# Apple Books vs Novel Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Apple Books at 54% against Novel Reader's 0%. Apple Books also leads on ratings volume (129K vs 6) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Novel Reader's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Apple Books holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Apple Books has 129K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Apple Books's written reviews are positive against 0% of Novel Reader's.

Apple Books ships an update every 3 months, Novel Reader every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Apple Books | Novel Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (129K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apple-books/id364709193/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novel-reader-sweet-romance/id1672473449/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **129K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **54.1% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 17 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Apple Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) | [朋 尚](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631843526) |

## What reviewers say

### Apple Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apple-books/id364709193)

Discover, read, and listen to millions of books and audiobooks. Browse curated collections, personalized recommendations, and bestsellers. Customize your reading experience with various themes and settings, and set reading goals to build a habit. Share your library with family.

**Highlights:** Discover millions of books and audiobooks, Personalized recommendations and curated collections, Customizable reading experience (fonts, themes, spacing), Reading goals and progress tracking, Family Sharing for books and audiobooks, Apple CarPlay and Apple Watch integration

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless integration across devices
- 📚 Vast library of books available
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🎧 Exceptional audiobook experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Books get deleted from local storage
- 🐛 Unreliable syncing between devices
- 🔒 Lack of audio closed captions
- 🤔 Pricing concerns for some books
- 🤔 Frustrating UI changes in recent updates

**Reported bugs**

- Books randomly deleted from device
- Syncing issues between iPhone and iPad
- Scrolling and navigation glitches
- Inconsistent font and formatting issues
- Inability to download books over cellular data

**Requested features**

- Audio closed captions for audiobooks
- Ability to organize books by series
- Custom font and highlighter color options
- Syncing for audiobooks across devices
- Integration with book review platforms


### Novel Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novel-reader-sweet-romance/id1672473449)

Explore a vast library of exclusive novels and manga across numerous genres including romance, fantasy, and sci-fi. Daily updates ensure fresh content, while an active community allows readers and aspiring authors to connect and share stories.

**Highlights:** Massive exclusive novels and manga library, Daily chapter updates, Active reader and author community, Share your own stories and gain fans, Wide range of book and manga genres

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Apple Books free?

Apple Books is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Novel Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Apple Books or Novel Reader?

Apple Books is rated higher. Apple Books averages 4.6 out of 5 from 129K ratings, while Novel Reader averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Apple Books or Novel Reader have ads?

Neither Apple Books nor Novel Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Apple Books or Novel Reader?

Apple Books ships an update every 3 months, and Novel Reader every 3 weeks. Most recently, Apple Books was updated on October 31, 2026 and Novel Reader on October 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.*