Comparison

Weekend Read 2 vs LightBox Expo

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

Head to head
About

Weekend Read 2

This app optimizes screenplays for comfortable reading on mobile devices. It supports various file formats and offers features like customizable text, character highlighting, and read-aloud functionality.

Highlights
  • Optimized screenplay display
  • Supports PDF, Final Draft, Fountain, and more
  • Customizable fonts and text sizes
  • Character highlighting
  • Read aloud functionality
  • Page-specific notes
  • Dark mode
Features
Read full description

“Staggeringly useful.” - Dan Etheridge, producer of Veronica Mars and Party Down We’ve made the best screenplay reader even better. Weekend Read 2 makes reading screenplays delightful by optimizing scripts for iPhone and iPad retina screens. Never squint and pinch to read a script again. Whether reading from a PDF or a native file like Final Draft or Fountain, Weekend Read 2 gives you the tools to make every screenplay a smooth and easy read. Created by screenwriter John August and the team behind the award-winning Highland, Weekend Read 2 has Hollywood talking. “With Weekend Read, John August and his crafty elves have taken something that was the worst thing, namely reading scripts on a mobile device, and turned it into the best thing. I find it more pleasant to read a script in Weekend Read on my 4-inch iPhone screen than to read a PDF in proper screenplay format on my iPad. I even prefer it to reading full-sized paper scripts.” - Rian Johnson, writer-director (Knives Out, Poker Face, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) “Weekend Read started as an app I didn’t know I needed and quickly became an app I can’t live without. Weekend Read keeps you on top of your reading pile, not buried under it. It’s seriously amazing.” - Rawson Thurber, writer-director (Red Notice, Dodgeball) “This is the perfect solution I’ve been fantasizing about - it makes reading scripts (or anything) on the iPhone not just tolerable, not just painless, but actually a pleasure!” - David Wain, writer/director/EP (Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models) Weekend Read supports PDFs, Final Draft .fdx, .highland, plain text, and Markdown files. Features: * Customizable Reading: Choose from an updated selection of fonts and text sizes for a personalized reading experience. * Character Highlighting: Highlight your lines with ease. * Read Aloud: Have the script read to you at up to 2x speed. * Notes: Add page-specific notes and export them to collaborators. * Dark Mode: Enjoy night reading with optimized dark mode. * Page Jumper: Quickly navigate through long documents. * Library: Curate your own library of scripts. * Discover: Find new scripts from our rotating categories of curated screenplays and books. * Optimized for iOS: Enjoy a seamless reading experience across all your iOS devices. Terms of Service (EULA): https://wer.quoteunquote.company/terms

About

LightBox Expo

This app connects artists in the entertainment industry, offering a mobile guide to events, exhibitors, and programming. Plan your weekend, navigate the venue with maps, and discover your favorite creators. It aims to inspire and elevate artistic careers.

Highlights
  • Exhibitor and Artist Alley list
  • Schedule planning for panels and demos
  • Favorite programming and events
  • Venue navigation with maps
  • Event discovery and planning tool
Features
Read full description

LightBox Expo (LBX) is the Annie Award-winning gathering of artists who work in the entertainment industry bringing your favorite films, animation, games, TV shows and illustrations to life. At LBX, we aim to ignite your passion, fuel your imagination, and propel you to new artistic heights! LBX provides a vibrant space for artists to congregate, meet and celebrate their craft with fellow creatives. It’s a place for artists to share their work with the public, further their skills in their respective industries, and make meaningful connections that will help artists thrive in the entertainment industry. The LBX mobile app provides you with the Exhibitor and Artist Alley list, allows you to start planning your weekend by adding Panels, Demos and Programming to your schedule (and favorite everything you want to see), you can use the maps to navigate around the show, and much more! LightBox Expo takes place every October at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California.

Screenshots

Weekend Read 24 screens
LightBox Expo3 screens

Verdict

The call

Weekend Read 2 and LightBox Expo both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 42% of Weekend Read 2's written reviews are positive against 0% of LightBox Expo's. Weekend Read 2 also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (133 vs 25). LightBox Expo's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, rating, 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. Weekend Read 2 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. LightBox Expo asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Weekend Read 2 against 4.4 for LightBox Expo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Weekend Read 2 has 133 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 42% of Weekend Read 2's written reviews are positive against 0% of LightBox Expo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Weekend Read 2 ships an update every 5 weeks, LightBox Expo every 12 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Weekend Read 2 versus LightBox Expo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWeekend Read 2LightBox Expo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (133 ratings) — better4.4 (25 ratings)
Positive reviews41.9% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings133 — better25
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 12 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB37 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperQuote-Unquote LLCLightBox Expo LLC

Customer experience

Weekend Read 2

All ratings131 ratings
Positive85.5%
Neutral1.5%
Negative13.0%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive41.9%
Neutral12.9%
Negative45.2%

LightBox Expo

All ratings18 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Weekend Read 2

Reported bugs

22 issues
  • App crashes during read aloud
  • Script lines are cut off and choppy
  • App breaks PDF pages randomly and deletes text
  • Text formatting button does not open fully
  • Overcharging for subscription
Show 17 more
  • Import of Final Draft files fails
  • Incorrect script formatting when importing PDFs
  • Misplaced text and elements in imported PDFs
  • Read Aloud feature does not work
  • App is fundamentally broken
  • Cannot open attachments into the app
  • Scripts have expiry dates
  • Reader settings popover is too small and unusable on iPad
  • App cuts off the top and bottom of script pages
  • Voice reader feature does not work
  • Text to speech uses basic Siri voices
  • Voice playback is patchy and unusable
  • Accidental text selection and difficulty un-selecting
  • Adding notes is difficult
  • Tapping screen does not exit highlight mode
  • Double-tapping highlights incorrectly
  • Reached limit on free version with only one screenplay added

Requested features

8 requests
  • Restore place in script when launching app
  • Ability to use voice aloud reader without screen active
  • Assign different voices to different characters
  • Full screen mode option
  • Fix popover for reader settings on iPad
Show 3 more
  • Improve import of Final Draft files
  • Fix PDF script formatting issues
  • Make scripts available indefinitely

LightBox Expo

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Weekend Read 2

Subscriptions2
  • Weekend Read 2 Pro (Monthly)$1.991 Month
  • Weekend Read 2 Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$14.991 Year
None

LightBox Expo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Weekend Read 2 free?
Weekend Read 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LightBox Expo free?
LightBox Expo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Weekend Read 2 or LightBox Expo?
Weekend Read 2 is rated higher. Weekend Read 2 averages 4.4 out of 5 from 133 ratings, while LightBox Expo averages 4.4 from 25 ratings.
Do Weekend Read 2 or LightBox Expo have ads?
Neither Weekend Read 2 nor LightBox Expo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Weekend Read 2 or LightBox Expo?
Weekend Read 2 ships an update every 5 weeks, and LightBox Expo every 12 months. Most recently, Weekend Read 2 was updated on November 3, 2026 and LightBox Expo on November 3, 2026.

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