# Granta vs Serial Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Serial Reader at 95% against Granta's 9%. Serial Reader also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.4) and monetization model (freemium vs subscription). Granta's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Granta sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $31.99 per year and Serial Reader sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Serial Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Serial Reader has 4.1K ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of Granta's written reviews are positive against 95% of Serial Reader's.

Granta ships an update every 6 months, Serial Reader every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Granta | Serial Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.4 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/granta/id1020147105/reviews) | **[4.8 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/serial-reader-daily-book-bits/id1077180804/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 34 | **4.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 8.5% of reviews | **95.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 20 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Granta](https://appshunter.io/developer/1020147104) | [Michael Schmitt](https://appshunter.io/developer/832063887) |

## What reviewers say

### Granta

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/granta/id1020147105)

Access a curated collection of acclaimed literary journalism, fiction, poetry, memoir, and photography. Enjoy exclusive weekly content and a vast archive of past issues spanning thirty years. Stay updated with quarterly releases from established and emerging authors.

**Highlights:** Quarterly literary magazine, Mix of fiction, poetry, memoir, journalism, Exclusive weekly content, Archive of 30+ years, Work by established and emerging authors, Photography included

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Granta Digital Subscription | $31.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Excellent content quality
- 📚 Access to back catalogue

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App frequently crashes
- 😩 Constant login prompts
- 😵 Unintuitive navigation
- ⚫ Lacks dark mode
- 📏 No text size adjustment

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription restore issues
- Weekly feature not refreshing
- App requires login almost every time
- Internet connection required message despite connection
- Blank screen when tapping articles

**Requested features**

- Ability to adjust text size
- Dark mode
- Pagination options
- Share link to article
- Landscape mode support


### Serial Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/serial-reader-daily-book-bits/id1077180804)

Read classic literature in daily, manageable segments. This app breaks down over 900 books into daily issues, each readable in 20 minutes or less, helping you build reading habits and tackle lengthy classics. Customize your reading experience with various themes, fonts, and sync options.

**Highlights:** Daily book installments, Over 900 classic books, Serialize your own EPUBs, Sync with Goodreads/Readwise, Word lookup, Reading streaks and badges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip Jar - Essay | $1.99 | one-time |
| Serial Premium | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tip Jar - Short Story | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip Jar - Novel | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tip Jar - Epic | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Bite-sized reading
- 📚 Wide selection of classics
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💰 Free with affordable premium upgrade
- 🎉 Motivating achievements and badges

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues across devices
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 🕰️ Inflexible delivery schedule
- 🤔 Lack of modern/non-classic book selection

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when changing fonts
- Issues with new chapter delivery not working

**Requested features**

- Add more modern/non-classic book options
- Improve sync functionality across devices
- Allow more customization of reading experience
- Provide flexible delivery schedule options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Granta free?

Granta is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Serial Reader free?

Serial Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Granta or Serial Reader?

Serial Reader is rated higher. Granta averages 1.4 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Serial Reader averages 4.8 from 4.1K ratings.

### Do Granta or Serial Reader have ads?

Neither Granta nor Serial Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Granta or Serial Reader?

Granta ships an update every 6 months, and Serial Reader every 3 months. Most recently, Granta was updated on November 6, 2026 and Serial Reader on November 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*