# StoryGraph vs Refrain

The clearest difference is rating: Refrain at 5.0 against StoryGraph's 4.5. StoryGraph's advantage is ratings volume (3.6K vs 1) and chart position (#29 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. StoryGraph sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Refrain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Refrain holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StoryGraph has 3.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

StoryGraph ships an update monthly, Refrain every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StoryGraph | Refrain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/refrain-reread-what-matters/id6796847975/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 70.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#29** | — |
| Size | 3 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The StoryGraph](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570489926) | [Don Browning](https://appshunter.io/developer/1622090005) |

## What reviewers say

### StoryGraph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Free · Book, #118 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Track your reading habits with insightful stats and personalized book recommendations powered by AI. Discover new books based on mood, pace, and genre, and connect with friends for shared reading experiences.

**Highlights:** Import Goodreads data, Personalized book recommendations, Track reading habits with stats, Discover books by mood and pace, Read with friends (buddy reads), Custom reading challenges, Content warnings for books

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The StoryGraph Plus Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| The StoryGraph Plus Annual | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Excellent reading stats and data visualization
- 💡 Innovative features like buddy reads and reading challenges
- 👍 Clean and modern design
- 💡 Independent company, not owned by big tech

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Slow performance and loading times
- 🐛 Issues with importing data from other platforms
- 🐛 Missing some basic features like custom shelves/lists
- 🐛 Confusing navigation and UI in places

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes when trying to update reading progress
- Incorrect book details and page counts
- Login issues where users get logged out frequently

**Requested features**

- Ability to track re-reads and multiple editions of books
- More robust social features like following friends, liking reviews
- Barcode scanning to easily add books
- Customizable reading challenges and goal tracking
- Dark mode option


### Refrain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/refrain-reread-what-matters/id6796847975)

Rediscover your Kindle highlights daily. This app organizes your marked passages, reveals connections across your reading, and allows for deep dives into your thoughts and the wider literary canon. Your reading life is private and offline.

**Highlights:** Daily return of highlighted passages, Discovery of connections (Threads, Rhymes), Search by meaning, Integration with Kindle and My Clippings.txt, Offline access to library, Private iCloud sync, Home Screen widget and Apple Watch app

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The intelligence layer | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StoryGraph free?

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

### Is Refrain free?

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

### Which has better reviews, StoryGraph or Refrain?

Refrain is rated higher. StoryGraph averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while Refrain averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do StoryGraph or Refrain have ads?

Neither StoryGraph nor Refrain shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StoryGraph or Refrain?

StoryGraph ships an update monthly, and Refrain every 2 weeks. Most recently, StoryGraph was updated on November 9, 2026 and Refrain on November 6, 2026.

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