# Sequel vs ReadInstead

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: ReadInstead at 13.0 against Sequel's 18.5. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sequel sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and ReadInstead sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.19 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sequel ships an update weekly, ReadInstead every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sequel | ReadInstead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sequel-media-tracker/id1630746993/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 252 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Eventide Studio Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1397103388) | [Pavlo Kovalchuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886402664) |

## What reviewers say

### Sequel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sequel-media-tracker/id1630746993)

Easily track your favorite TV shows, movies, books, and games. Get release reminders, monitor your progress, and discover new titles with this intuitive media wishlist.

**Highlights:** Media wishlist and tracking, Release reminders and countdown widgets, Progress tracking for episodes and books, Discovery of popular and upcoming titles, Sync with iCloud and Trakt, Where to watch and time to beat information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sequel+ | $2.99 | per month |
| Sequel+ (Family Plan) | $4.99 | per month |
| Sequel+ | $19.99 | per year |
| Sequel+ | $19.99 | per year |
| Sequel+ (Family Plan) | $34.99 | per year |
| Sequel+ (Lifetime) | $99.99 | one-time |
| Sequel+ (Lifetime Family) | $174.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Pleasant user experience
- 🚀 Smooth and intuitive interface
- 💡 Comprehensive media tracking across movies, TV, books, and games
- 👍 Responsive and helpful developer
- 🚀 Fast and reliable performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 💰 Subscription pricing may be too high for some users
- 🔍 Limited book database compared to other services
- 💡 Lack of ability to add custom media items

**Reported bugs**

- Certain shows/movies not appearing in search
- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Inconsistent behavior when marking items as watched

**Requested features**

- Add notes/comments for individual media items
- Implement chapter/episode tracking for books
- Introduce a habit tracker or progress visualization
- Integrate with more media services like Apple Podcasts
- Allow sorting/filtering of watch lists by various criteria


### ReadInstead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readinstead/id6760823296)

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly Sale 20 | $7.19 | per month |
| Pro Monthly Sale 15 | $7.59 | per month |
| Max Monthly Sale 20 | $11.99 | per month |
| Max Monthly Sale 15 | $12.49 | per month |
| ReadInstead Max | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro Annual Sale 20 | $71.99 | per year |
| Pro Annual Sale 15 | $76.00 | per year |
| Max Annual Sale 20 | $119.99 | per year |
| Max Annual Sale 15 | $126.99 | per year |
| ReadInstead Max (Annual) | $149.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sequel free?

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

### Is ReadInstead free?

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

### Do Sequel or ReadInstead have ads?

Neither Sequel nor ReadInstead shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sequel or ReadInstead?

Sequel ships an update weekly, and ReadInstead every 8 days. Most recently, Sequel was updated on November 7, 2026 and ReadInstead on November 5, 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.*