# BookWatch vs BeFreed

The clearest difference is update cadence: BookWatch at every 3 days against BeFreed's every 9 days. BookWatch also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 4.1K). BeFreed's advantage is review sentiment (60% vs 51%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BookWatch sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and BeFreed sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for BookWatch against 4.7 for BeFreed. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14K and 4.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of BookWatch's written reviews are positive against 60% of BeFreed's.

BookWatch ships an update every 3 days, BeFreed every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookWatch | BeFreed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookwatch-visual-learning/id1660054787/reviews) | **[4.7 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/befreed-get-smarter-daily/id6739747450/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 4.1K |
| Positive reviews | 50.8% of reviews | **59.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#80** | #136 |
| Size | 65 MB | 177 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Morfosis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1660054789) | [beFreed, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1786839622) |

## What reviewers say

### BookWatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookwatch-visual-learning/id1660054787)

**Currently charting:** #80 Top Grossing · Book, #116 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

This app transforms books into engaging video summaries, making learning fun and easy. Access animated explanations of fiction and non-fiction titles, perfect for visual learners who prefer watching over reading.

**Highlights:** Animated video summaries of books, Learn from fiction and non-fiction, Whiteboard animation style, Focus on key insights, Access best-selling book summaries

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| BookWatch Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| BookWatch Premium Subscription | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| BookWatch Premium Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| Bookwatch 7 day trial | $69.99 | per year |
| Annual Plan - 7 Days Trial | $89.99 | per year |
| 3 Day Trial - BookWatch Premium | $89.99 | per year |
| BookWatch Premium Free Trial Annual | $139.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Helpful for visual learners
- 👍 Convenient and easy to use
- 🚀 Time-saving summaries
- 👍 Great content and animated videos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent search functionality
- 🐛 Incomplete book access after subscription
- 🔒 Questionable subscription practices
- 🐛 Lack of English subtitles/captions

**Reported bugs**

- Intro content not fully accessible
- Subscription issues and lack of refunds

**Requested features**

- Background listening mode
- Web/desktop version
- Improved visualization


### BeFreed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/befreed-get-smarter-daily/id6739747450)

**Currently charting:** #136 Top Grossing · Book, #188 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

This app creates personalized audio learning plans from books, research, and expert talks to help you develop specific skills like leadership or charisma. It adapts to your progress and offers practice sessions with real-time feedback. Learn in your preferred voice, length, and style, with organized notes to retain key takeaways.

**Highlights:** Personalized audio learning plans, Skill-focused curriculum, Adaptive learning paths, Practice sessions with feedback, Customizable audio length and style, Organized note-taking, Real-world growth tracking

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BeFreed Pro Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Premium Quarterly | $28.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Quarterly | $28.99 | per 3 months |
| Listening Pass — Yearly | $29.00 | per year |
| Premium Yearly Promotion | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly Plan | $89.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $89.99 | per year |
| Pro Yearly | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Custom Podcasts
- 👍 Wish I Had This in College
- 👍 Better than Blinkist
- 👍 I like this app sooo much
- 👍 Loving it so far

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Great idea poor execution
- 🤔 Why did all the covers change to AI generated covers and the setting button doesn't work
- 💰 Amazing idea and probably a great app if you want to pay. I do not. I just want something free.
- 🤔 I want to be able to read the entire book not just summaries

**Reported bugs**

- Dont do it.  Took my money.  Terrible customer service

**Requested features**

- Let me highlight and save stuff inside the app!
- Expand the container holding content to fix right side margin cutting off sentences


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookWatch free?

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

### Is BeFreed free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BookWatch or BeFreed?

BeFreed is rated higher. BookWatch averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while BeFreed averages 4.7 from 4.1K ratings.

### Do BookWatch or BeFreed have ads?

Both BookWatch and BeFreed show ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookWatch or BeFreed?

BookWatch ships an update every 3 days, and BeFreed every 9 days. Most recently, BookWatch was updated on November 12, 2026 and BeFreed on November 8, 2026.

### Which is more popular, BookWatch or BeFreed?

BookWatch currently peaks at #80 in the App Store charts, and BeFreed at #136. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*