# Penny - Book & Reading Tracker — Bookshelf, TBR log & scanner > Personal reading companion for tracking books, timing sessions, and journaling. (iPhone/iPad app by Claudiu Valentin Sararu.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penny-book-and-reading-tracker/id6760545686 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Claudiu Valentin Sararu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884891322) - Category: Books, Lifestyle - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 5.00/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 18.0 · 39 MB - Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, European Spanish - Released: 2026-03-23 - Data updated: 2026-10-24 - Monetization: freemium - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penny-book-and-reading-tracker/id6760545686/reviews.md ## What is Penny? Penny is a reading tracker for people who want a simple, private place for their books. There is no account to create, no ads and no social feed. Your library, your reading time and your notes stay on your iPhone and sync through your own iCloud. Penny 2.0 is the biggest update since launch, and nearly everything in it started as an email or a review from a reader. PICK YOUR PENNY • Four looks: Classic, Paper, Pond (with a dusk mode for reading at night) and Bloom • Each look has its own app icon, and your widgets change with it • Penny now speaks English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. Choose the language in Settings TIME YOUR READING • Start the timer, read, then note the page you stopped on • A short recap after every session with your minutes, pages, streak and week • Your timer on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • A daily reminder at your reading time, free for everyone A BOOKSHELF ON YOUR HOME SCREEN • The new Bookshelf widget lines up the books you finished, spine by spine, in the colors of their covers • Currently Reading and Reading Summary widgets keep your progress in sight • Every widget is free and dresses up for your look STANDING IN A BOOKSTORE? • Scan the barcode and Penny tells you if the book is already yours, in any edition • Put the books you want to buy on your Wishlist • Open the scanner straight from Control Center with the Scan a book control PREVIOUSLY ON… • Back to a book after a break? Penny shows the page you stopped on, your last note and the characters and terms you saved BUILD YOUR LIBRARY • Search millions of books from Google Books, Apple Books and Open Library, or scan the barcode • Bring your library over from Goodreads or StoryGraph with a CSV import • Shelves for To Read, Reading, Finished and DNF, plus shelves of your own • Half-star ratings, for the books that deserve a 3.5 • Finish a book and Penny throws you a small party KEEP WHAT YOU READ • Notes and quotes, a glossary for places and terms, and a character list for every book • Everything stays with its book, easy to find when you need it SEE YOUR PROGRESS • Reading streaks and a calendar with the cover of every book you read each day • Stats for books, pages and time, monthly trends, genres and your Year in Review SET THE MOOD • 19 ambient sounds, from rain on the window to a medieval tavern, and you can mix them PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No account, no email, no sign-up • No ads, no tracking, no analytics • Syncs between your iPhone and iPad through your private iCloud FREE AND PREMIUM Most of Penny is free: up to 40 books, the timer and session recaps, stats and streaks, the scanner and Bookstore mode, all four looks, every widget, the daily reminder, iCloud sync and 4 ambient sounds. Premium adds unlimited books, notes, terms and characters, Previously on…, the Wishlist, the Lock Screen timer after your first three sessions, all 19 sounds, custom shelves, CSV export and your full session history. Premium is a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. I made Penny because I wanted a simpler way to keep track of what I read, without accounts or social media. If there's something you'd love to see next, the Send Feedback button in Settings comes straight to me. Terms of Use: https://readwithpenny.online/terms Privacy Policy: https://readwithpenny.online/privacy ## Key features - Build and organize your book library - Track reading sessions with a timer - Ambient soundscapes for atmosphere - Take notes and track characters - View detailed reading progress stats - Syncs with iCloud - Offline functionality ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly | $2.99 | per month | | Yearly | $19.99 | per year | **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time | ## Is Penny safe? Not enough ratings yet to assess Penny. ## Is Penny legit? Penny - Book & Reading Tracker appears legitimate, with a few gaps. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Penny is 65 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data. ## Recent user reviews (2 of 2) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penny-book-and-reading-tracker/id6760545686/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Awesome App *2026-08-02* Love the Penny app! I’m totally organized now when I go to a bookstore. Know exactly what I’ve read, what books I have at home and whether it’s hard cover or paper back. I’m slowly replacing my paperback classics with hardback first Editions. Penny removes all the guess work and prevents me from buying books I already have. I add the publishing date in the notes allowing me to know that the classic I find at the bookstore is actually older than the one I have at home. Penny is also the best such app I’ve found that allows me to just log my books without dealing with socializing with other readers. It’s a sanctuary where I can escape from the constant demand of social media and enjoy my books. Thank You! Penny’s Awesome! ### 5/5 — Book Tracker *2026-04-14* Great app for book tracking! Helps to keep everything nice and organized. I enjoyed using it and recommend to everyone! ## Frequently asked questions about Penny ### What is Penny's free tier offering? Penny's free tier allows you to track up to 40 books, take notes, time your reading sessions, and view all your stats without any ads or tricks. This is a generous offering for users to build their reading habit. ### What are the benefits of upgrading to Penny