# PaperTrail vs Bookdot

The clearest difference is rating: Bookdot at 4.9 against PaperTrail's 4.3. Bookdot also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 57%) and ratings volume (64 vs 12). PaperTrail's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookdot sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. PaperTrail asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bookdot holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookdot has 64 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of PaperTrail's written reviews are positive against 95% of Bookdot's.

PaperTrail ships an update every 8 days, Bookdot weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PaperTrail | Bookdot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papertrail-book-tracker/id1591605130/reviews) | **[4.9 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookdot-book-tracker/id6503656539/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **64** |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | **94.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 28 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MAXX TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1374462335) | [TRILLIWON, Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1050731374) |

## What reviewers say

### PaperTrail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papertrail-book-tracker/id1591605130)

Log books you want to read, track your current reads, and view analytics on finished books. This reading companion offers a vast book database and secure library backup.

**Highlights:** Log desired books, Track current reads, View read book analytics, Vast book universe, Secure library backup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bookdot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookdot-book-tracker/id6503656539)

Manage your personal library, track reading progress, and improve comprehension with notes and highlights. Set reading goals and visualize your growing collection. Ideal for building consistent reading habits.

**Highlights:** Easy book management, Track reading progress, Note taking and highlights, Rate and review books, Customizable themes, iCloud sync

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bookdot Plus - Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Bookdot Plus - Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| Bookdot Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and simple UI
- 🔗 Notion integration is great
- 📚 Excellent for tracking reading
- 💡 Useful note-taking and archiving
- 📅 Calendar view is appreciated

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Book cover overlap in calendar
- 🤔 Difficulty finding theme settings
- ❓ Unclear Notion sync guide
- 🔄 Inability to change read dates
- ↩️ Missing back button on search page

**Reported bugs**

- Book covers overlap on the calendar view when multiple books are read on the same day
- Unable to change the read date after entry
- ISBN scanning frequently fails, requiring manual entry
- Search page lacks a back button, forcing app exit
- Notes not syncing to Notion (reported by multiple users)

**Requested features**

- Allow half-star ratings
- Add functionality to log re-reads of the same book
- Improve sorting options for completed books (by rating or date)
- Display multiple book covers clearly when more than two are read on the same day
- Provide a guide for Notion integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PaperTrail free?

PaperTrail is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bookdot free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PaperTrail or Bookdot?

Bookdot is rated higher. PaperTrail averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Bookdot averages 4.9 from 64 ratings.

### Do PaperTrail or Bookdot have ads?

Neither PaperTrail nor Bookdot shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PaperTrail or Bookdot?

PaperTrail ships an update every 8 days, and Bookdot weekly. Most recently, PaperTrail was updated on September 17, 2026 and Bookdot on September 21, 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.*