The Palace Project vs BookPilot
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Palace Project
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.
- Borrow e-books and audiobooks
- Access local library collections
- Read or listen to books
- Free Palace Bookshelf collection
- Requires library card for full access
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Palace is a free, easy-to-use e-reader app that lets you find, check out, and read or listen to books from your local library. It’s been said that libraries are “palaces for the people” and the Palace app gives you instant access to your local “palace” any time, right from the palm of your hand. All you need to sign up is your library card! And even if your library isn’t using Palace yet, you can still read more than 10,000 books--from children’s books to classics to foreign language books--for free from our Palace Bookshelf. The Palace app is built and maintained by Lyrasis, a not-for-profit organization working in partnership with Digital Public Library of America with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For more, visit https://thepalaceproject.org.
BookPilot
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BookPilot is your spoiler-safe reading companion. Ask anything about the book you're reading and get clear answers based only on what you've read so far — never a word beyond your current page. Stuck on who a character is? Forgot how two people met? Want a quick recap before you pick a book back up? Just ask. BookPilot knows your exact reading position and keeps every answer inside the spoiler boundary, so you can read with confidence and never have a twist ruined again. WHY READERS LOVE BOOKPILOT • Spoiler-safe by design — the AI only ever sees what you've already read • Ask in plain language — characters, plot, themes, "what did I miss?" • A built-in library of free classics, ready to read in one tap • Bring your own books — upload EPUB or PDF files and start reading • Your progress and conversations sync so you can pick up anywhere • A clean, distraction-free reader built for long sessions HOW IT WORKS Open any book, read at your own pace, and tap Ask whenever a question comes up. BookPilot looks only at the pages up to where you are and answers from there. Read further and it keeps up — the boundary follows you. FREE TO START Read the classics and ask questions every day, for free. Upgrade to BookPilot Pro for much higher daily question limits when you want to go deeper. BOOKPILOT PRO • Monthly — $9.99 • Annual — $99.99 Pro unlocks substantially higher daily question limits. Subscriptions are billed to your Apple ID and renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your device Settings. Payment is charged on confirmation of purchase. Privacy Policy: https://book-pilot.onrender.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Palace Project at none against BookPilot's 2. The Palace Project also leads on chart position (#127 vs unranked) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). BookPilot's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, 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. BookPilot sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. The Palace Project asks for nothing beyond the download.
The Palace Project ships an update fortnightly, BookPilot monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Palace Project | BookPilot |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (5.5K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 27.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5.5K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | #127 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | The Palace Project | BLAKE DANIEL REAMER |
Bugs and requests
The Palace Project
Reported bugs
4 issues- Books not downloading properly
- Losing place in audiobooks
- Crashing and freezing issues
- Incompatibility with certain devices
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to track read/listened books
- Improved audiobook playback controls
- Dark mode option
- Integration with Kindle
BookPilot
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
The Palace Project
No in-app purchases
BookPilot
- BookPilot Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
- BookPilot Pro Annual$99.991 Year
Questions
Is The Palace Project free?
Is BookPilot free?
Do The Palace Project or BookPilot have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Palace Project or BookPilot?
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