# CHMate vs KyBook

The clearest difference is rating: KyBook at 4.4 against CHMate's 3.9. KyBook also leads on ratings volume (466 vs 20) and review sentiment (71% vs 55%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CHMate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and KyBook sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

KyBook holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KyBook has 466 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 71% of KyBook's.

CHMate ships an update every 2 weeks, KyBook every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CHMate | KyBook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chmate-epub-and-chm-reader/id335157929/reviews) | **[4.4 (466 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kybook-epubfb2pdfdjvu-reader/id673027171/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **466** |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | **71.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 51 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [贤安 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/318015371) | [Konstantin Bukreev](https://appshunter.io/developer/547576207) |

## What reviewers say

### CHMate

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

This app offers a robust reading experience for EPUB and CHM eBooks. Organize your library, add bookmarks and notes, and customize your reading environment. Share passages and easily search within your books.

**Highlights:** Organize eBooks into collections, Add bookmarks and notes, Customizable fonts and line height, Fast scrolling and pagination, Highlight favorite passages, Built-in search functionality, Share quotes with friends

**Features:** Vision Pro 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


### KyBook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kybook-epubfb2pdfdjvu-reader/id673027171)

This app is a versatile e-book reader supporting a wide range of formats including EPUB, PDF, and audiobooks. It offers extensive customization for reading modes, cloud storage integration, and easy book organization. Advanced features like DJVU support and speed reading are available via in-app purchase.

**Highlights:** Supports EPUB, FB2, PDF, DJVU, CBR, CBZ, MP3, M4A, M4B formats, OPDS catalogs and cloud storage integration, Customizable reading mode settings, Book organization and cataloging, Text-to-speech and dictionary support, Speed Reading (RSVP)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Pro Version | $0.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Pro Version | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and smooth performance
- 📚 Supports wide range of file formats
- 🔖 Good organization and categorization features
- 🔊 Excellent text-to-speech functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Syncing issues, especially with Dropbox and Google Drive
- 🔍 Navigation and file management could be improved
- 💰 Paid version required for some key features
- 📢 Intrusive ads in free version
- 🔧 Lack of updates and support from developers

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after recent iOS updates
- Text-to-speech function not working properly on newer devices
- Inability to delete books from the app
- Inconsistent theme and color customization behavior

**Requested features**

- Add support for more languages
- Improve image handling and layout
- Implement better annotation and highlighting tools
- Provide easier access to main library from subfolders
- Add ability to password protect individual books or folders


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CHMate free?

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

### Is KyBook free?

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

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

KyBook is rated higher. CHMate averages 3.9 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while KyBook averages 4.4 from 466 ratings.

### Do CHMate or KyBook have ads?

Neither CHMate nor KyBook shows ads.

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

CHMate ships an update every 2 weeks, and KyBook every 3 weeks. Most recently, CHMate was updated on October 21, 2026 and KyBook on October 26, 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.*