Comparison

Natural Reader vs ZenReader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Natural Reader

Access over 1 million free novels with an ad-free reading experience. Enjoy customizable fonts, night mode, and AI-powered recommendations. Seamlessly read offline and get real-time chapter updates on a growing library of exclusive content.

Highlights
  • Over 1 million free novels
  • Ad-free reading experience
  • Night mode and customizable fonts
  • Offline reading support
  • AI-driven book recommendations
  • Real-time chapter updates
Features
Read full description

**Discover Endless Stories with Natural Reader – Free, Ad-Free Reading!** Dive into a universe of over 1 million novels, from trending romances to gripping sci-fi thrillers—all completely free! Natural Reader offers an immersive reading experience with **zero ads**, **night mode**, and **customizable fonts** to protect your eyes. Enjoy seamless offline reading, real-time chapter updates, and AI-driven book recommendations tailored to your taste. Whether you love fantasy, mystery, or classics, our library grows daily with exclusive content. Join 10 million readers worldwide who trust Natural Reader for unlimited stories anytime, anywhere. Rated 4.9/5 stars for its user-friendly design and rich features! VIP Premium Features Subscription: You can subscribe all premium features. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You may manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited if you purchase a subscription. Terms of use: https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/live/a08da0c4-01a4-4620-9bc0-b3c2a86b570a Privacy Policy: https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/live/053990a2-5c3b-489a-be88-02f8127b451c

About

ZenReader

This app is a versatile ebook reader and document manager supporting numerous file formats. It offers a customizable reading interface, note-taking capabilities, text-to-speech functionality, and robust library management features. Track your reading progress and protect your privacy with advanced security options.

Highlights
  • Supports EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT, ZIP, RAR, and more
  • Customizable reading interface with night mode
  • Note-taking, highlighting, and dictionary integration
  • Text-to-speech with multiple language options
  • Wi-Fi transfer, iCloud, and AirDrop import
  • Gesture and facial recognition for privacy
  • Reading statistics and goal setting
Features
Read full description

极简阅读器 - 文档整理、笔记、朗读、解压 作为一款好用易上手文档管理APP,它的主要的亮点在于 ● 丰富的格式支持,Txt、Epub、Pdf、Mobi、Azw、Zip、Rar、7z等 ● 支持wifi传书、iCloud导入、隔空传送,即传即到 ● 舒适养眼的阅读界面,很护眼夜间模式,提供多种翻页模式,仿真、平移、滚动、覆盖模式等 ● 强大的自定义功能,自定义文字间距、段落间距、首行缩进,图片背景 ● 好用的笔记记录,长按文字,支持划线、笔记、词典、网页、全文搜索、分享等功能 ● 多种听书朗读功能,支持中文、广东话、英语、德语、意大利语诸多语系 ● 隐私保护,通过手势或者人脸识别解锁 ● 统计您的阅读记录,通过数据来感受你的阅读进展,设置您的阅读目标、阅读时长等 ● 强大的书籍管理功能,支持自定义分组,修改书名,阅读进度,导入导出 ● 自动分章节,你会发现即使你下载的是TXT格式,也能看到完美的章节 ● 提供了所有系统自带的字体,也自己导入字体文件,阅读更善心悦目 让你在沉浸式阅读中获得的最纯粹的体验~ ===== 极简阅读 可以按年订阅或一次性购买。在选择订阅模式时,免费试用或确认购买后,我们将从您的 iTunes 帐户中收取费用。除非在账单周期结束前至少 24 小时关闭自动续订,否则将自动续订。您可以转到 iTunes 帐户设置来管理订阅并关闭自动续订。 政策和使用条款 https://simplereader.super.site/%e9%9a%90%e7%a7%81%e6%94%bf%e7%ad%96

Screenshots

Natural Reader4 screens
ZenReader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ZenReader at 82% against Natural Reader's 0%. ZenReader also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 months). Natural Reader's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Natural Reader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and ZenReader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ZenReader holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZenReader has 379 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Natural Reader's written reviews are positive against 82% of ZenReader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Natural Reader ships an update every 6 months, ZenReader every 9 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Natural Reader versus ZenReader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNatural ReaderZenReader
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (13 ratings)4.7 (379 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews81.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13379 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB60 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPremiumAi LimitedLexyTech Ltd.

Customer experience

Natural Reader

All ratings13 ratings
Positive69.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative30.8%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

ZenReader

All ratings379 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews77 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%

Bugs and requests

Natural Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ZenReader

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Text replacement shows success but reverts after reopening
  • Duplicate chapters in segmentation
  • File parsing errors on valid documents
  • Audiobook stops when screen locks
  • Voice narration language changed to Cantonese after iOS 18
Show 5 more
  • Import failure notifications appear repeatedly
  • Deleting one file with same name deletes both (EPUB and AZW3)
  • Cannot select text across multiple HTML sections
  • Settings arrows not clickable, only text is
  • QQ file import broken in recent versions

Requested features

19 requests
  • Simplified audiobook playback controls
  • Flexible audiobook starting point selection
  • Include audiobook listening time in statistics
  • English language UI support
  • Direct TXT file editing capability
Show 14 more
  • Footnote/link navigation support
  • Faster audiobook speed options beyond 3x
  • Better quality AI voice narration
  • Vertical text layout option
  • Auto-page turning feature
  • Customizable note colors
  • Cross-file text selection and highlighting
  • Annotation page navigation
  • Instant translation feature for English books
  • Customizable tap zones for left-handed users
  • Document sorting options
  • File management through Files app
  • Smarter chapter segmentation
  • Compatibility with book formatting standards

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Natural Reader

Subscriptions3
  • 连续包月阅读会员1 Month trial$0.991 Month
  • 连续包月阅读会员3 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • 连续包年阅读会员3 Days trial$3.991 Year
One-time1
  • 永久解锁$14.99
4 purchases

ZenReader

Subscriptions1
  • 1年订阅$6.991 Year
One-time3
  • 限时特惠$9.99
  • Pro专业版$14.99
  • Pro渠道优惠$39.99

Questions

Is Natural Reader free?
Natural Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ZenReader free?
ZenReader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Natural Reader or ZenReader?
ZenReader is rated higher. Natural Reader averages 3.7 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while ZenReader averages 4.7 from 379 ratings.
Do Natural Reader or ZenReader have ads?
ZenReader shows ads; Natural Reader does not.
Which is updated more often, Natural Reader or ZenReader?
Natural Reader ships an update every 6 months, and ZenReader every 9 days. Most recently, Natural Reader was updated on November 3, 2026 and ZenReader on November 3, 2026.

Other comparisons