CHMate vs PureReader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CHMate
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.
- 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
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Default ebook formatting does not always suit the way you read. CHMate turns your personal files into a calm, comfortable reading corner. A customizable wooden bookshelf with an ambient lamp and personal decor. Download free. Unlock multiple books with a single one-time purchase. A BOOKSHELF OF YOUR OWN • Wooden shelves and ambient lamp: Display your personal collection with warm bookshelf lighting. • Shelf decor: Arrange animated ornaments, plants, paintings, and shelf-edge figures. • Personal memories: Decorate with photos, Live Photos, or silent looping videos (MP4/MOV). • Custom layout: Freely move, resize, and favorite your decor items. TAILORED TYPOGRAPHY • Page colors: Choose from six page colors independently of your typography theme, with light, dark, or automatic appearance. • Precise reading controls: Adjust font size, line height, page margins, and fonts for body, headings, and code. • Custom font import: Read with built-in fonts or import your own font files. • Horizontal and vertical reading: Switch text orientation where supported for Chinese and Japanese text. • iCloud theme sync: Save your custom typography themes and sync them across your devices. TOOLS & LOCAL IMPORT • Supported formats: Read your own EPUB and CHM files with structured table of contents navigation. • Local Wi-Fi transfer: Send files directly from your computer browser over your local network. • Reading tools: Search full text across chapters, add highlights, and review notes in one place. HONEST PRICING • Free download with complete reading features for your current book. • Unlock multiple books with a single one-time in-app purchase. • No subscriptions and no ads.
PureReader
This app offers a fast and simple way to read TXT and EPUB ebook files. Customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts, spacing, and themes. It supports one-handed use and file transfers via Wi-Fi or iTunes.
- Instant loading
- Customizable line spacing, font size, and theme
- One-handed gesture optimization
- Downloadable and custom font support
- Wi-Fi and iTunes file transfer
- In-app purchase for unlimited files and organization
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PureReader is a Simple and Fast txt/epub ebook reader. Features: • Instant Loading, Tap and Read • Customize Line Spacing, Font Size and Theme • Gestures, optimized for one-handed use • Dozens of fonts available for download, or upload your own font files via Wi-Fi • Transfer books via Wi-Fi or iTunes File Sharing. • Free version of PureReader allows up to 3 files PureReader·Pro (In-App Purchase) features: • Unlimited Files • Use folders to organize your books • Search your book library by filename • Hide your private files, protect them by password
Screenshots
Verdict
CHMate and PureReader both sit at 3.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of PureReader's written reviews are positive against 55% of CHMate's. PureReader also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 26.0). CHMate's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. CHMate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PureReader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PureReader holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of CHMate's written reviews are positive against 85% of PureReader's.
CHMate ships an update every 2 weeks, PureReader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CHMate | PureReader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (20 ratings) | 4.0 (27 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | 84.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 20 | 27 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | 贤安 陈 | 乙丑 蒋 |
Customer experience
CHMate
PureReader
Bugs and requests
CHMate
Reported bugs
13 issues- 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
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- App crashes on startup or when opening files
- Table of contents index expansion broken
- Custom fonts blocked after iOS 14.5 update
- Files not accessible via iCloud or Dropbox
- Missing icons after updates
- Images display as half-dark or missing
- Text formatting changes not visible without page reload
- First line spacing issues
Requested features
12 requests- 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
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- iPad Pro resolution support
- iOS multi-window support
- Better bookmark functionality
- Separate highlighting and annotation tools
- Support for Cyrillic and Arabic text encoding
- Collection/folder organization for multiple files
- Zip file support for documentation sets
PureReader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
CHMate
- CHMate+$9.99
PureReader
- PureReader Pro$3.99
