# LAB Reads vs Common Reader

The clearest difference is monetization model: LAB Reads at free against Common Reader's free with in-app purchases. LAB Reads also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 26.0). Common Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 days). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for LAB Reads against 5.0 for Common Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

LAB Reads ships an update every 6 days, Common Reader every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LAB Reads | Common Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lab-reads/id1509918538/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-reader/id6770067434/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 36 MB | 107 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shenzhen Wen Dao Le Si Education and Technology Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509918537) | [天宇 高](https://appshunter.io/developer/1851416147) |

## What reviewers say

### LAB Reads

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lab-reads/id1509918538)

Access daily foreign journal content and a vast library of foreign books. Track your reading progress, save notes and highlights, and look up words for easy review. Connect with other readers and build a consistent reading habit.

**Highlights:** Daily foreign journal updates, Search foreign books and journals, Track reading progress, Save notes and highlights, Integrated word lookup, Reader community rankings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Common Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-reader/id6770067434)

This app offers a unified reading and AI-powered analysis experience for various ebook formats. It allows users to ask questions about book content, automatically organize their library, and sync across multiple devices. Privacy is a core focus, with no proactive data collection.

**Highlights:** Supports multiple ebook formats (epub, azw3, mobi, txt, md, pdf), AI-powered questions about book content, Automatic library organization with generative AI, Cloud sync (iCloud, OneDrive, WebDAV), Fast full-library search, Unified cross-platform interface

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LAB Reads free?

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

### Is Common Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LAB Reads or Common Reader?

LAB Reads and Common Reader are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do LAB Reads or Common Reader have ads?

Neither LAB Reads nor Common Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LAB Reads or Common Reader?

LAB Reads ships an update every 6 days, and Common Reader every 2 days. Most recently, LAB Reads was updated on October 1, 2026 and Common Reader on September 29, 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.*