Reading List vs Bookjournal.app
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Reading List
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.
- 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
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Easily track books you’ve read, books you’re reading, and books you want to read. Record your progress by adding the start and finish date of your books. ADD NEW BOOKS • Scan the barcode of a book to quickly add it to your list • Search online to find and add books • Alternatively, add a book manually by typing in its details • Sync your data between all devices via iCloud TRACK YOUR READING • Quickly log the dates you start and finish each book with a tap or swipe • Order the books, to help plan what to read next • Create your own custom lists, like "Wishlist", "Favourites", etc • Record the current page of books you're reading • Add your own rating and notes to each book • View your reading statistics PRIVATE & PERSONAL • No online account or signup needed • All data is private, stored on-device or in your iCloud account • Export and import all your data Some premium features require Reading List Pro, which can be purchased in the app. The app remains fully-featured when used without Reading List Pro. Terms of Use: https://readinglist.app/termsofservice Privacy Policy: https://readinglist.app/privacypolicy
Bookjournal.app
Easily log books you've read, record ratings, thoughts, and notes. Enhance your entries with stickers and share your favorite reads with others. This app offers a convenient digital alternative to traditional reading journals.
- Track read books
- Record ratings and notes
- Add stickers to entries
- Share favorite books
- Digital reading journal
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Keep track of all the books you've read, capture your ratings, thoughts and notes, add stickers and more. Share your favorite books with family, friends and colleagues. As avid readers, we craved a seamless way to journal, track, and share our literary experiences. Traditional journaling, though enjoyable, can be tedious and time-consuming. We wanted our journals accessible anytime, anywhere - from waiting rooms to school pick-ups. That's why we built BookJournal.app. Join us for an effortless and enjoyable reading journey! Link to our End User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reading List at 93% against Bookjournal.app's 44%. Reading List also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (30K vs 242). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Reading List sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month and Bookjournal.app sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reading List has 30K ratings behind it against 242, 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 44% of Bookjournal.app's.
Reading List ships an update fortnightly, Bookjournal.app weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Reading List | Bookjournal.app |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (30K ratings) — better | 4.4 (242 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 93.1% of reviews — better | 44.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 30K — better | 242 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #200 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andrew Bennet Ltd | Rowan Trollope |
Customer experience
Reading List
Bookjournal.app
User reviews
Reading List
From 30K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Very user-friendly
- 🚀 Easy to add and organize books
- 🔒 Private and non-social
- 💡 Barcode scanning feature
- 👍 Clean and simple interface
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
Bookjournal.app
From 242 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Half-star rating option
- 📚 Good for tracking reading progress
- ✨ Customizable features
- 📖 Great for organizing books
Room to improve
- 🐛 Deleted books reappear
- 🐛 Goodreads import issues
- 🐛 Incorrect book info
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 App won't open/stay open
Bugs and requests
Reading List
Reported bugs
2 issues- Issues with date/time tracking when adding books
- Occasional crashes or data loss when using the app
Requested features
5 requests- 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
Bookjournal.app
Reported bugs
18 issues- Deleted books reappear
- Goodreads import does not work
- Incorrect book titles/covers after import
- Duplicate books
- App crashes
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- App won't open or stay open
- Error message when trying to cancel
- Messages marked as undeliverable on Discord
- Journal entries not saving or updating
- App refuses to open since update
- Books disappear after adding
- App not working after transfer
- Cannot add and save books read
- Reading goal reverts to 50
- No connection on home screen
- No results for searches
- App crashes immediately on opening
- Unable to access rating and date options
Requested features
13 requests- Connect with friends
- Add timer for reading tracking
- More information like a timer
- Audiobooks as a selection
- Add friends
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- Integrate Goodreads list without re-adding
- Fix journal saving/updating
- Fix series organization
- One-time payment option for premium
- More premium features for the price
- Dark mode option
- Improve search functionality
- Fix connection issues
In-app purchases
Reading List
- Reading List Pro (Monthly)$2.001 Month
- Reading List Pro (Monthly)$3.991 Month
- Reading List Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$14.001 Year
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- Reading List Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Small Tip$1.00
- Medium Tip$2.00
- Large Tip$3.00
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- Very Large Tip$5.00
- Giant Tip$10.00
- Reading List Pro (Lifetime)$38.00
Bookjournal.app
- Monthly$4.991 Month
- Yearly$49.991 Year








