# Books Alive! vs Reader Bee

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Books Alive! at none against Reader Bee's 2. Reader Bee's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reader Bee sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Books Alive! asks for nothing beyond the download.

Books Alive! ships an update every 6 months, Reader Bee every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Books Alive! | Reader Bee |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-bee/id6480310608/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 399 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Learning Through Art, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1603505759) | [READER BEE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1560742295) |

## What reviewers say

### Books Alive!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/books-alive/id1603505756)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Reader Bee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-bee/id6480310608)

This app uses interactive books and a unique Chunking Engine with animated phonics sound outs to make learning to read fun and effective. It helps children build cognitive links and decode new words independently, fostering fluency and confidence.

**Highlights:** Interactive books, Chunking Engine, Phonics Sound outs, Animated examples, Independent word decoding, Cognitive link building

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Books Alive! free?

Books Alive! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Reader Bee free?

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

### Do Books Alive! or Reader Bee have ads?

Neither Books Alive! nor Reader Bee shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Books Alive! or Reader Bee?

Books Alive! ships an update every 6 months, and Reader Bee every 2 months. Most recently, Books Alive! was updated on October 27, 2026 and Reader Bee on November 4, 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.*