# CHMate vs TotalReader

The clearest difference is rating: TotalReader at 4.3 against CHMate's 3.9. TotalReader also leads on ratings volume (368 vs 20) and review sentiment (69% 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 TotalReader sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

TotalReader holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TotalReader has 368 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 69% of TotalReader's.

CHMate ships an update every 2 weeks, TotalReader every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CHMate | TotalReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chmate-epub-and-chm-reader/id335157929/reviews) | **[4.3 (368 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/totalreader-epub-djvu-mobi-fb2-reader/id832489932/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **368** |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | **69.0% 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 | 130 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [贤安 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/318015371) | [LTD DevelSoftware](https://appshunter.io/developer/717594986) |

## 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


### TotalReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/totalreader-epub-djvu-mobi-fb2-reader/id832489932)

This app is a versatile reader supporting a vast array of book, document, comic, and source code formats. It offers advanced customization for reading comfort, cloud integration, and file management tools.

**Highlights:** Wide range of supported formats, Cloud and network service integration, Speech synthesizer, Customizable reading experience, File manager with Wi-Fi transfer, Online book catalogs (OPDS)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thank the Developer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Appearance Customization | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great reader
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔍 Supports many file formats
- 💡 Integrates with cloud storage
- 📚 Excellent for reading books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 💰 Expensive premium version
- 📢 Intrusive ads in free version
- 🔒 Lacks security/privacy features
- 🔧 Poor file management and organization

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Unable to open certain file formats
- Cloud storage integration not working
- Ads prevent smooth reading experience
- Purchased features not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Add more customization options
- Improve cloud storage integration
- Implement better file organization tools
- Provide better support for older devices
- Add text-to-speech and annotation features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CHMate free?

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

### Is TotalReader free?

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

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

TotalReader is rated higher. CHMate averages 3.9 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while TotalReader averages 4.3 from 368 ratings.

### Do CHMate or TotalReader have ads?

Neither CHMate nor TotalReader shows ads.

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

CHMate ships an update every 2 weeks, and TotalReader every 3 weeks. Most recently, CHMate was updated on October 17, 2026 and TotalReader on October 15, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*