Comparison

AfricaRead vs Sona Reader

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

Head to head
About

AfricaRead

Access and read books from authors published on the platform. Browse titles by genre, read samples, and enjoy a comfortable, distraction-free reading experience with customizable appearance and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • Browse curated recommendations
  • Explore books by genre
  • Read public samples
  • Distraction-free reading
  • Light and dark appearance modes
  • Track reading progress
  • Manage personal bookshelf
Features
Read full description

AfricaRead reader app let's you access and read your favouratie books from authors published on AfricaRead. Browse titles, explore by genre, read samples, and enjoy a clean reading experience designed for comfort. Features • Browse curated recommendations and featured titles • Explore books across multiple genres and categories • Read public samples before adding titles to your library • Enjoy distraction-free reading • Switch between light and dark appearance for comfortable reading • Track reading progress and continue from where you left off • Save titles for later and manage your personal bookshelf when signed in AfricaRead is built to make digital reading simple, accessible, and enjoyable for readers everywhere.

About

Sona Reader

Read full description

Welcome to your favourite reading app. Read books by your favourite African and international authors, and add your own to build your library, all in one reader. Annotate your pages, hit your reading goals, and read on any device. With a Sọna account, you can also read your own books in your browser. READ STORIES AS THEY UNFOLD - Follow stories released chapter by chapter, and get an alert when a new chapter is out - Unlock the next chapter, or tip the author at the end of a chapter - Read comics episode by episode A LIBRARY THAT FOLLOWS YOU Your books, place, bookmarks, highlights and notes sync across your phone and tablet. Import your own EPUBs and PDFs and read them next to your Sọna books. Sort your shelves into collections and keep a wishlist for what you want next. MARK UP EVERY PAGE - Highlight in nine colours, with shades made for each reader theme - Attach a note to the exact passage you selected - React to a passage with a private emoji that sits in the margin, and pick your five favourites - Find every saved passage again in From Your Pages on Home, and tap one to open the book at that spot A READING YEAR YOU CAN SEE - Set a yearly reading goal and track it, with confetti when you pass it - Keep a daily reading streak - See your monthly Sọna Chapters and your Sọna Wrapped READ YOUR WAY - Light, sepia, dark and black themes - Your own font, text size and spacing - Picture Books, PDFs and EPUBs, all in one reader - Comics and PDFs: see every page in a grid, and pinch or double-tap to zoom FIND YOUR NEXT BOOK - More to Read suggests books from what you have been reading - Discover new books and free reads - Follow your favourite authors and see who you follow, any time REVIEWER HUB (formerly eARC Hub) - Request advance copies from authors, read them early, and leave reviews, all from your phone - Share, edit and delete your own reviews

Screenshots

AfricaRead4 screens
Sona Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sona Reader at none against AfricaRead's 6. Sona Reader also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). AfricaRead's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. AfricaRead sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Sona Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AfricaRead ships an update monthly, Sona Reader every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AfricaRead versus Sona Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAfricaReadSona Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB41 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperE & B AFRICA READSona Books Limited

In-app purchases

6 purchases

AfricaRead

One-time6
  • 01$1.49
  • 02$2.99
  • 05$7.49
Show 3 more
  • 10$14.90
  • 20$29.99
  • 50$74.90
None

Sona Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AfricaRead free?
AfricaRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sona Reader free?
Sona Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do AfricaRead or Sona Reader have ads?
Neither AfricaRead nor Sona Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AfricaRead or Sona Reader?
AfricaRead ships an update monthly, and Sona Reader every 10 days. Most recently, AfricaRead was updated on November 3, 2026 and Sona Reader on November 9, 2026.

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