# Bionic Reading® vs Hardcover.app

The clearest difference is rating: Hardcover.app at 4.2 against Bionic Reading®'s 2.4. Hardcover.app also leads on review sentiment (52% vs 26%). Bionic Reading®'s advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bionic Reading® sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.95 per month and Hardcover.app sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hardcover.app holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 151 and 66 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Bionic Reading®'s written reviews are positive against 52% of Hardcover.app's.

Bionic Reading® ships an update every 3 weeks, Hardcover.app every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bionic Reading® | Hardcover.app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.4 (151 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bionic-reading/id1644658030/reviews) | **[4.2 (66 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardcoverapp/id1663379893/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **151** | 66 |
| Positive reviews | 26.3% of reviews | **52.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 52 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Bionic Reading AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1659624105) | [Hardcover LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663379895) |

## What reviewers say

### Bionic Reading®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bionic-reading/id1644658030)

This app enhances reading speed and comprehension by highlighting the most concise parts of words. It offers customizable reading modes to aid users with reading difficulties and improve focus for all.

**Highlights:** Text revision for faster reading, Customizable reading modes, Save reading position across platforms, Bookmarks for favorite pages, Upload files, text, or websites for conversion, Export to EPUB, PDF, WORD, Light and Dark Mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bionic Reading® Premium | $2.95 | per month |
| Bionic Reading® Premium Plus | $12.99 | per month |
| Bionic Reading® Premium | $30.49 | per year |
| Bionic Reading® Premium Plus | $128.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faster reading
- 🔍 Helpful for ADHD and dyslexia
- 👍 Life-changing for some users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app
- 🚫 Limited functionality (no PDF support)
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes
- Subscription issues (unable to upgrade, cancel, or get refunds)
- Conversion errors and failed file uploads

**Requested features**

- Integrate with more platforms (Kindle, web browser)
- Offer one-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Improve customer support and communication


### Hardcover.app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardcoverapp/id1663379893)

This app helps you organize and discover books. Track what you've read, create custom lists, and see what friends are reading. Set reading goals and share your thoughts on books.

**Highlights:** Track read and to-read books, Organize with lists and tags, See friends' reading activity, Discover trending books, Rate and review books, Set reading goals, Track reading statistics

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Supporter - Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bionic Reading® free?

Bionic Reading® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hardcover.app free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bionic Reading® or Hardcover.app?

Hardcover.app is rated higher. Bionic Reading® averages 2.4 out of 5 from 151 ratings, while Hardcover.app averages 4.2 from 66 ratings.

### Do Bionic Reading® or Hardcover.app have ads?

Neither Bionic Reading® nor Hardcover.app shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bionic Reading® or Hardcover.app?

Bionic Reading® ships an update every 3 weeks, and Hardcover.app every 6 months. Most recently, Bionic Reading® was updated on October 12, 2026 and Hardcover.app on October 11, 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.*