# Readwise vs Monologue

The clearest difference is update cadence: Readwise at every 2 weeks against Monologue's every 13 months. Readwise also leads on iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Readwise sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Monologue sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Readwise ships an update every 2 weeks, Monologue every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Readwise | Monologue |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise/id1476885528/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 13 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 110 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readwise, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476885527) | [新明 惠](https://appshunter.io/developer/1065887229) |

## What reviewers say

### Readwise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise/id1476885528)

This app helps you retain more of what you read by centralizing and revisiting your highlights from various reading platforms. It uses spaced repetition and active recall techniques to improve memory and offers features like tagging, note-taking, and OCR for physical books.

**Highlights:** Synchronize highlights from multiple platforms, Daily review habit via app and email, Spaced repetition and active recall, Tag, note, and search highlights, OCR for paper book highlights, Convert highlights to flashcards

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Readwise Lite Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Readwise Lite Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Readwise Full Monthly Plan | $8.99 | per month |
| Readwise Full Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Readwise Lite Yearly | $52.99 | per year |
| Readwise Lite Yearly | $66.99 | per year |
| Readwise Full Yearly | $94.99 | per year |
| Readwise Full Yearly | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful spaced repetition
- 📚 Seamless integration with reading apps
- 🔍 Helpful AI-powered features
- 🗓️ Useful daily review routine
- 🧠 Boosts knowledge retention

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔌 Sync issues with some platforms
- 📱 Subpar mobile app experience
- 🕰️ Lack of flexibility in daily review
- 🔍 Limited search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Sync failures with certain accounts
- Unreliable highlight capture

**Requested features**

- Add support for more reading apps
- Improve sync and import capabilities
- Introduce more customization options
- Enhance search and organization tools
- Develop a more intuitive mobile interface


### Monologue

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monologue-multilingual/id6648770338)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Basic Annual | $17.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Readwise free?

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

### Is Monologue free?

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

### Do Readwise or Monologue have ads?

Neither Readwise nor Monologue shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Readwise or Monologue?

Readwise ships an update every 2 weeks, and Monologue every 13 months. Most recently, Readwise was updated on September 24, 2026 and Monologue on September 10, 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.*