Comparison

Readwise Reader vs Dark PDF

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

Head to head
About

Readwise Reader

Consolidate all your reading materials, from web articles and newsletters to PDFs and ebooks, into a single, streamlined platform. Enhance comprehension with powerful highlighting, text-to-speech narration, and AI-powered insights. Seamlessly integrate your annotations with popular writing tools.

Highlights
  • Consolidates web articles, newsletters, RSS, Twitter threads, PDFs, EPUBs
  • Powerful highlighting and annotation tools
  • Text-to-speech narration
  • AI-powered 'Ghostreader' for questions and simplification
  • Full-text search
  • Integration with Readwise for export to Obsidian, Notion, etc.
  • Offline access
Features
Read full description

Readwise Reader is the first read-it-later app built specifically for power readers. If you’ve ever used Instapaper or Pocket, Reader is like those except it’s built for 2024 and brings all your reading into one place including: web articles, email newsletters, RSS feeds, Twitter threads, PDFs, EPUBs and more. ______________________ “Reader has completely redesigned the read-it-later app. It’s gorgeous and blazingly fast. In many ways, it’s the Superhuman of reading — you won’t want to read anywhere else.” Rahul Vohra (Founder of Superhuman) “I spend my entire day reading, researching, & writing and Readwise is the reading tool I’ve been waiting for. The perfect complement to my writing workflow. Absolute game changer.” Packy Mccormick (Author of Not Boring) “The Readwise reading app is the first read-it-later app that enables a true workflow for serious readers. As an ex-Pocket /Instapaper power user, it's hard to imagine ever going back.” Fitz Maro (Creative Technology Lead at Pinterest) ______________________ ALL YOUR READING IN ONE PLACE Stop juggling half a dozen reading apps. Reader brings all your content into one place including: • Web articles • Email newsletters • RSS feeds • Twitter threads • PDFs • EPUBs You can even import your existing library from Pocket and Instapaper and RSS feeds from Feedly, Inoreader, Feedbin, etc. POWERFUL HIGHLIGHTING FOR POWER READERS We believe that annotations are the key to getting more out of what you read. So we’ve developed highlighting as a first-class feature inside Reader. Highlight images, links, rich text, and more. On any device. READER WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU READ We’ve reinvented the digital reading experience to apply the power of software to the printed word. This includes TEXT-TO-SPEECH (listen to any document narrated with the lifelike voice of a real human), GHOSTREADER (your integrated copilot of reading enabling you to ask questions, define terms, simplify complex language, and more), and FULL-TEXT SEARCH (find whatever you’re looking for, even if you only remember a single word). FLEXIBLE SOFTWARE TO FIT YOUR UNIQUE NEEDS Your personal interests, your professional projects, your way of doing things — they’re unique. Reader is your home base for the varied documents in your life, customizable to match the way your brain works. PDFs for work, articles for your newsletter, and ebooks for pleasure all live comfortably side-by-side. No more juggling dozens of apps. INTEGRATED WITH YOUR FAVORITE TOOLS Your annotations should flow effortlessly from your reading app into your writing tool of choice. Instead you waste hours reformatting, reorganizing, and repeating. Reader eliminates this hassle. Reader seamlessly connects to Readwise which exports to Obsidian, Notion, Roam Research, Evernote, Logseq, and more READ ANYWHERE, ANYTIME Access all of your content from any of your devices with everything in sync. Even offline. Reader syncs across all platforms, including a powerful, local-first web app and iOS. You can even highlight the open web with the Reader browser extensions. ______________________ If you’re not already a Readwise subscriber, you can get a free 30-day trial with no credit card upfront. At the end of the trial, you will not be charged unless you choose to subscribe. Support: Check out readwise.io/faq or email us at hello@readwise.io Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://readwise.io/privacy

About

Dark PDF

Features
Read full description

Dark PDF turns any PDF into a calm, eye-friendly reading experience. Read for hours at night — no glare, no strain, just clean pages in beautiful dark themes. Whether it's a textbook, contract, research paper, or a novel, Dark PDF makes long reading sessions comfortable on iPhone and iPad. WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • 4 handcrafted dark themes — true black, dim, sepia and more for any lighting • Easy on the eyes — cut eye strain during late-night and long reading sessions • Real-time search — find any word instantly with live highlighting • Jump to any page in a tap — no endless scrolling • Pick up where you left off — recent files always one tap away • Built for iPhone & iPad — a native, responsive layout on every screen • Reads offline — your documents stay private on your device TRY IT FIRST Open a sample and feel the dark reading experience right away. When you're ready for your full library, start a 3-day free trial and unlock every theme and premium feature. Cancel anytime. PRIVACY FIRST Your files never leave your device. No accounts, no document tracking, no clutter. Give your eyes the reading experience they deserve. — Premium is an auto-renewing subscription (monthly or yearly) with a 3-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. It auto-renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Terms: https://moz6.com/app-term • Privacy: https://moz6.com/app-privacy • info@moz6.com

Screenshots

Readwise Reader4 screens
Dark PDF4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Readwise Reader at weekly against Dark PDF's every 5 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Readwise Reader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Dark PDF sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Readwise Reader ships an update weekly, Dark PDF every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Readwise Reader versus Dark PDF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadwise ReaderDark PDF
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (591 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings591 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size196 MB13 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperReadwise, IncMuhammet Ozturk

Bugs and requests

Readwise Reader

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inconsistent sync between devices
  • Unreliable RSS feed updates
  • Frequent crashes on iPad
  • Issues with resuming reading position

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved PDF and ebook support
  • Customizable reading themes and layouts
  • Better integration with note-taking apps
  • Reading progress and statistics tracking
  • Bulk management of saved items

Dark PDF

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Readwise Reader

Subscriptions4
  • Reader Monthly Plan$8.991 Month
  • Reader Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Reader Annual Plan$95.901 Year
Show 1 more
  • Reader Yearly$119.991 Year
4 purchases

Dark PDF

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly - Unlimited - Black Friday3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Yearly - Unlimited Pdf,Black Friday3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Monthly - Unlimited PDF$49.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Yearly - Unlimited PDF$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Readwise Reader free?
Readwise Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Dark PDF free?
Dark PDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Readwise Reader or Dark PDF have ads?
Neither Readwise Reader nor Dark PDF shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Readwise Reader or Dark PDF?
Readwise Reader ships an update weekly, and Dark PDF every 5 weeks. Most recently, Readwise Reader was updated on November 3, 2026 and Dark PDF on October 25, 2026.

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