# Reading List vs TBR

The clearest difference is price: Reading List at Free against TBR's $4.99. Reading List also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.3). TBR's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Reading List is free to download; TBR costs $4.99 up front. Reading List sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month. TBR asks for nothing beyond the download.

Reading List holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reading List has 30K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 93% of Reading List's written reviews are positive against 100% of TBR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, TBR every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reading List | TBR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (30K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-list-book-tracker/id1217139955/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tbr-book-list-reading-tracker/id1614072233/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **30K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 92.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 53 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Bennet Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1163617089) | [The Hawaii Project, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1249506407) |

## 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


### TBR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tbr-book-list-reading-tracker/id1614072233)

Easily track your reading progress, organize your book lists, and discover new titles through curated book news. Scan books with a barcode, add them manually, and sort them by various criteria. Get personalized recommendations and export your library.

**Highlights:** Track books to read, reading, and read, Organize books into custom lists, Barcode scanner for quick book entry, Discover new books via curated news feeds, Get 'More Like This' book recommendations, Import from Goodreads, Export to spreadsheet formats

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reading List free?

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

### Is TBR free?

TBR costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Reading List is rated higher. Reading List averages 4.8 out of 5 from 30K ratings, while TBR averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Reading List or TBR have ads?

TBR shows ads; Reading List does not.

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

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, and TBR every 3 months. Most recently, Reading List was updated on November 3, 2026 and TBR on October 30, 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.*