# Storytel vs Gutenberg | eBook Reader

The clearest difference is monetization model: Gutenberg | eBook Reader at free with in-app purchases against Storytel's subscription. Gutenberg | eBook Reader also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 59%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Storytel's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Storytel sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Gutenberg | eBook Reader sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Storytel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Storytel has 11K ratings behind it against 761, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Storytel's written reviews are positive against 70% of Gutenberg | eBook Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Storytel ships an update weekly, Gutenberg | eBook Reader every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Storytel | Gutenberg | eBook Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storytel-audiobooks-library/id348177651/reviews)** | [4.5 (761 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gutenberg-ebook-reader/id1289618861/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 761 |
| Positive reviews | 58.9% of reviews | **69.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#74** | — |
| Size | 173 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Storytel Sweden AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/348177654) | [Webron Software LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1071126548) |

## What reviewers say

### Storytel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storytel-audiobooks-library/id348177651)

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Grossing · Book, #161 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access a vast library of audiobooks and ebooks in various languages. Listen or read at your own pace, discover new stories, and enjoy exclusive content. Features include offline listening, personalized recommendations, and a dedicated kids mode.

**Highlights:** Massive audiobook and ebook library, Personalized recommendations, Offline listening and reading, Switch between listening and reading, Sleep timer and dark mode, Kids mode with parental controls

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Storytel Select | $1.49 | per month |
| Storytel Unlimited (India) | $3.49 | per month |
| Storytel Unlimited (Egypt) | $5.49 | per month |
| Storytel Unlimited (Colombia) | $5.99 | per month |
| Storytel Unlimited (Turkey) | $5.99 | per month |
| Storytel Unlimited (Bulgaria) | $7.99 | per month |
| Storytel Unlimited (SA) | $7.99 | per month |
| Storytel Unlimited (Poland) | $7.99 | per month |
| Storytel Unlimited (Mexico) | $8.49 | per month |
| Storytel Unlimited (Spain) | $9.49 | per month |
| Storytel Unlimited (UAE) | $9.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤗 Great app for listening to audiobooks
- 💰 Affordable subscription
- 📚 Wide library of books
- 🌍 Supports multiple languages
- 🎧 Good quality audio narration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🌎 Limited availability of books in certain regions
- 🔍 Difficult to search and find desired books
- 🔀 Lack of chapter navigation and bookmarking
- 🔇 Low audio volume in some books
- 🔁 Repeated recommendations of already read books

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes after updates
- Subscription issues and inability to cancel
- Offline mode problems and lost progress
- Compatibility issues with certain devices

**Requested features**

- Add more English language books
- Improve search and filtering functionality
- Introduce chapter-level navigation
- Allow simultaneous reading and listening
- Provide more language options


### Gutenberg | eBook Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gutenberg-ebook-reader/id1289618861)

Access a vast library of public domain e-books and audiobooks from around the world. Explore tens of thousands of titles across numerous languages and categories, including classics and popular works.

**Highlights:** Vast public domain e-book library, Extensive audiobook collection, Thousands of titles available, Multiple languages supported, Categorized book selection, Top 50 e-books listed

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium | $39.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Extensive collection of classic literature
- 💰 Free access to thousands of books
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 📖 Page-turning feature mimics physical books
- 🌙 Night mode for comfortable reading

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Search function is unreliable and confusing
- 📱 Poor book organization and browsing
- 💔 Missing many books found on Project Gutenberg website
- 📺 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- ⚙️ Limited customization options for book format

**Reported bugs**

- Search returns no results or irrelevant results
- Books listed on Project Gutenberg not appearing in app
- App fails to download certain books
- Reading progress not saved between sessions
- Continuous scroll instead of page-by-page display

**Requested features**

- Improved search functionality with better filtering
- Better book organization and categorization system
- Dictionary/word definition feature
- Improved paragraph spacing and text formatting
- Page-by-page navigation instead of chapter-based


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Storytel free?

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

### Is Gutenberg | eBook Reader free?

Gutenberg | eBook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Storytel or Gutenberg | eBook Reader?

Storytel is rated higher. Storytel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Gutenberg | eBook Reader averages 4.5 from 761 ratings.

### Do Storytel or Gutenberg | eBook Reader have ads?

Gutenberg | eBook Reader shows ads; Storytel does not.

### Which is updated more often, Storytel or Gutenberg | eBook Reader?

Storytel ships an update weekly, and Gutenberg | eBook Reader every 6 weeks. Most recently, Storytel was updated on November 3, 2026 and Gutenberg | eBook Reader on November 1, 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.*