Comparison

Pearson e vs Reader+

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pearson e

Access and download Pearson textbooks for offline study on tablets. Features include note-taking, voice recording, digital exercises, and classroom management tools for teachers.

Highlights
  • Download e-Textbooks for offline use
  • Note-taking with text, voice, and drawings
  • Digital exercises with auto-marking
  • Interactive tools for peer evaluation
  • Classroom management for teachers
  • Synchronize notes across devices
Features
Read full description

Pearson e-bookshelf enables students and teachers to access Pearson textbooks on the go. These e-Textbooks can be downloaded onto any tablet devices for offline usage, enabling users to access them in the classroom or at home, with or without Internet connection. Pearson e-bookshelf provides users with various effective teaching and learning tools such as note-taking, voice recording and digital exercises with auto-marking function. It is also equipped with interactive tools that promote peer evaluation and collaborative learning. What’s more, Pearson e-Textbook comes with the handy classroom management function that enables teachers to monitor, supervise and guide students’ learning and use of tablet devices in the classroom. Features: • Download e-Textbooks for offline usage • Add, edit, highlight and share notes (text, voice, drawings, weblinks) • Access effective learning and teaching tools specially designed for e-Textbooks • Manage students’ usage of tablet devices in the classroom • Synchronise your notes added to the e-Textbooks across different supported devices

About

Reader+

This application allows users to read books, take notes, and save bookmarks with seamless online and offline functionality. It features an updated bookshelf, a new interface for easy navigation, and interactive multimedia to enhance the learning experience.

Highlights
  • Book navigation
  • Note-taking
  • Bookmark saving
  • Offline reading
  • Integrated multimedia
  • Interactive activities
  • Updated bookshelf
Features
Read full description

With Reader+, you can quickly navigate through your books, read them, take notes and save bookmarks. Built to work seamlessly online and offline, Reader+ lets you focus on your reading and activities and not worry about connectivity. Integrated multimedia and interactive activities enhance and extend your learning experience! Is Reader+ the right app for you? Check your courseware platform on your web browser to confirm. Here’s what’s waiting for you: - An updated bookshelf to make it easier for you to find the book that you are looking for - A new interface that makes navigation a breeze - A new card view in the Resource Panel to give you a more visual way of finding and interacting with supplemental resources - Better support for accessibility - Bug fixes

Screenshots

Reader+4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Reader+ at 4.8 against Pearson e's 3.0. Reader+ also leads on ratings volume (1.1K vs 3) and review sentiment (23% vs 0%). Pearson e's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Reader+ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reader+ has 1.1K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Pearson e's written reviews are positive against 23% of Reader+'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pearson e ships an update every 3 months, Reader+ every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Pearson e versus Reader+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPearson eReader+
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (3 ratings)4.8 (1.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews22.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings31.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB525 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperPearson Education Asia LimitedPearson Education, Inc.

Customer experience

Pearson e

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Reader+

All ratings1,081 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive22.7%
Neutral5.7%
Negative71.6%

Bugs and requests

Pearson e

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Reader+

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Books not showing up in the app
  • Inability to sign in or create an account
  • Frequent crashes when opening or using the app

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add annotation and note-taking capabilities
  • Improve offline access and caching of books
  • Enhance user interface and navigation

In-app purchases

None

Pearson e

No in-app purchases

None

Reader+

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pearson e free?
Pearson e is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reader+ free?
Reader+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pearson e or Reader+?
Reader+ is rated higher. Pearson e averages 3.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Reader+ averages 4.8 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Pearson e or Reader+ have ads?
Reader+ shows ads; Pearson e does not.
Which is updated more often, Pearson e or Reader+?
Pearson e ships an update every 3 months, and Reader+ every 2 months. Most recently, Pearson e was updated on October 7, 2026 and Reader+ on October 11, 2026.

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