Bionic Reading® vs illumiBook
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bionic Reading®
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.
- 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
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All 6 Bionic Reading® Apps are available as a free or a Premium version – 6 for 1 Price. The one and only from Switzerland is a “Life Changer” for Lisa, a “Game Changer” for Tommy and “Absolutely Mind Blowing” for Kelly. Bionic Reading® Faster. Better. More focused. Reading. Bionic Reading® for Apple iOS, iPadOS, macOS, other platforms and web. We offer you the free version “Discover” and the subscriptions “Premium” and “Premium Plus”. BIONIC READING® IN NUMBERS. • 882+ Million: TikTok search results • 1+ Billion: Mentioned in communities • 233 Countries: Where our users come from • 5.9 Million: Website visitors • 3 Platforms: With viral posts • 50+ Viral posts: From our users Bionic Reading® revises texts in such a way that the most concise parts of the words are highlighted. This guides the eye over the text and the brain remembers words already learned more quickly. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. The Bionic Reading® reading mode can be individually adapted to the needs of all readers. This flexibility allows Bionic Reading® to provide maximum customization for all users. YOU GET. • Save precious time. • Gain advantages. • Learn new things faster. • Expand your knowledge. • Improve your skills. • Noise-free with more focus. • Less distraction. FEATURES. • Download as Word file. • You can now smoothly continue your reading experience with “Bionic Reading® Reader” across platforms, as the last reading position is now saved. • Bookmarks now allow you to mark your favorite pages. • Advanced Bionic Reading® Settings with Part of speech. • Bionic Reading® Reader for your reading experience. • Bionic Reading® Library for your favourites. • Synced content. • Fixation, Sccade, Opacity. • Fixation via Letters or Syllables. • Details. • Colors. • Light Mode. Dark Mode. • Upload File, Text or Website, convert and read in the Apps. • File Conversion. • Text Conversion. • Website Conversion. • Send to Amazon® Kindle. • Download as EPUB, PDF, WORD. • Carefully selected Fonts. • Designed for the Latin alphabet. +15% HAVE READING DIFFICULTIES. More than 15% of the population has great difficulty reading and understanding texts (ADHD, dyslexia). We have received feedback from people with ADHD that thanks to Bionic Reading® they immediately understood the content of various texts the first time they read them, which was impossible without Bionic Reading®. COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK. Jessica: “Having ADHD and processing issues means that I read very slow because my brain can’t focus on the words enough to both read them and process what they mean at a decent pace. Using Bionic Reading® has allowed me to feel functional and productive when I’m reading something lengthy – it’s such a GAME CHANGER!” Lisa: “I have not read fiction for 20 years. I read what I have to read. It almost hurts my brain to read regular type. But now I will be reading fiction again! Bionic Reading® works for me and I can read 2–3 times faster! AMAZING! This is a LIFE CHANGER! Thank You!” Patrick: “OK, Bionic Reading® is the real deal. I already read quickly and this doubled it.” Reaction from Daniel: “Holy smokes you’re not kidding!” Carla: “WOW! I could read quickly and fluently using Bionic Reading®. Doing this helped me understand the context of the paragraph much better than when I have to squint and focus on each word, which tires me out and I lose focus. Bionic Reading® is brilliant!” Nestor: “Your tool is gorgeous, It’s helping me a lot. My sight is reduced because one of my transplanted corneas has become opaque and Bionic Reading® is helping me a lot to read easier and comprehend faster.” TYPOGRAPHY. DESIGN. SWITZERLAND. With over 26 years of experience in typography, we know how important it is to get text right. It’s the small details that matter enormously to make you read better. INTERNATIONAL AWARDS FOR BIONIC READING®. • German Innovation Award 2023: Gold (highest distinction) • German Design Award 2023: Gold (highest distinction)
illumiBook
This app enhances the reading experience by blending physical books with digital media, aiding literacy development and comprehension. It offers synchronized reading features and supports museum and gallery tours, making digital devices complementary to real-world exploration.