Premium? Upgrading to Penny Premium unlocks unlimited books, access to all 19 ambient sounds, unlimited notes and glossary entries, custom shelves, home screen widgets, and Live Activity features. This provides a more comprehensive experience for avid readers. ### Does Penny have ads? No, Penny does not have ads. The app is designed with privacy in mind and explicitly states 'No ads. No tracking. No analytics. No data collection. Ever.' This ensures an uninterrupted and private reading experience. ### How does Penny handle user privacy? Penny prioritizes user privacy by storing all data on your device and private iCloud, with no account creation or data collection. The app is designed so that it does not know who you are, ensuring your reading habits remain confidential. ### What devices does Penny support? Penny is available on iPhone and iPad, with your library syncing automatically across your devices via iCloud. This ensures a seamless experience whether you're reading on your phone or tablet. ### How often is Penny updated? Penny was last updated on June 21, 2026, with version 1.0.8. This indicates a recent update, suggesting ongoing development and support for the application. ### Can I import my library from other apps into Penny? Yes, Penny allows you to import your existing library from Goodreads or StoryGraph. This makes it easy to transition your reading data and continue tracking your progress without starting from scratch. ### What are the subscription costs for Penny Premium? Penny Premium offers two subscription plans: a monthly plan for $2.99 and a yearly plan for $19.99. These options provide flexibility for users to choose the subscription duration that best suits their needs. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.0.0 — 2026-10-21 Penny 2.0 is the biggest update since Penny launched in the spring, and almost all of it started as an email or a review from one of you. Thank you for writing. • Pick your Penny: four looks (Classic, Paper, Pond and Bloom), each with its own app icon, and your widgets follow along. If you like Penny the way it is, Classic stays exactly as you know it. • Penny now speaks English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. You can change the language in Settings. • A new Bookshelf widget puts your finished books on a shelf, in the colors of their covers. • Bookstore mode: scan a book in a shop and Penny tells you if you already own it, in any edition. Books you want go on the new Wishlist. • Previously on…: come back to a book after a break and Penny reminds you where you stopped and who's who. • A recap after every reading session, and a small party when you finish a book. • Daily reading reminders are now free for everyone. • A Scan a book control for Control Center, and an option to hide the Reading now card in your Library. Happy reading! ### 1.0.9 — 2026-08-13 Thanks for reading with Penny! You can now sort your library — tap the new sort button to arrange your shelves by title or by author's last name. This one comes straight from a reader's request. Keep them coming! More cozy reading features are on the way. Happy reading! ### 1.0.8 — 2026-06-21 Thanks for reading with Penny! This update brings a few small refinements and a friendly way to rate the app once you finish a book. More cozy reading features are on the way. Happy reading! ### 1.0.7 — 2026-05-03 Two new ways to celebrate - and choose - your next read. MONTHLY RECAP SHARE CARD A new shareable card on Stats that turns every month of reading into a cover collage you can post anywhere. Tap Share on the Stats page, swipe to "Monthly Recap," and use the chevrons to walk back through earlier months. Light or dark, exported in 3x for crisp social posts. TBR MIXER - CAN'T DECIDE WHAT TO READ? Open your To Read shelf and tap the new "Mix" pill. Penny shuffles your unread pile with a fan of your real covers, then reveals a single suggestion. Hit Start Reading to move it straight onto your Reading shelf, or Mix Again to reroll. Plus some quiet polish under the hood. Happy reading! ### 1.0.6 — 2026-04-25 Share your reading stats! Tap the new share button on the Stats page to create beautiful, branded cards of your reading journey. Choose from 6 card types - My Stats, Reading Calendar, Year in Review, Currently Reading, Reading Streak, and Book Finished. Pick light or dark style, then share directly to Instagram, iMessage, or anywhere else. Perfect for showing off your reading progress to fellow book lovers. ## Apps similar to Penny | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Bibliostats: Reading Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bibliostats-reading-tracker/id6759411516) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Books | | [Moth: Book Tracker & Streaks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moth-book-tracker-and-streaks/id6762601579) | 4.6 (5) | Free | Books | | [BookWorm: Reading Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookworm-reading-tracker/id6761390761) | 4.8 (6) | Free | Books | | [ReadXP: Library & Book Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readxp-library-and-book-tracker/id6775288284) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Books | | [Book Tracker & Log - Booxne](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-tracker-and-log-booxne/id6760017851) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Books | | [ReadMe - Book Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readme-book-tracker/id6752588976) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Books | ## More apps by Claudiu Valentin Sararu - [Hush: Night Light & Candle](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hush-night-light-and-candle/id6762447328) - [Fine. - Daily Demotivation](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fine-daily-demotivation/id6764894862) - [Killer Sudoku - Bento](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/killer-sudoku-bento/id6766061657) - [Runi - Word Search](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runi-word-search/id6768324077) - [Bearhug: Parent & Child Bond](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bearhug-parent-and-child-bond/id6775536605) All apps by Claudiu Valentin Sararu: https://appshunter.io/developer/1884891322 --- *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 2026-10-24.*