# LiveCarta vs Understory

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Understory at 96% against LiveCarta's 0%. Understory also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). LiveCarta's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Understory sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. LiveCarta asks for nothing beyond the download.

Understory holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Understory has 63 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of LiveCarta's written reviews are positive against 96% of Understory's.

LiveCarta ships an update every 3 months, Understory every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LiveCarta | Understory |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/livecarta/id1505717341/reviews) | **[4.9 (63 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/understory-reading-tracker/id6767701983/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **63** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **95.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 59 MB | 213 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Teqspring](https://appshunter.io/developer/1505717340) | [Understory Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896501166) |

## What reviewers say

### LiveCarta

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/livecarta/id1505717341)

Access your entire digital library of books and learning materials on any device. Sync your progress, highlights, and notes seamlessly. Enjoy offline reading, text-to-speech, and personalized reading settings.

**Highlights:** Cross-device syncing, Offline reading mode, Highlighting and note-taking, Keyword search within books, Read Aloud text-to-speech, Customizable reading settings, Chapter quizzes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Understory

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/understory-reading-tracker/id6767701983)

This app helps you track your reading progress, set goals, and build a consistent reading habit. It features a unique plant aesthetic and allows you to grow real-world trees by meeting reading objectives. Connect with friends, share recommendations, and view insightful reading statistics.

**Highlights:** Log reading progress and books, Set reading goals and streaks, Grow real-world trees by meeting objectives, Connect with friends and join book groups, Share book recommendations, View reading statistics and insights, Organize custom reading lists

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Understory Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Understory Premium - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Understory Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Understory Premium - Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Streak Freeze | $0.99 | one-time |
| Streak Restore | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LiveCarta free?

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

### Is Understory free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LiveCarta or Understory?

Understory is rated higher. LiveCarta averages 3.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Understory averages 4.9 from 63 ratings.

### Do LiveCarta or Understory have ads?

Neither LiveCarta nor Understory shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LiveCarta or Understory?

LiveCarta ships an update every 3 months, and Understory every 9 days. Most recently, LiveCarta was updated on November 3, 2026 and Understory on November 7, 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.*