Parallel Books vs ARHEVE
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Parallel Books
Learn a new language by reading books with side-by-side translations. This app keeps translations synchronized as you read, allowing for full immersion. Easily switch between display modes and add notes for a personalized learning experience.
- Dual language display
- Synchronized translations
- Adjustable display modes
- Searchable notes
- Day/night themes
- Highlighting
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Become fluent in a new language. Read a book in your new tongue while having a parallel copy in your native language handy for reference. Now thanks to Parallel Books, this technique is available on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Translations will automatically stay in sync, leaving you free to be immersed in the words on the page. Reading a book in two different languages at the same time has never been easier! - Designed for people learning a new language. - Displays a book simultaneously in two different languages. - Translations stay in sync as you read. - Stretchy, “chewing gum" overlay visually connects parallel content. - Chewing gum overlay can be hidden. - Translations can be displayed in two columns on the screen, or each translation can fill an entire screen. - Continuously scrolls or pages through content without needing to change mode. - Tapping on a paragraph shows the translation of that paragraph. - Double tapping hides tool bars, giving more space. - Multicolored highlights and searchable notes can be added. - Includes day and night themes. - Currently books are available in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Esperanto, Korean, Chinese, Arabic plus more. - Some books include multiple translations in the same language; ideal for literature and translation students. - Parallel Books is in development for other platforms. - New books are being added all the time. - All books are currently FREE.
ARHEVE
Access a vast collection of classical literature, journalism, scientific, and religious works from domestic and foreign authors. Enjoy a simple, ad-free reading experience with customizable text settings and offline download capabilities. Explore works in 10 different languages.
- Tens of thousands of books
- Classical, journalism, scientific, religious works
- Simple and convenient interface
- Wide range of text settings
- Bulk download for offline reading
- Available in 10 languages
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No need to search for classical literature on the Internet: the free ARHEVE app gives you access to tens of thousands of books, including not only works of art, but also journalism, scientific, and religious works by domestic and foreign authors. The ARHEVE interface is simple and convenient: select the desired author from the list, then select one of their works, and you can start reading. The wide range of text settings makes reading in ARHEVE as comfortable as possible. What is the difference from many similar online libraries and archives? The simplest possible interface — with a concise responsive design adapted to work on any device. No ads at all (except for ads about our own projects). The ability to bulk download books for offline reading. The language range — there are already libraries available in 10 languages in the first version.
Screenshots
Verdict
Parallel Books and ARHEVE both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of ARHEVE's written reviews are positive against 40% of Parallel Books's. ARHEVE also leads on ratings volume (29 vs 1). Parallel Books's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. ARHEVE sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Parallel Books asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Parallel Books against 4.9 for ARHEVE. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ARHEVE has 29 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of Parallel Books's written reviews are positive against 86% of ARHEVE's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Parallel Books | ARHEVE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.9 (29 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | 86.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 29 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 69 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | High Tea IT Limited | Jaroslav Nedashkovskij |
Customer experience
Parallel Books
ARHEVE
In-app purchases
Parallel Books
No in-app purchases
ARHEVE
- Full Library Access$0.991 Month
- Full Library Access$9.991 Year
Questions
Is Parallel Books free?
Is ARHEVE free?
Which has better reviews, Parallel Books or ARHEVE?
Do Parallel Books or ARHEVE have ads?
Which is updated more often, Parallel Books or ARHEVE?
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