- Synchronized audio-assisted reading
- Enhanced comprehension with physical books
- Digital media integration with printed pages
- Literacy support for young children
- Museum, gallery, and street tours
- Focus on real-world engagement
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illumiBook provides a platform to help readers discover the enjoyment of real books while providing content owners the ability to blend digital media with the printed page. Designed to help young children with literacy challenges; others to choose a real book without loosing the advantages of digital; while also delivering a platform for museum, gallery and street tours. illumiBook helps the user experience the real world where the mobile phone or tablet becomes enablers of entertainment and education, not destinations in themselves. The research behind illumiBook For those that want proven reasons to try illumiBook, there is science, not just ideology, behind our designs and objectives. We’re always on the lookout for ways to enhance the reading experience, especially for those that find reading a challenge. I’m excited therefore to share some of the research in language and literacy psychology that highlights the unique advantages of our platform. While some of these benefits might already be familiar to you, we have recently updated our FAQ page to make it easier to discover the research behind our platform. Here’s why we believe illumiBook matters: 1. Enhanced Comprehension with Physical Books: Research continues to show that reading from a physical book leads to better comprehension and knowledge retention compared to digital devices. It’s a simple yet powerful way to make the most out of your reading time. 2. Beyond ‘Ear-Reading’: While audiobooks, at times referred to as “ear-reading”, are a popular choice — thanks to platforms like Audible, Apple and others — research shows that the benefits of traditional reading surpass those of simply listening. This highlights the unique value of illumiBook. 3. The Power of Synchronised Reading: One of the most exciting findings is the benefit of reading along with a book while it’s being read aloud. This method, known as Audio-Assisted Reading, has been shown to significantly improve comprehension, especially for children with learning difficulties or individuals learning a new language. We’re proud to showcase how illumiBook not only brings the joy of reading to life but also amplifies learning and comprehension through our unique blend of physical books and synchronised audio. Using digital devices as aids rather than the destination. The research underscores that our approach offers substantial advantages over digital reading methods, particularly in enhancing focus and retaining information. While audiobooks will always have their place, illumiBook offers a richer, more immersive reading experience. Personally, I’ve often found my focus drifting off while listening to an audiobook, only to realise I’ve missed entire sections. Our synchronised reading approach helps keep you fully engaged with a physical book in your hands, ensuring you don’t miss a thing. Explore the research and see for yourself how illumiBook is transforming the reading experience. The most important thing is help with the reading experience; whether this be digital, audio or physical. Reading regularly and frequently is what matters. We believe here at illumiBook Publishing that for those that need a little help, there’s illumiBook. Visit our FAQ page on our website to learn more! Or just download a free copy of the app to your iPhone or iPad and try with one of the books in our library. You might join our growing list of users that discovered how good and easy it is to help young minds develop the love of reading. Reading is one of life's great pleasures. Whether you're a child, a student, or an adult, there's nothing quite like getting lost in a good book. However, sometimes words and pictures just aren't enough. Sometimes, you want to go deeper, to learn more, to explore the world beyond the page. That's where illumiBook comes in.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: illumiBook at 100% against Bionic Reading®'s 26%. illumiBook also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Bionic Reading®'s advantage is chart position (#210 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Bionic Reading® sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.95 per month. illumiBook asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bionic Reading® | illumiBook |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.4 (151 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 26.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 151 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #210 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bionic Reading AG | AppSherpas Limited |
Customer experience
Bionic Reading®
illumiBook
Bugs and requests
Bionic Reading®
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes or freezes
- Subscription issues (unable to upgrade, cancel, or get refunds)
- Conversion errors and failed file uploads
Requested features
3 requests- Integrate with more platforms (Kindle, web browser)
- Offer one-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Improve customer support and communication
illumiBook
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Bionic Reading®
- Bionic Reading® Premium$2.951 Month
- Bionic Reading® Premium Plus$12.991 Month
- Bionic Reading® Premium$30.491 Year
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- Bionic Reading® Premium Plus$128.991 Year
illumiBook
No in-app purchases









