CMDR vs Black Library
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CMDR
This app delivers the latest news from the Elite: Dangerous universe quickly and efficiently. It helps users stay informed about important in-game events, such as server downtime, by making news items content-aware for easy calendar integration.
- Fast Galnet News delivery
- Content-aware event integration
- Calendar synchronization
- Clean and lean interface
- Offline news access (implied by 'sat on a train')
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Keep up with Galnet wherever you are. CMDR is a companion for Elite Dangerous players. Read the latest Galnet news on iPhone and iPad in a focused reader built for commanders. • Read Galnet and use the app in English, French or German. • Browse older transmissions as you scroll. • Read previously downloaded articles without a connection. • Mark articles as read or unread with a swipe. • Choose card or compact lists and Default, Midnight or Charcoal themes. • Share article text or links with other commanders. Your reading history and preferences stay on your device. CMDR has no adverts or analytics and does not collect your personal data. Optional tips support the developer without unlocking features. Offline reading covers articles already saved on your device. Fetching new or older articles, external links and remote article resources requires a connection. Fly safe, CMDR. o7 CMDR is an independent companion app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Frontier Developments. Elite Dangerous and related properties belong to Frontier Developments plc.
Black Library
Access thousands of Warhammer ebooks and audiobooks in one place. Build your personal collection and enjoy stories from various Warhammer universes on the go. Discover new releases on their launch day and explore a vast back catalog.
- Thousands of ebooks and audiobooks
- Integrated e-reader
- Integrated audio player
- New releases on launch day
- Vast back catalog
- Multilingual ebook support
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The Black Library App is the ultimate way to experience Warhammer stories wherever you are, whenever you want. With thousands of ebooks and audiobooks available to buy all in one place, you can build your own Warhammer library, and read or listen on the go. Be amongst the first to read the latest adventures, with new novels available from the day of release. And with access to a vast back catalogue of classics, your next Warhammer read can take you anywhere. The worlds of Warhammer 40,000, the Horus Heresy, Age of Sigmar and the Old World are yours to explore. Features: Online store with over 2,500 titles In-built e-reader and audio player New novels available on the day of release Ebooks are available in English, French and German Audiobooks and audio dramas, available in English
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: CMDR at 79% against Black Library's 11%. CMDR also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Black Library's advantage is ratings volume (95 vs 16). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. CMDR sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Black Library sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
CMDR holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Black Library has 95 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of CMDR's written reviews are positive against 11% of Black Library's.
CMDR ships an update every 4 weeks, Black Library every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CMDR | Black Library |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (16 ratings) — better | 2.2 (95 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 79.2% of reviews — better | 11.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 | 95 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Peter Stanley | Games Workshop Limited |
Customer experience
CMDR
Black Library
In-app purchases
CMDR
- Delicious snack for the Dev$0.99
- Small coffee for the Dev$1.99
- Medium coffee for the Dev$2.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Large coffee for the Dev$3.99
Black Library
- Book - Tier 3$3.99
- BL Tier 2$3.99
- Book - Tier 27$4.99
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- BL Tier 4$5.99
- Book - Tier 29$6.49
- Book - Tier 6$7.99
- Book - Tier 7$9.99
- Book - Tier 25$10.49
- Book - Tier 26$10.49
- Book - Tier 13$12.99
- Book - Tier 14$13.99
- Book - Tier 21$20.99
- Book - Tier 17$21.99
- Book - Tier 24$31.99
