African Books vs Sona Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
African Books
Discover a diverse collection of eBooks and audiobooks from African authors and publishers. Amplify the African voice globally with stories spanning various genres, age categories, languages, and regions. Find your next read from a curated selection of literature.
- eBook and audiobook platform
- Focus on African authors and publishers
- Global selection with African connections
- Diverse genres and age categories
- Multiple languages and regions
- Amplify African voices
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AfricanBooks is an ebook platform that caters to African authors and publishers; seeking to amplify the African voice around the world. Our store features books from around Africa and the globe; written by people of African descent, African heritage, lineage or those who a connection to Africa. We have eBooks and audiobooks in a variety of genres, age categories, languages, and regions. If you are looking for books, look no further than AfricanBooks!
Sona Reader
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Sona Reader at every 10 days against African Books's every 2 months. African Books's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
African Books ships an update every 2 months, Sona Reader every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | African Books | Sona Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 96 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | AfricanBooks.com | Sona Books Limited |
In-app purchases
African Books
No in-app purchases
Sona Reader
No in-app purchases
