# Serial Reader vs Tertulia

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tertulia at none against Serial Reader's 5. Tertulia also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Serial Reader's advantage is review sentiment (95% vs 67%) and ratings volume (4.1K vs 507). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Serial Reader sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Tertulia asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Serial Reader against 4.7 for Tertulia. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Serial Reader has 4.1K ratings behind it against 507, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Serial Reader's written reviews are positive against 67% of Tertulia's.

Serial Reader ships an update every 3 months, Tertulia weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Serial Reader | Tertulia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/serial-reader-daily-book-bits/id1077180804/reviews)** | [4.7 (507 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tertulia/id1562334598/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | 507 |
| Positive reviews | **95.2% of reviews** | 67.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 29 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Michael Schmitt](https://appshunter.io/developer/832063887) | [Tertulia, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1562334600) |

## What reviewers say

### Serial Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/serial-reader-daily-book-bits/id1077180804)

Read classic literature in daily, manageable segments. This app breaks down over 900 books into daily issues, each readable in 20 minutes or less, helping you build reading habits and tackle lengthy classics. Customize your reading experience with various themes, fonts, and sync options.

**Highlights:** Daily book installments, Over 900 classic books, Serialize your own EPUBs, Sync with Goodreads/Readwise, Word lookup, Reading streaks and badges

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip Jar - Essay | $1.99 | one-time |
| Serial Premium | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tip Jar - Short Story | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip Jar - Novel | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tip Jar - Epic | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Bite-sized reading
- 📚 Wide selection of classics
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💰 Free with affordable premium upgrade
- 🎉 Motivating achievements and badges

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues across devices
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 🕰️ Inflexible delivery schedule
- 🤔 Lack of modern/non-classic book selection

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when changing fonts
- Issues with new chapter delivery not working

**Requested features**

- Add more modern/non-classic book options
- Improve sync functionality across devices
- Allow more customization of reading experience
- Provide flexible delivery schedule options


### Tertulia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tertulia/id1562334598)

Discover your next favorite book with curated recommendations from across the web. Organize your reading lists and purchase books seamlessly. Enjoy the best bookstore membership for passionate readers.

**Highlights:** Book recommendations from social media, podcasts, and web, Reading list tracking, Seamless book purchasing (US only), Bookstore membership benefits, Discover trending books

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient app
- 👍 Visually appealing and user-friendly design
- 💡 Excellent book discovery and recommendations
- 👍 Convenient book tracking and management
- 🚀 Quick delivery of purchased books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and slow performance issues
- 🔍 Lack of detailed book descriptions
- 💸 Overly commercial focus on selling books
- 🔍 Inconsistent or missing order tracking/history

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Login and account issues
- Disappearing user book lists
- Inconsistent pricing and shipping information

**Requested features**

- iPad app version
- Ability to rate and review books read
- Improved personalized recommendations
- Smoother scrolling and list management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Serial Reader free?

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

### Is Tertulia free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Serial Reader or Tertulia?

Serial Reader is rated higher. Serial Reader averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while Tertulia averages 4.7 from 507 ratings.

### Do Serial Reader or Tertulia have ads?

Neither Serial Reader nor Tertulia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Serial Reader or Tertulia?

Serial Reader ships an update every 3 months, and Tertulia weekly. Most recently, Serial Reader was updated on October 16, 2026 and Tertulia on October 11, 2026.

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