# Reading List vs Read

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Read at none against Reading List's 10. Read also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). Reading List's advantage is ratings volume (30K vs 1) and chart position (#164 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Read holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. 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.

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, Read every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reading List | Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (30K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-list-book-tracker/id1217139955/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-rack/id6745011653/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **30K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 92.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#164** | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Bennet Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1163617089) | [Rohan Bhavesh Patel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1809804658) |

## What reviewers say

### Reading List

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

**Currently charting:** #164 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


### Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-rack/id6745011653)

This app helps you build better reading habits with a clean and simple interface. Track your progress, organize your library, and add notes to rediscover the joy of reading.

**Highlights:** Organize library by status, Track current page and progress, Automatic timeline entries, Add notes and highlights, Visualize progress over time, Search and sort collection, Minimalist UI

**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 Read free?

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

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

Read is rated higher. Reading List averages 4.8 out of 5 from 30K ratings, while Read averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Reading List or Read have ads?

Neither Reading List nor Read shows ads.

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

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, and Read every 5 days. Most recently, Reading List was updated on October 19, 2026 and Read on October 11, 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.*