Comparison

HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader vs PEN Q

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader

This application allows users to read EPUB3 and EPUB2 ebook files with advanced CSS styling support. It offers easy book management from various cloud services and email, along with customizable reading settings. The reader is designed for all screen sizes and orientations.

Highlights
  • Reflowable EPUB3/EPUB2 support
  • Advanced CSS styling
  • Cloud service integration (Dropbox, email)
  • RTL language support
  • Interactive SVG and JavaScript
  • Customizable reading settings
Read full description

Helicon Books EPUB3 Reader for iOS, with direct connection to online eBook stores. This new reader supports Reflowable EPUB3 and EPUB2 files with limited support for fixed layout. Helicon Books EPUB3 Reader emphasizes advanced technologies as well as ease of use. Full support for CSS styling in books (ignored by many other readers), Easy to add new books sent directly from stores or from email messages or Cloud services such as Dropbox. Supports the following main features: * RTL languages including page progression * User interface in English/Hebrew translatable to any other language * Full support of CSS styling for reflowable ebooks. * SVG (scalable vector graphics) and interactive SVG * JavaScript support * Footnotes handling * Bookshelf * Table of contents * Settings: font size, line spacing, background * Built to support all screen sizes and orientations

About

PEN Q

Features
Read full description

PEN Q is a reading platform where books don't just get read — they travel. Share a book with someone you care about and write a personal dedication inside it. They open it like a gift, with your words waiting on the first page. When they finish, they can pass it forward — with their own dedication added to the journey. One book. Many hands. A chain of meaning. Every copy on PEN Q carries the story of the people who shared it — a living thread of connection between readers. What you can do: • Share a book with a personal dedication • Pass your copy forward with its full journey of dedications • Send a clean copy while keeping your notes private • Add highlights and notes — keep them to yourself or share as a layer • Track your book's journey — see the chain of readers before you Connect with readers: • Reading Together — discover friends reading the same book • Dream Shelf — books you hope someone will share with you • Yotam's Bench — leave a book for a stranger to discover For authors: Your readers become your ambassadors. A QR code inside a physical book becomes a gateway — one scan and the reader enters a world where the story doesn't end on the last page. Where you know who reads your book. Where readers find each other. Where a tribe grows around your ideas. No algorithms. No ads. Just people sharing what moved them. Books that travel with love.

Screenshots

HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader2 screens
PEN Q4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader at none against PEN Q's 10. HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PEN Q sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader ships an update monthly, PEN Q every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 5, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader versus PEN Q: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHBreader EPUBCLOUD readerPEN Q
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB93 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperHelicon Booksrony milanez

In-app purchases

None

HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

PEN Q

One-time10
  • Book Purchase$12.99
  • Book Purchase$14.99
  • Book Purchase$19.99
Show 7 more
  • Book Purchase$24.99
  • Book Purchase$29.99
  • Book Purchase$39.99
  • Book Purchase$49.99
  • Book Purchase$79.99
  • Book Purchase$99.99
  • Book Purchase$199.99

Questions

Is HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader free?
HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PEN Q free?
PEN Q is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader or PEN Q have ads?
Neither HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader nor PEN Q shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader or PEN Q?
HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader ships an update monthly, and PEN Q every 3 weeks. Most recently, HBreader EPUBCLOUD reader was updated on June 5, 2026 and PEN Q on September 17, 2026.

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