United Through Reading vs JBA Connect
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
United Through Reading
Connect military families through shared reading experiences, regardless of distance. Record yourself reading storybooks aloud to children, even during deployments or long workdays. Access a library of ebooks and save or upload your video recordings securely.
- Video recording of storybooks
- Festive frames and user tools
- Ebook library access
- Offline recording and Wi-Fi upload
- On-demand video viewing
- Free book request after recording
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The United Through Reading App keeps military families reading together, no matter the distance. Stay connected at storytime by video recording yourself reading a storybook aloud to the special kids in your life even when military duty, deployment, training, drill weekends, or long work days keep you away. The UTR App is free, secure, and available to active duty service members, veterans, and their families who register through Troop ID from ID.me. Since 1989, United Through Reading has provided service members with the opportunity to share the gift of reading together even when separated by military duty at more than 200 recording locations around the world. With the United Through Reading App, you can: ● Includes built in viewer, festive frames, and enhanced user tools. ● NOW WITH EBOOKS! Choose from our library of ebooks and record video storytime right now! ● Record, save, and upload your video recordings by registering with Troop ID from ID.me. ● Record your video offline and upload when on wifi. The NEW United Through Reading APP allows YOUR FAMILY: - To watch the video on demand online or download for offline viewing. - To request a FREE copy of the book read by the service member after recording via the email notification or on our website (https://bit.ly/UTRbooks) thanks to Dollar General Literacy Foundation.
JBA Connect
Access essential information for Joint Base Andrews, including support organizations, entertainment options, and base-wide directories. Stay informed with important notifications and find helpful resources all in one place.
- Support organization directory
- Entertainment listings
- Base-wide directories
- Notifications
- Helpful information access
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This app is the one-stop shop for all things Joint Base Andrews! From support organizations, to entertainment, notifications, and base-wide directories, this app is designed to provide helpful information you may need.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: JBA Connect at 5.0 against United Through Reading's 3.8. United Through Reading's advantage is update cadence (every 5 months vs every 31 months) and ratings volume (20 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
JBA Connect holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: United Through Reading has 20 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
United Through Reading ships an update every 5 months, JBA Connect every 31 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | United Through Reading | JBA Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (20 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 20 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 31 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 74 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | United Through Reading | 316th Wing Public Affairs |
Customer experience
United Through Reading
JBA Connect
In-app purchases
United Through Reading
No in-app purchases
JBA Connect
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is United Through Reading free?
Is JBA Connect free?
Which has better reviews, United Through Reading or JBA Connect?
Do United Through Reading or JBA Connect have ads?
Which is updated more often, United Through Reading or JBA Connect?
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