper engagement with reading material, which can be beneficial for students and young learners.

### How often is Avid updated?

The latest version of Avid was released on May 15, 2026, indicating recent development activity. The app is generally updated to improve features and performance.

### Does Avid have ads?

No, Avid does not contain advertisements. As a free app with in-app purchases, the focus is on providing a seamless user experience without ad interruptions.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.4.2 — 2026-08-18

What you make stays yours

Avid's terms have changed, and not for you: if you are already reading here, your Avid is exactly as you left it. Everything you have made stays open, as it always has — your library, your cards and notes, your threads, every Monday letter. What changed is how Avid meets a reader who is only just arriving.

A first week that asks for nothing
A reader arriving now gets their first week whole: everything open, nothing counted, no payment details asked for. The week starts at their first conversation rather than at the download, so a quiet fortnight costs them none of it. Afterwards their library, cards, notes and letters stay open, and new conversations are Plus.

When Avid asks
It asks by showing them their own reading: a connection it found between two of their books, a line from the letter they read on Monday, a card they kept from a conversation. Never a counter, never a countdown. And if Avid is holding nothing of theirs worth showing, it has not earned the question, so it does not ask.

Write to me
Keep the notes coming. pascal@avid.chat opens a draft right from here, or use the suggestion box in Settings. I read everything.

Pascal

### 1.4.1 — 2026-08-17

Two books, one card
When a conversation runs across two books, the card you share at the end now says so: both titles, with the authors beneath, joined by one thread. A conversation about an idea rather than a book carries its subject across the top.
Two books from the first line
Once your shelf holds two books, the blank page offers to open with where they disagree, your own titles in the line. Take it, and both books are in the room before you type a word.
Your library, under your name
If you signed in with Apple or Google, nothing changes for you: your library is already yours on any phone. If you have been reading as a guest, Avid will ask you to sign your card before you go in, so your library is kept under your name too, on any phone, and your letters know where to find you. Everything you have made stays exactly as it is.
Avid keeps its place
Your session renews itself in the background, and the page you are on stays exactly where you left it, mid-conversation included.
One copy of each book
Add a book that is already on your shelf and Avid keeps the one copy.
Keep the notes coming: pascal@avid.chat, or the suggestion box in Settings. I read everything.
Pascal

### 1.4.0 — 2026-08-13

Avid has hands now.

Say “add that to my list” mid-conversation and it lands on your shelf—with the book’s cover, a receipt in the chat, and Undo a tap away. Nothing happens unless your own words ask for it.

The Sitting  
Tell Avid you have forty minutes—or pick a length from any book’s page—and put your phone face-down. The Lock Screen counts down privately, with one ring when time’s up.

Ask your own archive  
Questions can now search across your highlights, cards, and threads, showing where each answer came from.

Continue actually continues  
Return to the real conversation, right where you left it.

A proper desk  
The blank chat page has grown up. Notes keep your words, and Import can now scan a book cover.

Much of this came from your notes. Keep them coming at pascal@avid.chat or through the suggestion box in Settings. I read everything.

Pascal

### 1.3.2 — 2026-08-12

A note with this update:

Your reading now earns stamps: real artworks from museum collections, pressed into a portrait of how you read. Each one is revealed the moment you earn it — tap it to see it full screen.

The goal has always been simple: every moment you spend in Avid should be worth it. Toward that — Avid now recognizes any book you mention while chatting, even in passing, and connects the conversation to it. Sessions holds your full history, back to your very first conversation. And letters, like this one, now arrive right inside the app, not just your inbox.

Much of this came from your notes to me. Keep them coming: pascal@avid.chat.

— Pascal

### 1.3.1 — 2026-08-06

Subtle improvements to how new readers perceive Avid.
Stability and bug fixes are included in this version, so Avid should feel more thoughtful, robust, and polished.
As always, feel free to let me know if you've got suggestions, feedback, or proposed feature updates: Pascal@avid.chat or use the settings > send feedback> create.
Thank you!

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-21.*