# Pencil vs Read Today

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pencil at none against Read Today's 2. Pencil also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Read Today's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Read Today sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Pencil asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Pencil against 5.0 for Read Today. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

Pencil ships an update fortnightly, Read Today weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pencil | Read Today |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-read-write-connect/id1542437927/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-today-reading-tracker/id6504188468/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 44 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ONE POINT SIX TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542437929) | [Mickael Lokhate](https://appshunter.io/developer/1552371840) |

## What reviewers say

### Pencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-read-write-connect/id1542437927)

Access summaries, shorts, and e-books across various genres. Engage with a global community of readers and writers, track your reading progress, and discover new ideas from independent authors.

**Highlights:** Book summaries and shorts, E-books from independent authors, 25+ sub-genres, Reading activity tracker, Global reader and writer community, Short content creation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Read Today

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-today-reading-tracker/id6504188468)

This app helps you track your reading progress, set personalized goals, and manage your book collection. It offers features like reading streaks, finish date estimates, and barcode scanning for easy book addition. Stay motivated and organized with detailed statistics and reminders.

**Highlights:** Reading progress tracking, Personalized booklists, Customizable reading goals, Finish date estimates, Barcode book scanning, Reading statistics, Reading streaks

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read Today - Premium Mensuel | $3.99 | per month |
| Read Today - Premium Annuel | $44.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pencil free?

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

### Is Read Today free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pencil or Read Today?

Pencil and Read Today are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Pencil or Read Today have ads?

Neither Pencil nor Read Today shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pencil or Read Today?

Pencil ships an update fortnightly, and Read Today weekly. Most recently, Pencil was updated on October 1, 2026 and Read Today on October 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*