# Infobase eBooks vs Cengage Read

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Infobase eBooks at 67% against Cengage Read's 20%. Infobase eBooks also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 18). Cengage Read's advantage is monetization model (free vs subscription) and rating (4.2 vs 3.9). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cengage Read holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cengage Read has 4.2K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Infobase eBooks's written reviews are positive against 20% of Cengage Read's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Infobase eBooks ships an update every 6 months, Cengage Read every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Infobase eBooks | Cengage Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/infobase-ebooks/id1451620123/reviews) | **[4.2 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cengage-read/id6444260893/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **4.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 19.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 96 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 18 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Infobase Holdings INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1451620122) | [Cengage Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/371168145) |

## What reviewers say

### Infobase eBooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/infobase-ebooks/id1451620123)

Access a vast library of exclusive reference and nonfiction eBooks from renowned imprints. Enjoy a comfortable reading experience with features like offline access, note-taking, and powerful search capabilities, all available 24/7.

**Highlights:** Access eBooks anytime, anywhere, Download eBooks for offline access, Extensive nonfiction and reference titles, Easy navigation and reading modes, Contextual notes and highlighting, Full-text search within eBooks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cengage Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cengage-read/id6444260893)

Access and study your digital textbooks from anywhere. This app allows students to read, take notes, highlight, bookmark, and use text-to-speech for a flexible learning experience on the go.

**Highlights:** Read eTextbooks on the go, Take notes and highlight, Bookmark important sections, Text-to-speech functionality, Search keywords, Navigate via table of contents

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to read textbooks
- 🚀 Convenient for on-the-go learning
- 👍 Useful for listening to audio while commuting
- 👍 Allows highlighting and note-taking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🔥 Poor text formatting and layout
- 👎 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🔒 Login and account issues
- 🔍 Missing key features like split-screen and assignment tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and sign-outs
- Inconsistent highlighting and note-taking functionality
- Inability to view full pages and content
- Text-to-speech feature not working properly

**Requested features**

- Improve text formatting and layout
- Add split-screen support for note-taking
- Enhance accessibility features like text-to-speech
- Integrate assignment and due date tracking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Infobase eBooks free?

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

### Is Cengage Read free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Infobase eBooks or Cengage Read?

Cengage Read is rated higher. Infobase eBooks averages 3.9 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Cengage Read averages 4.2 from 4.2K ratings.

### Do Infobase eBooks or Cengage Read have ads?

Neither Infobase eBooks nor Cengage Read shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Infobase eBooks or Cengage Read?

Infobase eBooks ships an update every 6 months, and Cengage Read every 2 months. Most recently, Infobase eBooks was updated on October 18, 2026 and Cengage Read on October 30, 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.*