Bookly vs StoryBytes Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bookly
This app helps you track your reading habits in real-time, manage your library, and set reading goals. It offers detailed statistics, custom ratings, and ambient sounds to enhance your reading experience and build a consistent reading habit.
- Real-time reading timer
- Detailed reading statistics
- Custom book ratings
- Book library management
- Reading goals and reminders
- Character tracking
- Readathon tracking
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Bookly helps you track your reading in real-time, manage your books, make a habit out of reading and see your progress over time. Add books, e-books or audiobooks to your collections, use the timer to track your reading and get access to awesome stats that will help you improve and read even more. Set goals and reminders to stay motivated, get weekly and monthly or yearly reports on your progress. You can better rate your books by going beyond the classic five star ratings by adding custom ones like: inspiration, heartfelt, love, spice, humor, and many more. Bookly also allows half-star ratings. TRACK YOUR READING IN REAL-TIME - Start the timer every time you read with a simple tap - Record your current page number of the books you're reading - See how long it will take you to finish the book at your current pace - Set a Book Goal to finish your book by a given time - Add your own rating, thoughts, and quotes for each book - Play ambient sounds while you read - Generate awesome Infographics style reports for every book - Unlock achievements to stay motivated and read even more GET READING STATS & RESULTS - Get tons of insightful Stats: total read time, pages read, reading speed, estimated book finish time, daily reading time, days you read in a row, reading streak and more - Generate Reading Reports with graphs and stats per book/month/year - Set Monthly or Yearly Goals in number of hours, pages or books - Set daily reminders to keep you motivated to achieve your reading goals - Use the powerful Bookly Assistant to read more, get personalized reading suggestions, reminders, reports and a lot more - Share your progress directly from the app KEEP TRACK OF YOUR BOOKS - Track and manage your entire library of books, e-books and audiobooks - Setup your own custom book Collections, like "Wishlist", "Favourites" - Get book details by scanning the ISBN barcode or searching online directly in the app - Store and sync your books among devices using iCloud - Never lose a book again, mark a book as lent or borrowed KEEP TRACK OF YOUR BOOK CHARACTERS - Track and manage all characters that you meet in your reading journey - Track how they evolve over time, what challenges they face, the relationships between them and much more. KEEP TRACK OF READATHONS - Track your readathon progress in real time - Track books read, reading time and pages for any period of time - Track readathon prompts - Get notifications and stay on track - - - Bookly is free to download and use. No online account or signup needed. The Pro version is free with a 7 day trial, after which we offer three subscription packages: $4.99/month (1 Month Subscription), $19.99/6 months (6 Month Subscription), and $29.99/year (1 Year Subscription). All other features remain free to use indefinitely. These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. Subscription service conditions: - Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period - You can manage your subscription and switch off auto-renewal by accessing your Account Settings after purchase - Refunds will not be provided for any unused portion of the term - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable - All personal data is handled under the terms and conditions of Bookly’s privacy policy. More details can be found here: http://getbookly.com/privacy-policy/ http://getbookly.com/terms-of-use/ *Important: This app is for book TRACKING and MANAGEMENT. Book content and the actual reading is not done in the app.*
StoryBytes Reader
Engage with interactive stories where your decisions shape the narrative and lead to multiple endings. Perfect for quick reading sessions, this app turns idle moments into immersive adventures.
- Interactive stories with branching paths
- Bite-sized reading sessions
- Rich, interconnected story worlds
- Multiple endings and high replayability
- Progress saved for easy continuation
- Choices shape the story
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Turn spare minutes into adventures with StoryBytes, the interactive reading app where your choices shape the story. StoryBytes reimagines classic “choose your own adventure” stories for modern readers. Every few minutes, you’ll reach a meaningful decision point: follow the clue, open the forbidden door, trust the stranger… or don’t. Each choice branches the story, unlocks new scenes, and leads to different endings. Whether you’re filling time between errands, relaxing in the evening, or looking for something more engaging than scrolling social media, StoryBytes turns idle moments into immersive stories. What you’ll find inside" - Interactive stories, not just text - Read like a book, play like a game. Tap choices to decide what happens next and explore multiple story paths. - Bite-sized reading sessions - Stories are structured in short “bytes,” designed so you can play for 5 minutes or 50—perfect for commutes, waiting rooms, or winding down at night. - Rich, interconnected worlds - Explore familiar and original universes that can overlap and echo each other: - Multiple endings & high replay value - One story isn’t just one path. Come back, make different choices, and see how else events could unfold. - Easy to pick up, easy to return to - Jump into a story, read a few scenes, make a choice, and step away. Your progress is saved so you can continue right where you left off. Why readers love StoryBytes: - More engaging than passive reading - More relaxing than most games - Perfect for curious minds who enjoy “What if I chose differently?” - Great for both experienced readers and those who prefer shorter sessions - StoryBytes is built for anyone who loves stories but doesn’t always have long, uninterrupted reading time. Turn quick breaks into meaningful, interactive experiences—and discover just how many different ways a story can unfold. - Download StoryBytes and start your next adventure, one choice at a time. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: StoryBytes Reader offers monthly ($2.99/month) and yearly ($29.99/year) premium subscriptions. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Terms of Use (EULA) available in app or on our website at URL: https://storybytes.io/terms Privacy Policy available in app or on our website at URL: https://storybytes.io/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: StoryBytes Reader at 5.0 against Bookly's 4.6. StoryBytes Reader also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). Bookly's advantage is ratings volume (63K vs 1) and chart position (#21 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Bookly sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and StoryBytes Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
StoryBytes Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookly has 63K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Bookly ships an update monthly, StoryBytes Reader every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bookly | StoryBytes Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (63K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 63K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #21 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 475 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | TwoDoor Games | StoryBytes, LLC |
Customer experience
Bookly
StoryBytes Reader
Bugs and requests
Bookly
Reported bugs
3 issues- Reading sessions not always accurately recorded
- Inconsistencies in page count/progress tracking
- Syncing issues between devices
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to delete/edit books
- Option to track audiobook progress
- Sync reading progress across devices
- More customization options
- Integration with other reading apps
StoryBytes Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Bookly
- Monthly Pro7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Monthly Pro Family Plan$9.991 Month
- Monthly Plan7 Days trial$9.991 Month
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- Yearly Pro 50% OFF$14.991 Year
- Six Months of Pro$19.996 Months
- Yearly Pro 30% OFF$19.991 Year
- Yearly Pro$29.991 Year
- Yearly Pro (50% OFF 1st year trial)1 Year trial$29.991 Year
- Yearly Pro 20% OFF3 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Yearly Pro Family Plan$49.991 Year
- 10 extra reading days$0.99
- A handful of Diamonds$0.99
- A big bag of Diamonds$2.99
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- A chest of Diamonds$5.99
- Bookly Pro$79.99
- Bookly Pro Lifetime$149.99
StoryBytes Reader
- Monthly Premium$2.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription$29.991 Year









