# BookBub vs Softgoods

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BookBub at none against Softgoods's 2. BookBub also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (959 vs 71). Softgoods's advantage is review sentiment (74% vs 54%) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Softgoods sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. BookBub asks for nothing beyond the download.

BookBub holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BookBub has 959 ratings behind it against 71, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of BookBub's written reviews are positive against 74% of Softgoods's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

BookBub ships an update every 3 weeks, Softgoods fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookBub | Softgoods |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (959 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbub/id1030894438/reviews)** | [4.4 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/softgoods/id6450132477/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **959** | 71 |
| Positive reviews | 54.2% of reviews | **74.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#55** | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pubmark Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1030894437) | [Jordan Wagner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571989636) |

## What reviewers say

### BookBub

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

**Currently charting:** #55 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


### Softgoods

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/softgoods/id6450132477)

Organize and journal your favorite fan fiction. Create custom shelves, add notes to stories, and track your reading habits. Share your discoveries and thoughts with friends.

**Highlights:** Store and bookmark fan fiction, Create custom shelves, Add notes to stories, Track reading statistics, Share shelves and notes publicly, Tag stories for easy searching

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookBub free?

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

### Is Softgoods free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BookBub or Softgoods?

BookBub is rated higher. BookBub averages 4.7 out of 5 from 959 ratings, while Softgoods averages 4.4 from 71 ratings.

### Do BookBub or Softgoods have ads?

Neither BookBub nor Softgoods shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookBub or Softgoods?

BookBub ships an update every 3 weeks, and Softgoods fortnightly. Most recently, BookBub was updated on September 29, 2026 and Softgoods on September 27, 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.*