# Reading List vs COOL Catalog

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reading List at 93% against COOL Catalog's 0%. Reading List also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (30K vs 1). COOL Catalog's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reading List sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month. COOL Catalog asks for nothing beyond the download.

Reading List holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reading List has 30K ratings behind it against 1, 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 COOL Catalog's.

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, COOL Catalog every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reading List | COOL Catalog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (30K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-list-book-tracker/id1217139955/reviews)** | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cool-catalog/id6740416233/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **30K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **92.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#171** | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Bennet Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1163617089) | [Equinox Open Library Initiative, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1688468859) |

## What reviewers say

### Reading List

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

**Currently charting:** #171 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

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


### COOL Catalog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cool-catalog/id6740416233)

Access a shared library catalog to search for books, place holds, and renew loans. You can also access ebooks and eaudio. A library card from a participating member library is required to use the app.

**Highlights:** Search shared library catalog, Place holds on books, Renew loans, Access ebooks, Access eaudio

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reading List free?

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

### Is COOL Catalog free?

COOL Catalog is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Reading List or COOL Catalog?

Reading List is rated higher. Reading List averages 4.8 out of 5 from 30K ratings, while COOL Catalog averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Reading List or COOL Catalog have ads?

Neither Reading List nor COOL Catalog shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reading List or COOL Catalog?

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, and COOL Catalog every 2 months. Most recently, Reading List was updated on October 19, 2026 and COOL Catalog on October 1, 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.*