# Amazon Kindle vs PocketBook Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Amazon Kindle at 4.9 against PocketBook Reader's 4.5. Amazon Kindle also leads on ratings volume (5.8M vs 9.8K) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). PocketBook Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Amazon Kindle sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per month and PocketBook Reader sells 41 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Amazon Kindle holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Amazon Kindle has 5.8M ratings behind it against 9.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Amazon Kindle's written reviews are positive against 54% of PocketBook Reader's.

Amazon Kindle ships an update fortnightly, PocketBook Reader every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Amazon Kindle | PocketBook Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (5.8M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amazon-kindle-reading-app/id302584613/reviews)** | [4.5 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketbook-reader/id805488884/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.8M** | 9.8K |
| Positive reviews | **68.1% of reviews** | 54.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | #161 |
| Size | 198 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [AMZN Mobile LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/297606954) | [Pocketbook International SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536135171) |

## What reviewers say

### Amazon Kindle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amazon-kindle-reading-app/id302584613)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access a vast library of eBooks, magazines, and comics on your mobile device. Customize your reading experience with adjustable text, brightness, and page-turning options. Look up words, track progress, and sync across devices.

**Highlights:** Read purchased eBooks, Access Kindle Unlimited, Customizable text and display, Built-in dictionary and lookup, Track reading progress, Sync reading across devices, Listen to Audible books

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kindle Unlimited | $13.99 | per month |
| Kindle Unlimited | $13.99 | per month |
| 140 Tokens - Kindle Vella (US) | $1.39 | one-time |
| 100 Tokens - Kindle Vella (US) | $1.39 | one-time |
| 140 Tokens - Kindle Vella (US) | $1.99 | one-time |
| 368 Tokens - Kindle Vella (US) | $3.49 | one-time |
| 300 Tokens - Kindle Vella (US) | $3.99 | one-time |
| 368 Tokens - Kindle Vella (US) | $4.99 | one-time |
| 770 Tokens - Kindle Vella (US) | $6.99 | one-time |
| 770 Tokens - Kindle Vella (US) | $9.99 | one-time |
| 900 Tokens - Kindle Vella (US) | $11.49 | one-time |
| 2000 Tokens - Kindle Vella(US) | $23.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Huge library of books
- 📱 Portable and convenient
- 🔍 Useful features like dictionary lookup and highlighting
- 🌙 Adjustable reading settings (font, brightness, etc.)
- 🔁 Seamless syncing across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🛒 Cannot purchase books directly in the app
- 🗂️ Difficulty organizing and managing large book libraries
- 🔍 Inconsistent behavior when highlighting/taking notes
- 🔄 Unreliable syncing between devices
- 🔌 Drains device battery quickly

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes when switching between apps
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Dictionary lookup feature not working reliably

**Requested features**

- Ability to create and manage collections/folders for books
- Option to easily see which books have been read vs unread
- Improved highlighting and note-taking functionality
- Better syncing between Kindle devices and apps
- Dark mode and other customization options


### PocketBook Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketbook-reader/id805488884)

**Currently charting:** #161 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

This app is a versatile reader supporting 26 book and audio formats, including EPUB, PDF, and audiobooks. It offers features like PDF reflow, text-to-speech, cloud synchronization, and extensive customization options for a comfortable reading experience.

**Highlights:** Supports 26 book and audio formats, PDF Reflow function, Text-to-speech engine, Cloud synchronization service, Customizable interface and reading settings, Adobe DRM support

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

**In-app purchases (41)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| eBook | $0.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class A) | $0.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $1.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class B) | $1.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $2.95 | one-time |
| eBook | $2.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class C) | $2.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 4.79 | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 4.19 | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class D) | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class Alt5) | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 5.39 | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class F) | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 5.89 | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 5.09 | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class G) | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 7.09 | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 7.19 | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 8.29 | $6.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 7.59 | $6.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $7.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 8.89 | $7.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class J) | $8.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $8.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $9.90 | one-time |
| eBook | $9.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class L) | $10.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 13.9 | $11.90 | one-time |
| eBook | $11.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 12.99 | $11.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $12.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class N) | $12.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class O) | $13.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 17.9 | $14.90 | one-time |
| eBook | $14.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class R) | $16.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class T) | $18.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class W) | $21.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient reading experience
- 🚀 Smooth scrolling
- 💡 Customizable settings (font, margin, etc.)
- 🔒 Supports DRM-protected content
- 👍 Intuitive user interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Unreliable cloud sync
- 🐛 Inconsistent page rendering
- 🐛 Buggy text highlighting and annotation
- 🐛 Slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Books disappearing from library after login issues
- Inability to open DRM-protected PDFs
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between portrait and landscape modes
- Text-to-speech voice quality issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to organize books into custom folders
- Option to disable quick action zones
- Improved text-to-speech controls (seek, pause, etc.)
- Support for handwritten annotations with Apple Pencil
- Faster page turning and scrolling


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Amazon Kindle free?

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

### Is PocketBook Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Amazon Kindle or PocketBook Reader?

Amazon Kindle is rated higher. Amazon Kindle averages 4.9 out of 5 from 5.8M ratings, while PocketBook Reader averages 4.5 from 9.8K ratings.

### Do Amazon Kindle or PocketBook Reader have ads?

Neither Amazon Kindle nor PocketBook Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Amazon Kindle or PocketBook Reader?

Amazon Kindle ships an update fortnightly, and PocketBook Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Amazon Kindle was updated on September 24, 2026 and PocketBook Reader on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Amazon Kindle or PocketBook Reader?

Amazon Kindle currently peaks at #4 in the App Store charts, and PocketBook Reader at #161. 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.*