# BookBub vs Open Library Reader

The clearest difference is rating: BookBub at 4.7 against Open Library Reader's 3.0. BookBub also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 26%) and ratings volume (960 vs 50). Open Library Reader's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

BookBub holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BookBub has 960 ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of BookBub's written reviews are positive against 26% of Open Library Reader's.

BookBub ships an update every 3 weeks, Open Library Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookBub | Open Library Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (960 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbub/id1030894438/reviews)** | [3.0 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-library-reader/id1573989409/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **960** | 50 |
| Positive reviews | **54.4% of reviews** | 26.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#72** | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pubmark Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1030894437) | [Loomis House, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1573989411) |

## What reviewers say

### BookBub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbub/id1030894438)

**Currently charting:** #72 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Discover daily deals on bestselling and free ebooks across all genres. Track your wishlist and receive price alerts for your favorite titles, ensuring you never miss a sale on books you want to read.

**Highlights:** Daily ebook deals, Hundreds of free ebooks, Personalized recommendations, Wishlist tracking, Price alerts, Genre and price filtering

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Great deals on books
- 📚 Variety of genres and authors
- 💰 Affordable and free books
- 🔍 Personalized recommendations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited to Apple Books only
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 📝 Inability to leave reviews
- 🔁 Repeated email subscriptions

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes during use
- Sign-up and login issues
- Incompatibility with certain devices or operating systems

**Requested features**

- Add support for Kindle and other ebook platforms
- Implement search and filtering options
- Allow users to manage their reading lists and leave reviews
- Improve email subscription management


### Open Library Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-library-reader/id1573989409)

Access and read millions of books from an online library. Organize your reading lists, track borrowed books, and discover related titles within a familiar reading interface. Requires an internet connection.

**Highlights:** Browse and check out millions of books, Track reading progress and wishlists, Built-in search and related title discovery, Shelf management and edition changes, Checkout tracking for borrowed books, Customizable reading interface

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookBub free?

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

### Is Open Library Reader free?

Open Library Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BookBub or Open Library Reader?

BookBub is rated higher. BookBub averages 4.7 out of 5 from 960 ratings, while Open Library Reader averages 3.0 from 50 ratings.

### Do BookBub or Open Library Reader have ads?

Neither BookBub nor Open Library Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookBub or Open Library Reader?

BookBub ships an update every 3 weeks, and Open Library Reader every 2 months. Most recently, BookBub was updated on October 10, 2026 and Open Library Reader on October 8, 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.*