Reading Buddy vs Cambridge Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Reading Buddy
This app allows students and teachers to download and read eBooks offline, providing flexible reading opportunities. It features an eBook library with audio support to enhance comprehension and ensure learning at the right pace.
- Downloadable eBooks for offline reading
- Access to leveled eBooks
- Audio-enhanced eBooks
- Offline reading anytime, anywhere
- Develop comprehension skills
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This app is a companion for students and teachers with an online subscription to Oxford Reading Buddy so they can download their eBooks for reading offline. Once downloaded, students can read their Oxford Reading Buddy eBooks—anytime, anywhere – providing more opportunities for reading. With an eBook library, based on our Oxford Levels framework, each child can learn at precisely the right pace. Audio for each eBook is included, so students can develop their comprehension skills alongside their reading skills. Develop deeper comprehension skills and encourage children to read more with this companion app for Oxford Reading Buddy. Features include: - Downloadable eBooks for offline reading - anytime, anywhere - Access to eBooks at the right Oxford Level - Audio-enhanced eBooks to develop comprehension skills Accessing the app is easy: simply log in with the same username and password for your online subscription to Oxford Reading Buddy.
Cambridge Reader
Access your Cambridge University Press ebooks offline on your mobile device. Download videos and audio to prepare for classes. Requires web registration and login details.
- Access Cambridge ebooks offline
- Download videos and audio
- View enhanced online content
- Requires web registration
- Supports iOS 11.0+
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Developed for Cambridge University Press online subscription services, the Cambridge Reader App allows you to access your Cambridge Elevate, Go and Cambridge Learn Premium ebooks wherever you are. Downloading the Cambridge Reader app allows you to: • Access all of your favourite Cambridge ebooks directly from your mobile device • Have confidence that your content will be there - even if you lose internet access • Prepare for classes by downloading videos and audio to the app in advance To use the app you first need to register your account on the web using a PC or Mac. The minimum OS version supported by the Cambridge Reader App is iOS 11.0. If you already have a student or teacher account, you can log in, view your books from a phone and download enhanced online content, including videos, files, interactive activities and image galleries. This app will work once you have been sent login details and accepted the EULA and Terms of Use online.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Reading Buddy at 3.7 against Cambridge Reader's 2.5. Reading Buddy also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 10%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 11.0). Cambridge Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 6 months vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (52 vs 6). 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.
Reading Buddy holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cambridge Reader has 52 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Reading Buddy's written reviews are positive against 10% of Cambridge Reader's.
Reading Buddy ships an update every 20 months, Cambridge Reader every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on August 30, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Reading Buddy | Cambridge Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (6 ratings) — better | 2.5 (52 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 10.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 52 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | Every 6 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 11.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 96 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | Oxford University Press | Cambridge University Press & Assessment (App) |
Customer experience
Reading Buddy
Cambridge Reader
Bugs and requests
Reading Buddy
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Cambridge Reader
Reported bugs
42 issues- Randomly goes back a page
- App doesn't fit screen
- Cannot split screen
- App glitches and freezes
- App crashes frequently
Show 37 moreShow fewer
- Books disappear or don't load
- Login issues (invalid credentials, password problems, spaces in password)
- App reloads after switching apps
- Textbooks not showing up
- Outdated codes
- Cannot register/add books
- Pages not loading
- App resets when closed
- Notes disappear
- Cannot scroll horizontally
- Lack of landscape mode
- Lack of zoom functionality
- App is slow and laggy
- App doesn't support split screen
- App quits unexpectedly
- Book codes not working
- Book codes need to be entered every time
- Cannot download more than a few books
- Page select/scroll bar is difficult to use
- Books not appearing in account after login
- App doesn't show full page
- Password reset not available
- App doesn't work on iPad
- App is worse than previous version
- Cannot zoom out
- App doesn't allow horizontal scrolling
- Updated version available but book doesn't update
- Cannot flip to next pages
- App pauses the screen
- Login loop with Cambridge.go account
- Book disappears after adding both workbook and student book
- Bookmark not showing
- App is not compatible with iPhone 7 screen size
- UI is clunky
- Page closes when touched the wrong way
- App is skunk
- User interface looks like ayoos
Requested features
11 requests- Add landscape mode for iPhones
- Allow split screen functionality
- Improve scrolling (horizontal and vertical)
- Fix page loading issues
- Enable note-taking within the app
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Improve zoom functionality
- Add animations
- Fix issues with adding books/resources
- Allow access to all subscribed titles on mobile
- Make the app fill the whole screen on iPad Pros
- Add password reset functionality
In-app purchases
Reading Buddy
No in-app purchases
Cambridge Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Reading Buddy free?
Is Cambridge Reader free?
Which has better reviews, Reading Buddy or Cambridge Reader?
Do Reading Buddy or Cambridge Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, Reading Buddy or Cambridge Reader?
Other comparisons
