# Reader+ vs Crash Course

Reader+ and Crash Course both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 78% of Crash Course's written reviews are positive against 23% of Reader+'s. Crash Course also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). Reader+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crash Course sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Reader+ asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Reader+ against 4.8 for Crash Course. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 23% of Reader+'s written reviews are positive against 78% of Crash Course's.

Reader+ ships an update every 2 months, Crash Course every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader+ | Crash Course |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-plus/id1052643016/reviews) | [4.8 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crash-course-watch-and-study/id1505594172/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K | **1.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 22.7% of reviews | **78.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 525 MB | 146 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Pearson Education, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/386384450) | [Complexly LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1505594171) |

## What reviewers say

### Reader+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-plus/id1052643016)

This application allows users to read books, take notes, and save bookmarks with seamless online and offline functionality. It features an updated bookshelf, a new interface for easy navigation, and interactive multimedia to enhance the learning experience.

**Highlights:** Book navigation, Note-taking, Bookmark saving, Offline reading, Integrated multimedia, Interactive activities, Updated bookshelf

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful app for accessing textbooks
- 🚀 Easy to download and access books
- 💡 Helpful for studies and reading

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Issues with login and account management
- 🔋 Books need to be redownloaded frequently
- 👎 Buggy and unreliable performance

**Reported bugs**

- Books not showing up in the app
- Inability to sign in or create an account
- Frequent crashes when opening or using the app

**Requested features**

- Add annotation and note-taking capabilities
- Improve offline access and caching of books
- Enhance user interface and navigation


### Crash Course

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crash-course-watch-and-study/id1505594172)

Access thousands of free educational videos covering humanities and sciences. Enhance your learning with supplemental flashcards and quizzes for select courses. Join a community dedicated to making education fun and engaging.

**Highlights:** Thousands of educational videos, High school and college level courses, Humanities and sciences subjects, Supplemental flashcards, Quizzes for review, Community of learners

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Contribute $1.99 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Contribute $4.99 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 4 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 5 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 6 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 7 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 8 | $39.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 9 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 10 | $59.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 14 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🙌 Helpful for students
- 🎓 Great for learning difficult topics
- 💕 High-quality, engaging content
- 🆓 Completely free to use
- 🙏 Grateful for the free education

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Limited course selection
- 🔄 Trouble downloading/accessing content
- 🔒 App is marked 17+, should be more accessible

**Reported bugs**

- Courses disappearing after updates
- Search function not working
- Trouble downloading content
- App crashing during use

**Requested features**

- Add math and English courses
- Expand course selection
- Improve search functionality
- Allow offline video viewing
- Add progress tracking and favorites


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader+ free?

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

### Is Crash Course free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Reader+ or Crash Course?

Reader+ and Crash Course are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.1K and 1.6K ratings respectively.

### Do Reader+ or Crash Course have ads?

Reader+ shows ads; Crash Course does not.

### Which is updated more often, Reader+ or Crash Course?

Reader+ ships an update every 2 months, and Crash Course every 6 months. Most recently, Reader+ was updated on September 29, 2026 and Crash Course on September 30, 2026.

---

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