# Readwise Highlights vs CivicBeacon

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Readwise Highlights at 1.5K against CivicBeacon's 12. CivicBeacon's advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 69%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Readwise Highlights sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and CivicBeacon sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Readwise Highlights against 4.7 for CivicBeacon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Readwise Highlights has 1.5K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Readwise Highlights's written reviews are positive against 83% of CivicBeacon's.

Readwise Highlights ships an update every 2 weeks, CivicBeacon weekly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Readwise Highlights | CivicBeacon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise-highlights/id1476885528/reviews)** | [4.7 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/civicbeacon/id6744340787/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 69.3% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 112 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Readwise, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476885527) | [Civic Beacon LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807184533) |

## What reviewers say

### Readwise Highlights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise-highlights/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


### CivicBeacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/civicbeacon/id6744340787)

Stay informed about government decisions affecting your life. Track legislation, connect with representatives, and understand complex policies with clear summaries. Empower your voice in local and national politics.

**Highlights:** Track local and national legislation, Smart search for bills, Explore recent Congress sessions, View representative profiles and bills, Clear, jargon-free bill summaries, Connect with elected officials

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Civic Beacon Supporter ($2.99/mo) | $2.99 | per month |
| Civic Beacon Supporter ($5.99/mo) | $5.99 | per month |
| Civic Beacon Supporter ($9.99/mo) | $9.99 | per month |
| CivicBeacon Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| CivicBeacon Pro | $69.99 | per year |
| Small Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Readwise Highlights free?

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

### Is CivicBeacon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Readwise Highlights or CivicBeacon?

Readwise Highlights is rated higher. Readwise Highlights averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while CivicBeacon averages 4.7 from 12 ratings.

### Do Readwise Highlights or CivicBeacon have ads?

Neither Readwise Highlights nor CivicBeacon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Readwise Highlights or CivicBeacon?

Readwise Highlights ships an update every 2 weeks, and CivicBeacon weekly. Most recently, Readwise Highlights was updated on October 25, 2026 and CivicBeacon on October 25, 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.*