FBReader vs Beresta
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
Beresta
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Beresta keeps what you read and what you took from it: books, articles, highlights — and the notes they turn into. BOOKS STAY FILES Opens EPUB, FB2, PDF, MOBI and plain text. Importing copies: the file you brought stays where it was. Any book comes back out as a file under its real name through Share; on the Mac, "Save a copy of the library…" lays the whole library out as Author/Title folders. A book may hold several files at once — the reader picks the one that reads best, and you can pick another by hand. HIGHLIGHTS YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU A quote, your own thought beside it, tags, bookmarks. On iPad, ink over PDF pages with Apple Pencil. All of it exports into an Obsidian vault as ordinary Markdown files rather than "our format": a person edits the note, not the program, and the next export will not overwrite what you wrote. There is a separate Obsidian plugin, open source. SYNC WITHOUT SOMEONE ELSE'S SERVER Beresta has no server of its own and no account. Devices exchange through a place you choose. To Backblaze B2 and WebDAV everything travels sealed: the key is derived from your passphrase on the device itself and stays with you. Through a folder — your own, a shared one, or one inside iCloud Drive — the files travel as they are: there the storage protects them, not Beresta, so pick a folder you trust. A LIBRARY, NOT A FILE LIST Authors, series, tags, nested shelves. Search by title and author everywhere; search inside the book you are reading, too; full-text search across the whole library on the Mac. Reading statuses and a reading log. On the Mac, import from Calibre brings covers and your own highlights along, and import from Zotero brings articles and notes. ARTICLES FROM THE WEB RSS subscriptions deliver articles straight into the library and store them the way books are stored: text, images and the original source. On the Mac a page can be clipped with the Safari extension — it ships inside the app, nothing to install. ON ALL YOUR DEVICES One purchase covers Mac, iPhone and iPad. Widgets: continue reading, and quote of the day. A nearby device offers to continue the book you started; if that is too much, one switch in settings turns it off. WHAT BERESTA DOES NOT DO No account. No analytics, no telemetry, and nothing leaves your device on its own. If something goes wrong, "Diagnostics" in Settings builds a report, shows it to you in full before anything is sent, and you decide whether to send it at all. No ads. It does not decide for you where your books live. Keeping your own files is not about distrusting clouds. It is about libraries taking years to build, and apps living shorter lives than that. A year of updates is included. After that you can extend for new features — or stay with what you bought: the app keeps working.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: FBReader at Free against Beresta's $19.99. FBReader also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). Beresta's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and chart position (#76 vs unranked). On ads, 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
FBReader is free to download; Beresta costs $19.99 up front. FBReader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Beresta sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
FBReader ships an update monthly, Beresta every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FBReader | Beresta |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 3.7 (129 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 129 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | — | #76 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FBReader.ORG Limited | Dmitriy Laukhin |
Bugs and requests
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)
Beresta
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
FBReader
- FBReader Full Edition2 variants$12.99
Beresta
- Supporter$5.99
- Updates for 12 months$9.99
- Updates after a break$14.99
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- Evangelist$59.99









