# Kortext vs Barnes & Noble

The clearest difference is rating: Kortext at 3.9 against Barnes & Noble's 1.8. Kortext also leads on review sentiment (17% vs 8%) and device support (3 vs 1). Barnes & Noble's advantage is chart position (#9 vs #204) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Kortext holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.4K and 2.4K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Kortext's written reviews are positive against 8% of Barnes & Noble's.

Kortext ships an update every 2 months, Barnes & Noble every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kortext | Barnes & Noble |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kortext/id1030400150/reviews)** | [1.8 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barnes-and-noble/id1477515079/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.4K | **2.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **17.4% of reviews** | 7.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #204 | **#9** |
| Size | 38 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kortext](https://appshunter.io/developer/882766054) | [Barnes & Noble](https://appshunter.io/developer/320214165) |

## What reviewers say

### Kortext

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kortext/id1030400150)

**Currently charting:** #204 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access and read eBooks from various publishers with enhanced multimedia. Tools are included to help learners and academics engage with their content, offering features like note-taking, referencing, and text-to-speech.

**Highlights:** Read PDF and EPUB files, Access 13,000+ free eTextbooks, Highlight text and create notes, Add Harvard/APA references, Read Aloud functionality, Adjust text size and background, Search within books, 500MB free cloud storage

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💡 Helpful features like highlighting and note-taking
- 👍 Convenient to access textbooks on the go
- 🚀 Efficient for studying

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Unreliable performance
- 🐛 Overlapping text and pages
- 🐛 Inconsistent navigation and page turning
- 🐛 Laggy and slow

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Pages not loading properly
- Highlighting and annotations not saving
- Login issues and inability to access content

**Requested features**

- Improved text-to-speech functionality
- Better organization and navigation of content
- Ability to customize text size and layout
- Syncing across multiple devices
- Offline reading mode


### Barnes & Noble

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barnes-and-noble/id1477515079)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access a vast selection of books, eBooks, audiobooks, and more. Discover new releases, bestsellers, and personalized recommendations. Shop for toys, gifts, and home items, with options for home delivery or in-store pickup.

**Highlights:** Shop millions of books, Browse eBooks and audiobooks, Discover new releases and bestsellers, Scan barcodes for product details, Digital member card, Store locator, Manage account and wishlists

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient app for shopping
- 📚 Great selection of books
- 🚀 Smooth browsing experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- ⚠️ Buggy and unreliable app
- 🕰️ Slow performance and loading times
- 📤 Logging out issues
- 🤔 Confusing user interface

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Cart items disappearing
- Inability to log in or stay logged in
- Inconsistent behavior across features

**Requested features**

- Add Face ID/Touch ID login
- Improve search and filtering options
- Integrate order tracking and digital receipts
- Allow in-app ebook purchases


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kortext free?

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

### Is Barnes & Noble free?

Barnes & Noble is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Kortext or Barnes & Noble?

Kortext is rated higher. Kortext averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Barnes & Noble averages 1.8 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do Kortext or Barnes & Noble have ads?

Neither Kortext nor Barnes & Noble shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kortext or Barnes & Noble?

Kortext ships an update every 2 months, and Barnes & Noble every 3 weeks. Most recently, Kortext was updated on October 29, 2026 and Barnes & Noble on November 1, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Kortext or Barnes & Noble?

Kortext currently peaks at #204 in the App Store charts, and Barnes & Noble at #9. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*