# The Palace Project vs Readmax

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Palace Project at none against Readmax's 2. The Palace Project also leads on ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#98 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Readmax sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. The Palace Project asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Palace Project ships an update fortnightly, Readmax monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Palace Project | Readmax |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (5.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-palace-project/id1574359693/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 27.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#98** | — |
| Size | 49 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Palace Project](https://appshunter.io/developer/1574359695) | [Walker Reading Technologies, Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/1747689564) |

## What reviewers say

### The Palace Project

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-palace-project/id1574359693)

**Currently charting:** #98 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access and enjoy e-books and audiobooks from your local library for free. Discover new titles, borrow them instantly with your library card, and read or listen anywhere. Even without a participating library, enjoy a collection of free books.

**Highlights:** Borrow e-books and audiobooks, Access local library collections, Read or listen to books, Free Palace Bookshelf collection, Requires library card for full access

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great selection of books
- 💡 Convenient access to library books
- 👍 Simple and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- 🤯 Inconsistent user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Books not downloading properly
- Losing place in audiobooks
- Crashing and freezing issues
- Incompatibility with certain devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to track read/listened books
- Improved audiobook playback controls
- Dark mode option
- Integration with Kindle


### Readmax

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readmax/id6502988625)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ReadMax App | $3.99 | per month |
| ReadMax App | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Palace Project free?

The Palace Project is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Readmax free?

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

### Do The Palace Project or Readmax have ads?

Readmax shows ads; The Palace Project does not.

### Which is updated more often, The Palace Project or Readmax?

The Palace Project ships an update fortnightly, and Readmax monthly. Most recently, The Palace Project was updated on October 19, 2026 and Readmax on October 7, 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.*