Comparison

Pencil vs Reader King

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

Head to head
About

Pencil

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
Read full description

Read Pencil select summaries, shorts, e-books and connect with a global community of future thought leaders Read big ideas from the best books across 25+ sub-genres such as self-help, business & management, philosophy, politics, society and culture. Indulge in books across multiple genres and languages written by independent authors from around the world. Read short stories, poems and a variety of other form of short content written by a diverse community of writers on Pencil (thepencilapp.com) Set and achieve your reading goals with a unique reading activity tracker. Connect and share with a safe, inclusive and diverse community of readers and writers There is something for everyone at Pencil. Download now to read more, read better and lead a better life. Join our community on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter: Instagram: http://instagram.com/thepencilapp Facebook: https://facebook.com/thepencilapp Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepencilapp Website: https://thepencilapp.com/ Questions? Suggestions? Simply write to connect@thepencilapp.com Terms of Service: https://thepencilapp.com/terms.php Privacy Policy: https://thepencilapp.com/privacy-policy.php

About

Reader King

Features
Read full description

Reader King is a local-first eBook reader for organizing, importing and reading personal files on iPhone, iPad and Mac. It does not require registration, sign-in or a cloud account. Your books, reading progress, bookmarks and reading history stay in the app sandbox on your device. You can import common document and eBook files from Files, Finder or system sharing, including PDF, EPUB, TXT, Markdown, RTF, MOBI, AZW, AZW3, CBZ, FB2 and HTML. Reader King copies imported files into its local sandbox so access does not depend on temporary external file permissions. The built-in reader focuses on PDF reading in this release, with automatic page progress, search, outline, bookmarks, page jump, single-page and double-page layouts, and reader preferences. Other supported eBook formats can be imported, archived, downloaded and managed locally. Reader King also supports network subscriptions. Add a direct eBook download link, or provide a JSON, CSV or plain text manifest to parse and download multiple books into your shelf. Downloads only happen from links you enter. Highlights: - Local import from iPhone, iPad and Mac. - PDF reading with progress, search, outline, bookmarks and page jump. - Direct link downloads and batch manifest subscriptions. - Responsive shelf layouts for phone, tablet and desktop. - Mac support for Finder import, drag and drop, menu shortcuts and Settings. - No account, no third-party analytics and no uploaded reading records.

Screenshots

Pencil4 screens
Reader King4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pencil at none against Reader King's 1. Pencil also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, 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. Reader King sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pencil asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pencil ships an update fortnightly, Reader King every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Pencil versus Reader King: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPencilReader King
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB6 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperONE POINT SIX TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITEDlecoo

In-app purchases

None

Pencil

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Reader King

One-time1
  • Reader King Enhanced$0.99

Questions

Is Pencil free?
Pencil is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reader King free?
Reader King is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pencil or Reader King have ads?
Neither Pencil nor Reader King shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pencil or Reader King?
Pencil ships an update fortnightly, and Reader King every 4 weeks. Most recently, Pencil was updated on October 1, 2026 and Reader King on September 29, 2026.

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