# Literal vs Bookjournal.app

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Literal at 94% against Bookjournal.app's 44%. Literal also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Bookjournal.app's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (251 vs 33). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookjournal.app sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Literal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Literal holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookjournal.app has 251 ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Literal's written reviews are positive against 44% of Bookjournal.app's.

Literal ships an update every 20 months, Bookjournal.app weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Literal | Bookjournal.app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/literal-an-addictive-reader/id1484519222/reviews)** | [4.5 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookjournalapp/id6447931333/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 33 | **251** |
| Positive reviews | **94.1% of reviews** | 43.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Literal LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1484519221) | [Rowan Trollope](https://appshunter.io/developer/1683047449) |

## What reviewers say

### Literal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/literal-an-addictive-reader/id1484519222)

This app transforms reading into an engaging group chat experience. It presents books with profile pictures and speech bubbles, making it easy to follow conversations. Users can read alone or invite friends to discuss books in real-time.

**Highlights:** Group chat reading format, Interactive book discussions, Invite friends to read together, Track reading progress, Access classic and modern titles, Suitable for educators

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bookjournal.app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookjournalapp/id6447931333)

Easily log books you've read, record ratings, thoughts, and notes. Enhance your entries with stickers and share your favorite reads with others. This app offers a convenient digital alternative to traditional reading journals.

**Highlights:** Track read books, Record ratings and notes, Add stickers to entries, Share favorite books, Digital reading journal

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Half-star rating option
- 📚 Good for tracking reading progress
- ✨ Customizable features
- 📖 Great for organizing books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Deleted books reappear
- 🐛 Goodreads import issues
- 🐛 Incorrect book info
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 App won't open/stay open

**Reported bugs**

- Deleted books reappear
- Goodreads import does not work
- Incorrect book titles/covers after import
- Duplicate books
- App crashes

**Requested features**

- Connect with friends
- Add timer for reading tracking
- More information like a timer
- Audiobooks as a selection
- Add friends


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Literal free?

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

### Is Bookjournal.app free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Literal or Bookjournal.app?

Literal is rated higher. Literal averages 4.8 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while Bookjournal.app averages 4.5 from 251 ratings.

### Do Literal or Bookjournal.app have ads?

Neither Literal nor Bookjournal.app shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Literal or Bookjournal.app?

Literal ships an update every 20 months, and Bookjournal.app weekly. Most recently, Literal was updated on November 7, 2026 and Bookjournal.app on November 3, 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.*