BookBeat vs FBReader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BookBeat
Access over 1 million audiobooks and e-books on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Stream or download titles for offline enjoyment, with options for various languages and personalized recommendations. Features include family accounts, children's profiles, and playback customization.
- Over 1 million audiobooks and e-books
- Offline listening and reading
- Multi-language support
- Personalized recommendations
- Family accounts with multiple profiles
- Children's profile
- Playback speed control
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With BookBeat, you can easily enjoy more than 1 million books, right at your fingertips. We have audiobooks and e-books for all tastes that are available to you at any time on your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Try BookBeat – Find your next book today. We have new releases and classics in English as well as German, Spanish, French, Italian, Swedish, Finnish and other languages. Listen to an exciting thriller or read an interesting biography and find your next book with our inspiring tips and top lists. You can even download books to your device, so you can enjoy a great story when you don't have mobile data or wi-fi. This works on your iPhone, iPad and even your Apple Watch. Go running with your watch and leave your phone at home or listen through CarPlay during a long car ride. More about BookBeat • No commitments, cancel whenever you’d like • Stream or download audiobooks to listen offline • Get inspired by BookBeat’s recommendations and trending lists both for audiobooks and e-books. • Choose how much you want to listen and read each month based on your selected package. • Family account with up to 5 profiles. • Switch to a children's profile and get content tailored for kids in the app. • Use the timer function before bed • Choose your own playback speed • Share your book tips with your friends • Place a bookmark in your audio book and add a note to easily find your favorite part again • Stream or listen offline even on your Apple Watch • Discover your listening and reading habits with our User Statistics feature and share your stats with friends. BookBeat supports • iPhone • iPad • Apple Watch • CarPlay • Dark Mode • VoiceOver & accessibility We love feedback from our customers! If you have new ideas, opinions or problems you'd like to share, reach out via e-mail at support@bookbeat.com. When you contact us, we will process your personal data, such as your name, contact details, and the content of your inquiry. The processing takes place, among other things, to be able to handle your case. Read more in our privacy policy for information about your rights.
FBReader
A fast and versatile e-book reader supporting multiple formats like ePub, Kindle, and fb2. It offers cloud syncing for reading progress and a customizable interface. Upgrade to unlock unlimited library access and advanced features.
- Supports ePub, Kindle azw3, fb2, RTF, Word, HTML, and text
- ePub3 and Readium LCP DRM support
- Cloud syncing of library and reading positions
- Customizable appearance and behavior options
- Direct opening of downloaded files
- Free version with library limits
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FBReader is a fast and easy-to-use e-book reader for iPhone and iPad. It supports all major e-book formats, including ePub (with key ePub3 features), Kindle azw3, and fb2 (.zip). You can open both unprotected books and ePub files protected with Readium LCP DRM. FBReader also reads RTF, Word (.doc), HTML, and plain text, so you can keep all your books and documents in one place. Read anywhere and pick up right where you left off. FBReader can sync your library, reading positions, bookmarks, and more across devices using the FBReader Book Network, a cloud service powered by Google Drive. If you prefer managing files yourself, you can download books in your browser and open them directly with FBReader. A wide range of appearance and behavior options lets you customize the reading experience to match your preferences. Free version and upgrade options: • The free version allows up to 10 books in your library. • The built-in translation feature is disabled. Upgrade to the full version to remove these limits and enjoy the complete FBReader experience.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BookBeat at 4.5 against FBReader's 3.7. BookBeat also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). FBReader's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and monetization model 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. FBReader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BookBeat asks for nothing beyond the download.
BookBeat holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 272 and 128 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of BookBeat's written reviews are positive against 52% of FBReader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
BookBeat ships an update fortnightly, FBReader monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BookBeat | FBReader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (272 ratings) — better | 3.7 (128 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 49.3% of reviews | 52.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 272 — better | 128 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 125 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | BookBeat AB | FBReader.ORG Limited |
Customer experience
BookBeat
FBReader
User reviews
BookBeat
From 272 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💰 Affordable pricing compared to Audible
- 📚 Flexible subscription model with hourly options
- 🎧 High-quality narration
- 🔄 Ability to switch between books without penalty
- 📱 User-friendly interface design
Room to improve
- 🌐 Language setting defaults to non-English (Swedish/German)
- ⏰ Limited listening hours per month (20-100 hours)
- 📚 Smaller catalog compared to Audible
- 🎯 Poor genre categorization and search functionality
- 💳 Misleading 'free app' marketing claims
FBReader
From 128 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and smooth reading experience
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Customizable font, margin, and layout options
- 🔒 Secure syncing across devices
- 🎨 Retro background textures
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 🔧 Lack of advanced organization features (folders, shelves)
- 🚫 No PDF support
- 🔍 Inconsistent search and book discovery
- 🔒 Privacy concerns around data collection
Bugs and requests
BookBeat
Reported bugs
11 issues- App crashes when pausing audiobooks
- Play button doesn't respond on app launch
- Language settings revert to default
- Payment processing failures with valid payment methods
- App gets stuck on activation and payment approval screens
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Bookmarks fail to save position accurately
- Chapters finish mid-sentence
- Social media sharing returns error messages
- App freezes and requires restart
- Subscription continues charging after cancellation
- Free trial charges despite cancellation attempts
Requested features
12 requests- Increase playback speed beyond 2x
- Chapter outlines and easy chapter navigation
- Better genre filtering and categorization
- Persistent rollover of unused listening hours
- Web app for laptop/desktop listening
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Live chat customer support
- Fade-out timer feature
- Improved search algorithm with better suggestions
- Book sharing functionality to social media
- More children's and young adult titles
- Bookmarks that persist reliably
- Clear pricing display before signup
FBReader
Reported bugs
4 issues- Syncing issues with Google Drive
- Deletion of books from library
- Formatting problems with large footnotes
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Vertical scrolling mode
- Improved bookmark and annotation tools
- Ability to add/change book covers
- Text-to-speech functionality
- Better library management (read/unread, collections)
In-app purchases
BookBeat
No in-app purchases
FBReader
- FBReader Full Edition2 variants$12.99
