# CHMate vs Interchange

The clearest difference is monetization model: CHMate at free with in-app purchases against Interchange's subscription. Interchange's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 3.9) and review sentiment (73% vs 55%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CHMate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Interchange sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Interchange holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Interchange has 212 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of CHMate's written reviews are positive against 73% of Interchange's.

CHMate ships an update every 2 weeks, Interchange every 6 days. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | CHMate | Interchange |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chmate-epub-and-chm-reader/id335157929/reviews) | **[4.3 (212 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/interchange-ebook-converter/id1198053063/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **212** |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | **73.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 51 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **12.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 17+ |
| Developer | [贤安 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/318015371) | [小龙 刘](https://appshunter.io/developer/1171012527) |

## What reviewers say

### CHMate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chmate-epub-and-chm-reader/id335157929)

Transform your personal ebook files into a comfortable reading experience with a customizable virtual bookshelf. Enjoy tailored typography, import your own fonts, and organize your collection with decorative elements and personal photos. Read EPUB and CHM files offline with powerful search and annotation tools.

**Highlights:** Customizable virtual bookshelf with ambient lighting, Decorate shelves with photos, videos, and ornaments, Tailored typography with adjustable fonts and page colors, Import custom font files, Read EPUB and CHM files offline, Full-text search and annotation tools, Local Wi-Fi file transfer

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CHMate+ | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent UI/UX design and interface
- 📖 Best CHM file reader available
- ⚡ Fast and smooth performance
- 🎨 Customizable text formatting and fonts
- 🔍 Powerful search functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- ⚠️ iCloud sync deletes files irreversibly
- 💰 Expensive pricing for functionality
- 🔄 Highlighting and annotations don't persist
- 📱 Compatibility issues with iOS updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when searching CHM files
- Crashes when using tap-hold for bookmarking
- Highlighting functionality broken after iOS updates
- Notes and bookmarks not saving properly
- Highlights disappear or move between chapters

**Requested features**

- Dark mode and additional color themes (Sepia)
- Book cover display instead of text-only library view
- PDF support
- Text-to-speech functionality
- Better pagination options


### Interchange

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/interchange-ebook-converter/id1198053063)

Convert and read a wide variety of ebook formats, including DRM-protected files. Offers extensive customization for reading, note-taking, and book management. Supports multiple import methods and file decompression.

**Highlights:** Multiple ebook format conversion, DRM removal for Kindle books, Customizable ebook reader layout, Note-taking and bookmarking, Customizable book covers, Multiple page-turning methods, Comic reading support, Advanced book management

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| UNLOCK ALL FEATURES, REMOVE AD | $2.49 | per month |
| UNLOCK ALL FEATURES, REMOVE AD | $4.99 | per year |
| REMOVE ALL ADS | $1.99 | one-time |
| Conversions+50 | $1.99 | one-time |
| All formats | $1.99 | one-time |
| Conversions+600 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Conversions+1000 | $3.99 | one-time |
| ALL ACCESS, REMOVING AD | $9.99 | one-time |
| All advanced features | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and quick conversion speeds
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 📁 Supports multiple file formats
- 💰 Free version available
- 📧 Can send files to Kindle

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and crashes on cover changes
- 😤 Intrusive and excessive advertising
- ❌ Poor conversion quality for PDFs
- 🔤 Confusing and non-intuitive UI
- 🌐 Inconsistent English localization

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when changing covers
- Ad close buttons are too small or non-functional
- Converted files show as 0 bytes
- App crashes when deleting empty files
- Pro version features still require upgrade prompts

**Requested features**

- Batch conversion capability
- Right-to-left text support for Arabic books
- Proper cover image inclusion in conversions
- Unlimited conversions
- iPad Pro landscape orientation support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CHMate free?

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

### Is Interchange free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CHMate or Interchange?

Interchange is rated higher. CHMate averages 3.9 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Interchange averages 4.3 from 212 ratings.

### Do CHMate or Interchange have ads?

Neither CHMate nor Interchange shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CHMate or Interchange?

CHMate ships an update every 2 weeks, and Interchange every 6 days. Most recently, CHMate was updated on November 6, 2026 and Interchange on November 6, 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.*