# CHMate vs A FB2 Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: A FB2 Reader at none against CHMate's 1. A FB2 Reader also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (67% vs 55%). CHMate's advantage is rating (3.8 vs 3.4) and ratings volume (20 vs 5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CHMate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. A FB2 Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

CHMate holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of CHMate's written reviews are positive against 67% of A FB2 Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CHMate ships an update every 2 months, A FB2 Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CHMate | A FB2 Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chmate-epub-and-chm-reader/id335157929/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-fb2-reader/id964428346/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 55.1% of reviews | **67.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 48 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [贤安 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/318015371) | [Yuri Staloverov](https://appshunter.io/developer/845277613) |

## 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


### A FB2 Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-fb2-reader/id964428346)

This free application allows you to read your favorite FB2 format ebooks on your iPad and iPhone. Easily import books from various sources, customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts and color schemes, and navigate your library with ease.

**Highlights:** Read FB2 ebooks, Import from web, iTunes, and cloud drives, Adjustable fonts, spacing, and width, Three color schemes, Easy navigation and page turning, Sort books by various criteria, Book image gallery

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CHMate free?

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

### Is A FB2 Reader free?

A FB2 Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, CHMate or A FB2 Reader?

CHMate is rated higher. CHMate averages 3.8 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while A FB2 Reader averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do CHMate or A FB2 Reader have ads?

Neither CHMate nor A FB2 Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CHMate or A FB2 Reader?

CHMate ships an update every 2 months, and A FB2 Reader every 2 weeks. Most recently, CHMate was updated on September 21, 2026 and A FB2 Reader on September 24, 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.*