# CMDR vs Black Library

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 (96 vs 16). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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 96 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 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CMDR | Black Library |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmdr/id1050273483/reviews)** | [2.2 (96 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-library-the-app/id6717585932/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **96** |
| Positive reviews | **79.2% of reviews** | 11.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Peter Stanley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1041000015) | [Games Workshop Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518657692) |

## What reviewers say

### CMDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmdr/id1050273483)

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.

**Highlights:** Fast Galnet News delivery, Content-aware event integration, Calendar synchronization, Clean and lean interface, Offline news access (implied by 'sat on a train')

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Delicious snack for the Dev | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small coffee for the Dev | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium coffee for the Dev | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large coffee for the Dev | $3.99 | one-time |


### Black Library

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/black-library-the-app/id6717585932)

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.

**Highlights:** Thousands of ebooks and audiobooks, Integrated e-reader, Integrated audio player, New releases on launch day, Vast back catalog, Multilingual ebook support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Book - Tier 3 | $3.99 | one-time |
| BL Tier 2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 27 | $4.99 | one-time |
| BL Tier 4 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 29 | $6.49 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 6 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 7 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 25 | $10.49 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 26 | $10.49 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 13 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 14 | $13.99 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 21 | $20.99 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 17 | $21.99 | one-time |
| Book - Tier 24 | $31.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CMDR free?

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

### Is Black Library free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CMDR or Black Library?

CMDR is rated higher. CMDR averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Black Library averages 2.2 from 96 ratings.

### Do CMDR or Black Library have ads?

Neither CMDR nor Black Library shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CMDR or Black Library?

CMDR ships an update every 4 weeks, and Black Library every 3 weeks. Most recently, CMDR was updated on October 21, 2026 and Black Library on October 27, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*