# CHMate vs PureReader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PureReader at 85% against CHMate's 55%. PureReader also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.9) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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, 4.2 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 26 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 months, PureReader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CHMate | PureReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chmate-epub-and-chm-reader/id335157929/reviews) | **[4.2 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purereader-a-txtepub-reader/id879281112/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **26** |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | **84.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 48 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [贤安 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/318015371) | [乙丑 蒋](https://appshunter.io/developer/364993963) |

## 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


### PureReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purereader-a-txtepub-reader/id879281112)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PureReader Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CHMate free?

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

### Is PureReader free?

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

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

PureReader is rated higher. CHMate averages 3.9 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while PureReader averages 4.2 from 26 ratings.

### Do CHMate or PureReader have ads?

Neither CHMate nor PureReader shows ads.

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

CHMate ships an update every 2 months, and PureReader every 3 months. Most recently, CHMate was updated on September 25, 2026 and PureReader on September 27, 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.*