ArewaBooks vs Sona Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ArewaBooks
Discover thousands of free Hausa and English stories, including ongoing series and completed novels. Access a vast library of captivating narratives anytime, anywhere.
- Hausa and English stories
- Ongoing series
- Completed stories
- Thousands of free books
- Discover new narratives
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Find Your Amazing Hausa and English Stories Always on ArewaBooks both Ongoing Series and Completed Story, Discover 1000s Free Books...
Sona Reader
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Welcome to your favourite reading app. Read books by your favourite African and international authors, and add your own to build your library, all in one reader. Annotate your pages, hit your reading goals, and read on any device. With a Sọna account, you can also read your own books in your browser. A LIBRARY THAT FOLLOWS YOU Your books, place, bookmarks, highlights and notes sync across your phone and tablet. Import your own EPUBs and PDFs and read them next to your Sọna books. Sort your shelves into collections and keep a wishlist for what you want next. MARK UP EVERY PAGE - Highlight in nine colours, with shades made for each reader theme - Attach a note to the exact passage you selected - React to a passage with a private emoji that sits in the margin, and pick your five favourites - Find every saved passage again in From Your Pages on Home, and tap one to open the book at that spot A READING YEAR YOU CAN SEE - Set a yearly reading goal and track it, with confetti when you pass it - Keep a daily reading streak - See your monthly Sọna Chapters and your Sọna Wrapped READ YOUR WAY - Light, sepia, dark and black themes - Your own font, text size and spacing - Picture Books, PDFs and EPUBs, all in one reader FIND YOUR NEXT BOOK - More to Read suggests books from what you have been reading - Discover new books and free reads - Follow your favourite authors and see who you follow, any time eARC HUB - Request advance copies from authors, read them early, and leave reviews, all from your phone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Sona Reader at every 2 weeks against ArewaBooks's every 3 weeks. ArewaBooks's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ArewaBooks ships an update every 3 weeks, Sona Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ArewaBooks | Sona Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Arewa Books Publishers | Sona Books Limited |
In-app purchases
ArewaBooks
No in-app purchases
Sona Reader
No in-app purchases
