Comparison

Hardcover.app vs Burrow

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

Head to head
About

Hardcover.app

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
Read full description

Hardcover is a book tracking app with a social side, built for readers, not algorithms. Add books you’ve read or want to read. Keep your library tidy with lists and tags. See what your friends are reading, explore trending picks, and discover hidden gems through curated lists. Rate, review, and share your thoughts. Make your profile public, private, or friends-only—your reading, your rules. Set goals, track your stats, and find your reading rhythm. We use Apple's standard Terms of Service (EULA). https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Burrow

Features
Read full description

A paid subscription or lifetime purchase is required after the library preview. A little home for your reading life. Bring your books together in Burrow, track the time you spend with them and collect keepsakes for the milestones you reach. HOME: YOUR NEXT READING MOMENT Return to your current book, start a reading timer and log pages or minutes. See your daily goals and a preview of your weekly reading insights, then open the details from Home. Set daily page or minute targets and an annual book goal, or pause your goals when you need a break. LIBRARY: YOUR BOOKS, TOGETHER Keep track of what you want to read, what you are reading and what you have finished. Find books in your personal library, organize them with collections and tags, and make your illustrated bookshelf your own. ADD BOOKS YOUR WAY Photograph a bookshelf, scan a book's barcode or cover, search the catalog, or enter details yourself. Review suggested matches before adding them and correct the details when needed. Photo recognition requires an internet connection and may not identify every book or edition. GARDEN: KEEPSAKES YOU CAN PLACE See the keepsakes you have earned and what unlocks next. Celebrate reading milestones with little shelf objects, then place them beside your books. Make a milestone postcard to share, or keep the moment private. REMEMBER WHAT YOU READ Revisit your reading history and keep private notes, favorite quotes and reflections alongside each book. Track physical books, ebooks and audiobooks in one place. Burrow tracks your books; it does not provide ebooks or audiobook playback. PAID ACCESS Add books and preview your library before choosing paid access. The full reading experience requires an active subscription or lifetime purchase. Available plans, current prices and any eligible introductory offer are shown on the purchase screen before you confirm. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Lifetime is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Privacy: https://readowl.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://readowl.app/terms Support: https://readowl.app/support

Screenshots

Hardcover.app4 screens
Burrow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Burrow at every 3 weeks against Hardcover.app's every 6 months. Hardcover.app's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. Hardcover.app sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Burrow sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hardcover.app ships an update every 6 months, Burrow every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hardcover.app versus Burrow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHardcover.appBurrow
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (66 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews52.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings66 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB27 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHardcover LLCRemarcable VC Ltd

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Hardcover.app

Subscriptions2
  • Supporter - Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Supporter - Yearly$49.991 Year
4 purchases

Burrow

Subscriptions3
  • Burrow Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Burrow Annual Offer$24.991 Year
  • Burrow Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Burrow Lifetime$114.99

Questions

Is Hardcover.app free?
Hardcover.app is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Burrow free?
Burrow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hardcover.app or Burrow have ads?
Neither Hardcover.app nor Burrow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hardcover.app or Burrow?
Hardcover.app ships an update every 6 months, and Burrow every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hardcover.app was updated on November 7, 2026 and Burrow on October 31, 2026.

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