Bound vs NovelGlide
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bound
Listen to your DRM-free audiobooks with a modern interface. Import files from cloud services or your computer, manage your library, and enjoy features like automatic playback saving, adjustable speed, and chapter support. Includes CarPlay integration and a sleep timer.
- Import from cloud services (Dropbox, OneDrive)
- Web uploader via WiFi
- Automatic playback position saving
- Adjustable playback speed (0.5x-3.0x)
- Chapter support
- Sleep timer
- CarPlay support
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Listen to your favorite DRM-free audiobooks with Bound. Bound allows you to import audio files from various cloud services and play them back in a beautiful modern interface. Bound will automatically save your listening position so that you never lose your place. Supported Audio File Types (DRM-free only): .mp3, .m4a, .m4b, .aac Download - Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive. - Apple Files. - Web Uploader for importing from your computer via WiFi. Manage - Move audio files between books. - Change cover art. - Sort based on author, title, recently added, and recently played. - Rename title and author. - Choose between a number of fun themes. - Dark mode support. Play - Automatically saves playback location as you progress through the book. - Independently configure seek forward and seek backward times. - Chapter support for audio files with embedded chapters (.m4a / .m4b / OverDrive .mp3). - Change playback speed from 0.5X to 3.0X. - Smart Rewind when returning to your book after a while. - Sleep Timer with configurable time or at the end of a chapter. - Manually bookmark locations that you want to return to. - CarPlay support. If you enjoy using Bound, please consider writing a review.
NovelGlide
This ePub reader offers a customizable and convenient way to discover and enjoy digital books. It supports OPDS catalogs for free book discovery, allows for personalized reading settings, and includes features like bookmarks, search, and text-to-speech.
- ePUB book support
- OPDS catalog browsing
- Customizable appearance
- Bookmarks and search
- Book management
- Text-to-speech functionality
- Cloud sync
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NovelGlide is a clean, privacy-first EPUB reader for your phone and tablet. Bring your own EPUB books, or discover free public-domain classics from built-in catalogs — then read the way you like: adjustable fonts and themes, dark mode, highlights, and bookmarks. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Read EPUB e-books in a smooth, distraction-free reader • Listen with read-aloud (text-to-speech) — keep playing with the screen off, and control it from the lock screen • Read along with a book's own recorded narration, when the EPUB includes it • Add books straight from other apps with the share sheet • Vertical writing for Chinese & Japanese, with furigana, Zhuyin (注音), and pinyin ruby • Tap any Chinese or Japanese word for an instant dictionary lookup • Save words to a vocab library as you read, review them later, and export to Anki • Translate a selection in the reader, with offline language packs • Two-page spread on a tablet or in landscape • Sync your library across devices with Google Drive • Find free public-domain books in-app, or connect your own OPDS server (Calibre, Kavita) • Highlights, bookmarks, in-book search, and collections to organize your library • Dark mode and adjustable typography for comfortable reading PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account required to read your own books. NovelGlide is free — no forced subscription, no ads. NovelGlide reads EPUB files. Read-aloud uses your device's synthesized voice; recorded narration plays only for EPUBs that include it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bound at 73% against NovelGlide's 0%. Bound also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.0) and ads (none vs shown). NovelGlide's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
NovelGlide is free to download; Bound costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Bound holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bound has 2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Bound's written reviews are positive against 0% of NovelGlide's.
Bound ships an update every 2 months, NovelGlide monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bound | NovelGlide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (2K ratings) — better | 2.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.6% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | #7 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.5 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 123 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Deadpan, LLC | Cheng-Kai Wu |
Customer experience
Bound
NovelGlide
Bugs and requests
Bound
Reported bugs
5 issues- Audiobooks disappearing from library after device restart
- Inability to delete audiobooks from library
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
- Playback issues with multi-part audiobooks
- Problems with web uploader functionality
Requested features
6 requests- Add support for Apple Watch
- Implement search and filtering options
- Allow bookmarks with notes/labels
- Add Chromecast support
- Introduce dark mode
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- Improve cloud storage management
NovelGlide
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Bound
No in-app purchases
NovelGlide
No in-app purchases
