# Famous Books vs Harvard Classics

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Famous Books at 94% against Harvard Classics's 25%. Famous Books also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and rating (4.7 vs 3.4). Harvard Classics's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Famous Books is free to download; Harvard Classics costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Famous Books holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 30 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Famous Books's written reviews are positive against 25% of Harvard Classics's.

Famous Books ships an update every 7 months, Harvard Classics every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Famous Books | Harvard Classics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/famous-books/id380668385/reviews)** | [3.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harvard-classics/id624152311/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **30** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **94.3% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 238 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Bayerische Staatsbibliothek](https://appshunter.io/developer/380668388) | [himalaya-soft](https://appshunter.io/developer/464715011) |

## What reviewers say

### Famous Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/famous-books/id380668385)

Explore a curated collection of 52 rare and world-famous manuscripts, incunabula, and printed works from the Bavarian State Library. View high-quality digital copies, zoom in on details, and discover cultural heritage from the Occident and Orient.

**Highlights:** Digital copies of rare books, Zoomable high-resolution images, Browse manuscripts and printed works, Occidental and Oriental collections, View cultural heritage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Harvard Classics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harvard-classics/id624152311)

Explore the history of religion, philosophy, civilization, and science through curated classic texts. This app offers a vast collection of essential readings, including the Harvard Classics, with options to read, listen, or follow along. Enjoy features like offline access, customizable reading settings, and integrated Wikipedia articles for deeper understanding.

**Highlights:** Curated classic texts, Read, listen, or read-along options, Offline access, Integrated Wikipedia articles, Customizable reading settings, Bookmark and search functionality

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Famous Books free?

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

### Is Harvard Classics free?

Harvard Classics costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Famous Books or Harvard Classics?

Famous Books is rated higher. Famous Books averages 4.7 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while Harvard Classics averages 3.4 from 11 ratings.

### Do Famous Books or Harvard Classics have ads?

Neither Famous Books nor Harvard Classics shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Famous Books or Harvard Classics?

Famous Books ships an update every 7 months, and Harvard Classics every 3 months. Most recently, Famous Books was updated on November 1, 2026 and Harvard Classics on November 6, 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.*