# Reading List vs ReadBuddy

The clearest difference is chart position: Reading List at #190 against ReadBuddy's unranked. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reading List sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month and ReadBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, ReadBuddy every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reading List | ReadBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (30K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-list-book-tracker/id1217139955/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **30K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#190** | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Bennet Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1163617089) | [Warren Peters](https://appshunter.io/developer/1591974619) |

## What reviewers say

### Reading List

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

**Currently charting:** #190 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


### ReadBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readbuddy-book-tracker/id6762303547)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ReadBuddy Pro | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reading List free?

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

### Is ReadBuddy free?

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

### Do Reading List or ReadBuddy have ads?

Neither Reading List nor ReadBuddy shows ads.

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

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, and ReadBuddy every 2 weeks. Most recently, Reading List was updated on October 20, 2026 and ReadBuddy on October 17, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*