# King Lear! vs Shakespeare

The clearest difference is ads: King Lear! at none against Shakespeare's shown. King Lear! also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). Shakespeare's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 50%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. King Lear! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shakespeare sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for King Lear! against 5.0 for Shakespeare. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of King Lear!'s written reviews are positive against 67% of Shakespeare's.

King Lear! ships an update every 9 days, Shakespeare fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | King Lear! | Shakespeare |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/king-lear/id351630650/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakespeare-complete-works/id6449892170/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Qualex Consulting Services, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/323694416) | [Mysthetic Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679661112) |

## What reviewers say

### King Lear!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/king-lear/id351630650)

Experience Shakespeare's classic tragedy with this reader app. It features adjustable auto-scrolling speeds for a comfortable reading experience of the play's dramatic events.

**Highlights:** Classic Shakespearean tragedy, Auto-scrolling reader, Adjustable scroll speeds, Detailed plot summary, Character interactions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### Shakespeare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakespeare-complete-works/id6449892170)

Access all of Shakespeare's plays translated into simple, modern English. This app offers a user-friendly interface, offline reading, and customizable themes to make the Bard's works accessible and enjoyable for students, educators, and enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Complete collection of Shakespeare's plays, Simple English translations, Offline reading capability, Customizable themes and reading settings, Educational tool for students and teachers, Improved vocabulary and understanding

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Venus and Adonis | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Rape of Lucrece | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Phoenix and the Turtle | $0.99 | one-time |
| A Lovers Complaint | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Passionate Pilgrim | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Twelfth Night | $0.99 | one-time |
| Romeo and Juliet | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hamlet | $0.99 | one-time |
| Macbeth | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cymbeline | $0.99 | one-time |
| King John | $0.99 | one-time |
| Henry IV Part II | $0.99 | one-time |
| Troilus and Cressida | $0.99 | one-time |
| Henry VI Part II | $0.99 | one-time |
| Henry VI Part III | $0.99 | one-time |
| Henry VIII | $0.99 | one-time |
| Richard III | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pericles, Prince of Tyre | $0.99 | one-time |
| Richard II | $0.99 | one-time |
| Complete Collection - 37 Plays | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is King Lear! free?

King Lear! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shakespeare free?

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

### Which has better reviews, King Lear! or Shakespeare?

King Lear! and Shakespeare are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do King Lear! or Shakespeare have ads?

Shakespeare shows ads; King Lear! does not.

### Which is updated more often, King Lear! or Shakespeare?

King Lear! ships an update every 9 days, and Shakespeare fortnightly. Most recently, King Lear! was updated on October 8, 2026 and Shakespeare on October 11, 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.*