# 连城读书 vs 海棠书城

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 连城读书 at 69% against 海棠书城's 18%. 连城读书 also leads on rating (3.3 vs 2.8) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). 海棠书城's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 连城读书 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and 海棠书城 sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

连城读书 holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 连城读书 has 22 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of 连城读书's written reviews are positive against 18% of 海棠书城's.

连城读书 ships an update fortnightly, 海棠书城 monthly. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | 连城读书 | 海棠书城 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.3 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1198155776/reviews)** | [2.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6449205378/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **68.8% of reviews** | 18.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 110 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Hangzhou Jiukuang Network Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1198155775) | [贵州悦文科技有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1688102812) |

## What reviewers say

### 连城读书

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1198155776)

This app is a reading platform for romance and BL novels, featuring a vast library of original works and fanfiction. It offers an audiobook function and tools for aspiring writers to create and publish their stories. It caters to fans of various genres, including fantasy, historical, and modern romance.

**Highlights:** Extensive library of romance and BL novels, Original works and fanfiction, Audiobook functionality with voice options, Tools for writers to create and publish, Categorized by numerous sub-genres, Features popular translated novels

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 600文钱 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100文钱 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1200文钱 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 3000文钱 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 5000文钱 | $6.99 | one-time |
| 6800文钱 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 9800文钱 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 19800文钱 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 48800文钱 | $69.99 | one-time |
| 64800文钱 | $99.99 | one-time |


### 海棠书城

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6449205378)

This platform offers a vast collection of Boys' Love, romance, and yuri novels, including classics and new releases. Enjoy free full-text novels, curated selections, and trending series. Engage with features like chapter comments and rankings to enhance your reading experience.

**Highlights:** Vast collection of BL, romance, and yuri novels, Free full-text novels, Trending and classic selections, Chapter comments and rankings, Curated novel collections, Audiobook features (快听fm)

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

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP会员包月1月套餐 | $2.99 | per month |
| VIP会员包月3月套餐 | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| 海棠1000书币充值套餐 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1050书币 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 海棠2000书币充值套餐 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 包月1个月 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 2100书币 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 海棠3000书币充值套餐 | $4.99 | one-time |
| 包月3个月 | $8.99 | one-time |
| 7000书币 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 包月半年 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 海棠10000书币充值套餐 | $17.99 | one-time |
| 包月一年 | $19.99 | one-time |
| 海棠15000书币充值套餐 | $24.99 | one-time |
| 海棠20000书币充值套餐 | $34.99 | one-time |
| 包月两年 | $39.99 | one-time |
| 包月三年 | $59.99 | one-time |
| 35000书币 | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 连城读书 free?

连城读书 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 海棠书城 free?

海棠书城 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 连城读书 or 海棠书城?

连城读书 is rated higher. 连城读书 averages 3.3 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while 海棠书城 averages 2.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do 连城读书 or 海棠书城 have ads?

连城读书 shows ads; 海棠书城 does not.

### Which is updated more often, 连城读书 or 海棠书城?

连城读书 ships an update fortnightly, and 海棠书城 monthly. Most recently, 连城读书 was updated on September 23, 2026 and 海棠书城 on September 23, 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.*