# Shakespeare vs Yorick Plays

Shakespeare and Yorick Plays are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Shakespeare sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Yorick Plays sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shakespeare ships an update every 3 weeks, Yorick Plays fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shakespeare | Yorick Plays |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakespeare/id285035416/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 74.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 416 MB | 151 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [PlayShakespeare.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/809094812) | [Beautiful Cabin Crew LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886176056) |

## What reviewers say

### Shakespeare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakespeare/id285035416)

Access the complete works of Shakespeare, including plays, sonnets, and poems. Features include a powerful search, integrated glossary, note-taking, and customization options for a rich reading experience.

**Highlights:** Complete works of Shakespeare, Powerful search and concordance, Integrated glossary with definitions, Add and share personal notes, Customizable reading experience, Scene breakdowns and character descriptions, Modern translations and lexicons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Modern Translation (Hamlet) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Macbeth) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Schmidt's Lexicon | $3.99 | one-time |
| All Apocrypha | $7.99 | one-time |
| Course: Intro to Shakespeare | $9.99 | one-time |
| All Lexicons | $9.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Shakespeare Pro | $12.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (All Works) | $14.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (All Works) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Shakespeare Ultimate | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best app out there
- 👍 Excellent app
- 👍 Terrific app for Shakespeare lovers
- 👍 Remarkable level of detail and care
- 👍 Invaluable for actors and students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes, buggy, unstable
- 💰 Nickel-and-diming for features
- 💰 Upgrade to pro is misleading
- 💰 Constant nagging to upgrade
- 🤔 Abbreviated character names

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch or opening plays
- Scrolling and UI issues
- Incompatible with latest iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add modern translations
- Include line numbers
- Improve search and navigation
- Add more content like sonnets
- Sync purchases across devices


### Yorick Plays

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yorick-plays/id6760775806)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yorick Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Yorick Premium Annual | $79.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shakespeare free?

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

### Is Yorick Plays free?

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

### Do Shakespeare or Yorick Plays have ads?

Neither Shakespeare nor Yorick Plays shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shakespeare or Yorick Plays?

Shakespeare ships an update every 3 weeks, and Yorick Plays fortnightly. Most recently, Shakespeare was updated on November 9, 2026 and Yorick Plays on October 31, 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.*