# Granta vs Bookshop.org

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bookshop.org at 57% against Granta's 8%. Bookshop.org also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Granta's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads 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. Bookshop.org asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bookshop.org holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshop.org has 2.1K ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 8% of Granta's written reviews are positive against 57% of Bookshop.org's.

Granta ships an update every 6 months, Bookshop.org every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Granta | Bookshop.org |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.4 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/granta/id1020147105/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 33 | **2.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 7.6% of reviews | **56.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#180** |
| Size | 20 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Granta](https://appshunter.io/developer/1020147104) | [Bookshop, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706515971) |

## 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


### Bookshop.org

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096)

**Currently charting:** #180 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Read your ebooks and discover new titles while supporting independent bookstores. All ebook purchases made through this platform directly benefit local bookshops, ensuring their continued success in the digital age.

**Highlights:** Read ebooks from your library, Browse millions of ebooks, Add titles to wishlist, Support local bookstores with purchases, Connect seamlessly with Bookshop

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Wonderful app
- 👍 Great alternative to Amazon
- 👍 Supports local bookstores
- 👍 Clean and pleasing interface
- 👍 Solid app for a new release

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Formatting issues (lack of italics, poor paragraph spacing, etc.)
- 🐛 Buggy page turning and navigation
- 🔧 Limited customization options (fonts, themes, brightness, etc.)
- 🔧 Missing essential features (highlighting, note-taking, search, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to remember last page read
- Scrolling issues and unexpected page skipping
- Formatting problems (stripped italics, weird paragraph spacing)
- Settings not persisting between app sessions

**Requested features**

- More font and theme options
- Ability to adjust line spacing, margins, and other formatting
- Implement highlighting, annotation, and note-taking features
- Add search functionality
- Improve page turning and navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Granta free?

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

### Is Bookshop.org free?

Bookshop.org is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Granta or Bookshop.org?

Bookshop.org is rated higher. Granta averages 1.4 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while Bookshop.org averages 4.8 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do Granta or Bookshop.org have ads?

Neither Granta nor Bookshop.org shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Granta or Bookshop.org?

Granta ships an update every 6 months, and Bookshop.org every 5 days. Most recently, Granta was updated on October 18, 2026 and Bookshop.org on October 20, 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.*