Comparison

Reader+ vs Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Reader+

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
Read full description

With Reader+, you can quickly navigate through your books, read them, take notes and save bookmarks. Built to work seamlessly online and offline, Reader+ lets you focus on your reading and activities and not worry about connectivity. Integrated multimedia and interactive activities enhance and extend your learning experience! Is Reader+ the right app for you? Check your courseware platform on your web browser to confirm. Here’s what’s waiting for you: - An updated bookshelf to make it easier for you to find the book that you are looking for - A new interface that makes navigation a breeze - A new card view in the Resource Panel to give you a more visual way of finding and interacting with supplemental resources - Better support for accessibility - Bug fixes

About

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

Access your Pearson eTextbooks, video explanations, and study tools in one app. Features include audiobook narration, note-taking, flashcards, and search functionality to enhance your learning experience.

Highlights
  • eTextbook access
  • Video explanations
  • Audiobook feature
  • Note-taking and highlights
  • Searchable content
  • Flashcard creation
Features
Read full description

The Pearson+ mobile app provides you access to all your Pearson eTextbooks in one place, as well as curated bite-sized video explanations of complex topics for your toughest college courses. Get started by logging in with the same username and password you created via the web-based version of Pearson+. Feature highlights: -- Anytime, anywhere access to eTextbook content and embedded media assets -- Short video explanations of complex topics to help you succeed in the classroom -- Ability to easily create and refer to your notes and highlights within the eTextbook  -- Have your eTextbook read aloud to you with our audiobook feature (available for most eTextbooks) -- Search across all the content in the eTextbook to easily find exactly what you need -- Create your own flashcards or use pre-built ones to help you study -- Personalize the reading experience to best meet your needs For bug reports or general feedback, please reach out to us at PearsonPlusFeedback@pearson.com.

Screenshots

Reader+4 screens
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts at none against Reader+'s shown. Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts also leads on ratings volume (63K vs 1.1K) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Reader+ against 4.8 for Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts has 63K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 23% of Reader+'s written reviews are positive against 32% of Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reader+ ships an update every 2 months, Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Reader+ versus Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReader+Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.1K ratings)4.8 (63K ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.7% of reviews31.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K63K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size525 MB550 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperPearson Education, Inc.Pearson Education, Inc.

Customer experience

Reader+

All ratings1,104 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive22.7%
Neutral5.7%
Negative71.6%

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

All ratings63,257 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews419 reviews
Positive31.7%
Neutral13.4%
Negative54.9%

User reviews

Reader+

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

From 63K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient access to textbooks
  • 🎧 Useful audio feature
  • 📚 Helpful study tools (flashcards, quizzes)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy highlighting and page navigation
  • 📱 Poor usability on mobile devices
  • 🔍 Lack of search and page number features
  • 💰 Expensive for limited functionality

Bugs and requests

Reader+

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

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

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Textbooks failing to load or display properly
  • Audio playback issues and lack of syncing
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching apps or rotating devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved highlighting and annotation tools
  • Better syncing between devices and web version
  • Page number support
  • Split-screen and landscape mode on tablets

In-app purchases

None

Reader+

No in-app purchases

None

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reader+ free?
Reader+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts free?
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Reader+ or Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts?
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts is rated higher. Reader+ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts averages 4.8 from 63K ratings.
Do Reader+ or Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts have ads?
Reader+ shows ads; Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts does not.
Which is updated more often, Reader+ or Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts?
Reader+ ships an update every 2 months, and Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts fortnightly. Most recently, Reader+ was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts on November 8, 2026.

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