# Reading List vs Minimalistic Reading List

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reading List at 93% against Minimalistic Reading List's 0%. Reading List also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.5) and ratings volume (30K vs 2). Minimalistic Reading List's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reading List sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month and Minimalistic Reading List sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Reading List holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reading List has 30K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Reading List's written reviews are positive against 0% of Minimalistic Reading List's.

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, Minimalistic Reading List every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reading List | Minimalistic Reading List |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (30K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-list-book-tracker/id1217139955/reviews)** | [1.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimalistic-reading-list/id1479602836/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **30K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **92.8% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 53 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Bennet Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1163617089) | [Carl Henningsson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1203904200) |

## What reviewers say

### Reading List

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-list-book-tracker/id1217139955)

Organize your reading journey by tracking books you've read, are currently reading, or want to read. Log progress, add custom lists, and record notes and ratings. Sync data across devices and export your library.

**Highlights:** Scan barcodes to add books, Search online for books, Manual book entry, Track reading progress (start/finish dates), Create custom book lists, Add ratings and notes, View reading statistics, iCloud data sync

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reading List Pro (Monthly) | $2.00 | per month |
| Reading List Pro (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| Reading List Pro (Yearly) | $14.00 | per year |
| Reading List Pro (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| Small Tip | $1.00 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.00 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $3.00 | one-time |
| Very Large Tip | $5.00 | one-time |
| Giant Tip | $10.00 | one-time |
| Reading List Pro (Lifetime) | $38.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Very user-friendly
- 🚀 Easy to add and organize books
- 🔒 Private and non-social
- 💡 Barcode scanning feature
- 👍 Clean and simple interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with syncing across devices
- 💡 Lack of ability to track re-reads or put books 'on hold'
- 💡 Limited sorting/organizing options for large book collections
- 💡 No ability to add audiobooks or track reading time

**Reported bugs**

- Issues with date/time tracking when adding books
- Occasional crashes or data loss when using the app

**Requested features**

- Add ability to track re-reads and 'on hold' books
- Improve sorting/organizing options for large collections
- Add support for audiobooks and reading time tracking
- Implement cloud sync and account features to preserve data
- Add more customization options for lists and book display


### Minimalistic Reading List

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimalistic-reading-list/id1479602836)

Organize your reading with this minimalist app. Scan barcodes, search by author or genre, and categorize books into 'Reading,' 'To Read,' and 'Finished.' Discover popular titles and get reading tips.

**Highlights:** Scan book barcodes, Search by title, author, genre, Categorize into Reading, To Read, Finished, Create personalized genre groups, Explore popular books and reading tips, Purchase books via integrated links

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Access Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Lifetime Access | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reading List free?

Reading List is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Minimalistic Reading List free?

Minimalistic Reading List is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Reading List or Minimalistic Reading List?

Reading List is rated higher. Reading List averages 4.8 out of 5 from 30K ratings, while Minimalistic Reading List averages 1.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Reading List or Minimalistic Reading List have ads?

Neither Reading List nor Minimalistic Reading List shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reading List or Minimalistic Reading List?

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, and Minimalistic Reading List every 10 days. Most recently, Reading List was updated on October 29, 2026 and Minimalistic Reading List on October 19, 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.*