# Barnes & Noble NOOK vs Leanpub

The clearest difference is ads: Leanpub at none against Barnes & Noble NOOK's shown. Leanpub also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Barnes & Noble NOOK's advantage is ratings volume (119K vs 25) and review sentiment (35% vs 12%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Barnes & Noble NOOK against 4.8 for Leanpub. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Barnes & Noble NOOK has 119K ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 35% of Barnes & Noble NOOK's written reviews are positive against 12% of Leanpub's.

Barnes & Noble NOOK ships an update every 2 months, Leanpub every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Barnes & Noble NOOK | Leanpub |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (119K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barnes-and-noble-nook/id373582546/reviews) | **[4.8 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leanpub/id913517110/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **119K** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | **34.7% of reviews** | 12.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#38** | — |
| Size | 173 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Barnes & Noble](https://appshunter.io/developer/320214165) | [Leanpub](https://appshunter.io/developer/913517113) |

## What reviewers say

### Barnes & Noble NOOK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barnes-and-noble-nook/id373582546)

**Currently charting:** #38 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access a vast digital library of millions of eBooks, graphic novels, comics, manga, magazines, and audiobooks. Enjoy personalized recommendations, customize your reading and listening experience, and sync content across all your devices. Share your favorite reads with friends and discover free titles.

**Highlights:** Vast digital library, Personalized recommendations, Customizable reading/listening, Cross-device syncing, Free eBooks and audiobooks, Family Profiles

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Great for reading books and magazines
- 🔍 Convenient search and discovery features
- 🌈 Customizable reading experience
- 📱 Seamless experience across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes with large files
- 📥 Difficulty downloading and accessing purchased books
- 🔍 Inconsistent search and organization features
- 🔌 Drains device battery quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Books disappearing from library
- Freezing and crashing when opening certain books
- Inconsistent syncing across devices
- Search function not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to purchase books directly in the app
- Improved sorting and organization of library
- Smoother performance for large ebook files
- Dark mode and customizable UI options


### Leanpub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leanpub/id913517110)

Access your entire ebook library on your mobile device. Discover new titles, take notes, and switch between reading modes. Authors can also write and publish their own books directly through the platform.

**Highlights:** Read Leanpub ebooks, Discover new ebooks, Sync notes across devices, Dark and Light Mode reading, Write and publish books, Read ebook samples

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Barnes & Noble NOOK free?

Barnes & Noble NOOK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Leanpub free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Barnes & Noble NOOK or Leanpub?

Leanpub is rated higher. Barnes & Noble NOOK averages 4.7 out of 5 from 119K ratings, while Leanpub averages 4.8 from 25 ratings.

### Do Barnes & Noble NOOK or Leanpub have ads?

Barnes & Noble NOOK shows ads; Leanpub does not.

### Which is updated more often, Barnes & Noble NOOK or Leanpub?

Barnes & Noble NOOK ships an update every 2 months, and Leanpub every 6 weeks. Most recently, Barnes & Noble NOOK was updated on October 29, 2026 and Leanpub on October 26, 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.*