Reading Diary vs Penguin Box
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Reading Diary
Organize your personal book collection by tracking, categorizing, and filtering your library. Add books by scanning barcodes or manually entering details. Share your reading progress and book information with friends.
- Track and categorize books
- Scan barcodes for easy entry
- Manual book detail entry
- Filter and sort library
- Share book information
- Cross-device synchronization
- Day/night theme
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Reading Diary is a simple book tracker and reading log for your personal library. Scan an ISBN or barcode to add books, track what you're reading, organize your shelves and build your TBR list, and see your reading stats. Pay once. No subscription. No ads. The free version lets you: - Add a book by scanning its barcode* - Search for books by ISBN, author, or title* - Add a book and enter its details manually - Enter book details: author, title, ISBN, category, book format (paperback, hardcover, e-book, audiobook, or other), reading status, date added, date you started reading, date you finished or abandoned it, book color, rating, and note - View the book cover* - Share book information with friends (author, title, note, and, when available, a link to more information or a cover image) - Filter books in the navigation drawer by reading status (not read yet, currently reading, finished, or abandoned), author, category, and format - Search for books by author, title, category, or note - Create an account and sync your data across all your devices** - Back up your data to a JSON file and restore it from that file - Use light or dark mode according to your device settings A one-time Premium purchase also unlocks: - Add your own cover photo if no cover is available online (sign-in required) - Set a book's ownership (whether you own it, borrowed it, or want it) and assign it to a shelf - Create custom tags and assign as many tags as you like to books - Enter the number of pages and the audiobook length in hours and minutes - Filter books in the navigation drawer by ownership, shelf, and tags - View detailed reading statistics - Share a reading summary for a selected period and your wishlist with friends * We use the Google Books and Goodreads services to search for books and retrieve information about them. If a book cannot be found, it is probably not in their databases. A book cover may not be available. ** You can register using an email address and password or a Google or Apple account.
Penguin Box
Control and configure your smart lock using Bluetooth. Enjoy keyless access and convenient management of your smart lock directly from your mobile device.
- Keyless convenience
- Smart lock configuration
- Bluetooth access
- Mobile device management
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Give you keyless convenience and the ability to configure and access your smart lock via Bluetooth.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reading Diary at 80% against Penguin Box's 0%. Penguin Box's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). 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
Both are free to download. Reading Diary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Penguin Box asks for nothing beyond the download.
Reading Diary ships an update every 3 months, Penguin Box every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Reading Diary | Penguin Box |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 61 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zdenek Skrobak | Penguin Box s.r.o. |
Customer experience
Reading Diary
Penguin Box
In-app purchases
Reading Diary
- Premium$8.19
Penguin Box
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Reading Diary free?
Is Penguin Box free?
Do Reading Diary or Penguin Box have ads?
Which is updated more often, Reading Diary or Penguin Box?
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