Comparison

Reading List vs Margins

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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

About

Margins

This app helps you discover, track, and share your reading journey. It offers detailed tracking options, customizable features, and powerful search capabilities. Stay focused on your reading goals with built-in tools to minimize distractions.

Highlights
  • Half-star ratings
  • Track recommendations
  • Customizable book covers
  • Fuzzy date tracking
  • Advanced book search
  • Reading goals
  • Reading timer
  • Distraction blocking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Margins is a beautifully designed app for people who love books. - App of the Day in 20+ countries - 4.9 rating (40,000+ reviews) - Featured in USA Today, BookRiot, and more TRACK YOUR READING - Log books, series, authors, recommendations, and more - Track Strava-style goals, stats, and streaks - Curate lists of books you care about SEARCH BOOKS BY VIBES - Search books by mood, plot, setting, vibe, and more - Try things like “books like 1920s Paris,” “thriller with a love triangle,” or “indie romantasy” - You can even turn images from Pinterest or your camera roll into book recommendations BLOCK DISTRACTING APPS - Block social media, notifications, and other apps while you read - Use meditation reading timer for soothing rain sounds CHOOSE YOUR COVERS - Pick the cover that matches your version of the book - Curate covers to fit your aesthetic - Sort your library by color CUSTOMIZE YOUR PROFILE - Turn your picture into a sketched portrait you’d see in a book - Show off your favorite books SEE WHAT FRIENDS ARE READING - Find and follow other book lovers - See what they’re reading in Stories - Enjoy gorgeous, hand-illustrated monthly recaps INVITE YOUR BOOK CLUB - Schedule gatherings - Suggest and vote on books - Log your club’s history LEAVE GOODREADS FOR GOOD - Import from Goodreads, StoryGraph, and Fable - Half-star ratings - Support a small, indie team WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING “LOVE this app! so easy to import data from goodreads. it excels where others fail. like letterboxd for books. Really glad there’s finally a good book app out there, i’ve been waiting for something like this!” — scruffythejanitor01 “I love the UI of this app, easy to use and aesthetically pleasing. Also, I've been struggling getting back into reading and the screentime feature has helped me loads. I haven't been able to read this much since 4 years ago. Thank you Margins” — mitakaluvr “The search by vibes is so cool. I am a WWII buff, but this search popped up a two-book WWII saga I had never even heard of, much less read. It ended up being my top read of 2025.” —Michigancolt FREE TO USE Almost all features are free to use. An optional subscription unlocks premium features and priority support. FOLLOW US Instagram: @readwithmargins TikTok: @margins TERMS OF USE Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Margins Terms of Service: https://margins.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://margins.app/privacy “Without the margins, writing is just words on a page. But with them, each of us is invited to leave our mark in the endless conversation between books and the people that love them.” — Excerpt from the Margins manifesto

Screenshots

Reading List4 screens
Margins4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Margins at every 4 days against Reading List's fortnightly. Margins also leads on chart position (#85 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Reading List sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month and Margins sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Reading List against 4.9 for Margins. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 30K and 20K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of Reading List's written reviews are positive against 95% of Margins's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, Margins every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Reading List versus Margins: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReading ListMargins
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (30K ratings)4.9 (20K ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.8% of reviews95.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings30K — better20K
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#85 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB115 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAndrew Bennet LtdParatext Inc.

Customer experience

Reading List

All ratings30,064 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews624 reviews
Positive92.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative4.2%

Margins

All ratings19,672 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral0.8%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews3,729 reviews
Positive95.3%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.3%

User reviews

Reading List

From 30K App Store ratings

What 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

Margins

From 20K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
  • 🔍 Helpful search and recommendation features
  • 📚 Comprehensive book tracking capabilities
  • 🔄 Smooth import from Goodreads

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Missing books in the database
  • 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
  • 🔒 Concerns about using phone number for sign-up
  • 🔢 Lack of social features and community

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

Margins

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Reading time not saving correctly
  • Inability to delete or edit books from lists
  • Inconsistent behavior when importing data from Goodreads

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to track page progress and percentage read
  • Implement a profile system with custom avatars and bios
  • Introduce a social feed to share reading activity with friends
  • Add more advanced statistics and reading analytics

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Reading List

Subscriptions4
  • Reading List Pro (Monthly)$2.001 Month
  • Reading List Pro (Monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Reading List Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$14.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Reading List Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time6
  • Small Tip$1.00
  • Medium Tip$2.00
  • Large Tip$3.00
Show 3 more
  • Very Large Tip$5.00
  • Giant Tip$10.00
  • Reading List Pro (Lifetime)$38.00
3 purchases

Margins

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Annual$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Reading List free?
Reading List is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Margins free?
Margins is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Reading List or Margins?
Margins is rated higher. Reading List averages 4.8 out of 5 from 30K ratings, while Margins averages 4.9 from 20K ratings.
Do Reading List or Margins have ads?
Neither Reading List nor Margins shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reading List or Margins?
Reading List ships an update fortnightly, and Margins every 4 days. Most recently, Reading List was updated on October 30, 2026 and Margins on October 30, 2026.

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