# Hardcover.app vs Readwise Books

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Readwise Books at 100% against Hardcover.app's 52%. Readwise Books also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hardcover.app sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Readwise Books asks for nothing beyond the download.

Readwise Books holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 66 and 64 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Hardcover.app's written reviews are positive against 100% of Readwise Books's.

Hardcover.app ships an update every 6 months, Readwise Books every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hardcover.app | Readwise Books |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (66 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardcoverapp/id1663379893/reviews) | **[5.0 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise-books/id6502848368/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **66** | 64 |
| Positive reviews | 52.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#79** |
| Size | 6 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Hardcover LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663379895) | [Readwise, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476885527) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Readwise Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise-books/id6502848368)

**Currently charting:** #79 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

This reading app allows you to buy, read, and track all your books in one place. It automatically logs your reading sessions and provides detailed metrics to help you improve. Share your reading progress with friends in a low-pressure feed.

**Highlights:** Centralized book library, Automatic reading session logging, Detailed reading metrics, Print book tracking, Highlighting and note-taking, Optional social feed, EPUB audio playback

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hardcover.app free?

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

### Is Readwise Books free?

Readwise Books is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hardcover.app or Readwise Books?

Readwise Books is rated higher. Hardcover.app averages 4.2 out of 5 from 66 ratings, while Readwise Books averages 5.0 from 64 ratings.

### Do Hardcover.app or Readwise Books have ads?

Neither Hardcover.app nor Readwise Books shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hardcover.app or Readwise Books?

Hardcover.app ships an update every 6 months, and Readwise Books every 3 days. Most recently, Hardcover.app was updated on November 3, 2026 and Readwise Books on October 30, 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.*