# Reading Tracker vs ReadBuddy

The clearest difference is device support: Reading Tracker at 4 against ReadBuddy's 2. Reading Tracker also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reading Tracker sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and ReadBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Reading Tracker ships an update every 3 weeks, ReadBuddy every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reading Tracker | ReadBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (189 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-tracker-tbr-book/id1227407668/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **189** | — |
| Positive reviews | 89.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 164 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [祥全 夏](https://appshunter.io/developer/1227407667) | [Warren Peters](https://appshunter.io/developer/1591974619) |

## What reviewers say

### Reading Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-tracker-tbr-book/id1227407668)

This app helps you build a reading habit by tracking your progress, analyzing your reading patterns, and streamlining note-taking. It offers features like home screen widgets for starting timers and OCR technology for capturing excerpts. Easily manage your book library and export notes to Evernote.

**Highlights:** Home screen widgets for reading timers, Detailed reading analytics and statistics, OCR for photo-to-text note-taking, Evernote integration for note export, Intelligent book management with ISBN scan, Progress tracking and reading reports

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1个月标准会员 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1个月高级会员 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 3个月标准会员 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 3个月高级会员 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 12个月标准会员 | $5.99 | one-time |
| 12个月高级会员 | $12.99 | one-time |
| 高级会员年卡 | $12.99 | one-time |
| 永久版会员 | $24.99 | one-time |
| 一次买断会员 | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Comprehensive book recording and tracking functionality
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface design
- 🔍 Accurate OCR for book information scanning
- 📊 Detailed reading statistics and progress tracking
- ✍️ Excellent note-taking and book excerpt features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Aggressive paywall strategy requiring premium membership for basic features
- 🔐 CSV export locked behind permanent membership
- ❌ No CSV import functionality for data migration
- 🌍 Limited international version features (only English translation)
- 🗣️ Language switching broken on iOS/Mac versions

**Reported bugs**

- Chinese book barcode scanning stopped working
- Language switching redirects to system settings instead of in-app settings
- Cannot change reading completion date; save function fails
- App crashes on version 3.1.2 when opened
- Unfold button unresponsive in English language mode when editing book details

**Requested features**

- CSV import/export functionality
- Markdown and text formatting support (bold, italic, highlight) for notes
- Ability to change reading record type between entries (audiobook to paperback)
- Book cover image enlargement on tap
- Custom book description/synopsis field


### 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 Tracker free?

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

### Is ReadBuddy free?

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

### Do Reading Tracker or ReadBuddy have ads?

Neither Reading Tracker nor ReadBuddy shows ads.

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

Reading Tracker ships an update every 3 weeks, and ReadBuddy every 2 weeks. Most recently, Reading Tracker was updated on November 13, 2026 and ReadBuddy on November 9, 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.*