# Bookshare Reader vs VO Starter

The clearest difference is review sentiment: VO Starter at 67% against Bookshare Reader's 36%. VO Starter also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and rating (3.5 vs 3.3). Bookshare Reader's advantage is ratings volume (67 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

VO Starter holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshare Reader has 67 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Bookshare Reader's written reviews are positive against 67% of VO Starter's.

Bookshare Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, VO Starter every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshare Reader | VO Starter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshare-reader/id1605201737/reviews) | **[3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vo-starter/id6455786629/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **67** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 81 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Benetech](https://appshunter.io/developer/425585906) | [Techopolis Online Solutions, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581877697) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshare Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshare-reader/id1605201737)

Access a vast library of ebooks designed for individuals with reading barriers. Enjoy high-quality audio narration and customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts, colors, and speeds. Continue reading seamlessly from where you left off.

**Highlights:** Access millions of ebooks, High-quality audio narration, Customizable reading experience, Adjustable font size and colors, Follow along with highlighted text, Offline reading

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for dyslexic readers
- 👍 Realistic text-to-speech voices
- 👍 Offline book downloads
- 👍 Essential for blind users
- 👍 Significant improvements made

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Prolonged pauses in speech
- 🐛 Library not syncing across devices
- 🐛 Reading lists don't sync
- 🐛 Progress not saved across devices
- 🐛 Stuck on copyright page (manga)

**Reported bugs**

- Prolonged pauses in text-to-speech
- Library not syncing across devices
- Reading lists not syncing
- Reading progress not saved across devices
- Manga stuck on copyright page

**Requested features**

- Fix prolonged pauses in text-to-speech
- Sync library across devices
- Sync reading lists across devices
- Save reading progress across devices
- Fix manga page navigation


### VO Starter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vo-starter/id6455786629)

This app offers a step-by-step guide to help new blind and visually impaired iOS users learn to navigate their devices using VoiceOver, Apple's built-in screen reader. Lessons are designed to be quick and easy to understand, making the learning process manageable.

**Highlights:** VoiceOver training, Step-by-step iOS guide, Quick and easy lessons, For blind users, For visually impaired users

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshare Reader free?

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

### Is VO Starter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bookshare Reader or VO Starter?

VO Starter is rated higher. Bookshare Reader averages 3.3 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while VO Starter averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Bookshare Reader or VO Starter have ads?

Neither Bookshare Reader nor VO Starter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshare Reader or VO Starter?

Bookshare Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, and VO Starter every 2 days. Most recently, Bookshare Reader was updated on October 1, 2026 and VO Starter on September 22, 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.*