# Waterstones vs Holodeck Archive

The clearest difference is price: Waterstones at Free against Holodeck Archive's $3.99. Waterstones also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (62 vs 1). Holodeck Archive's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#125 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Waterstones is free to download; Holodeck Archive costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Waterstones holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Waterstones has 62 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Waterstones ships an update every 3 weeks, Holodeck Archive daily. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Waterstones | Holodeck Archive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterstones/id389368414/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holodeck-archive/id6762021372/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **62** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 62.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#125** |
| Size | 36 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Waterstones Booksellers Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/389368417) | [JAMES ANTHONY BOOKER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812058700) |

## What reviewers say

### Waterstones

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterstones/id389368414)

Access the UK's largest bookseller on your mobile device. Browse, buy, and collect books, gifts, and games. Manage wish lists, earn rewards, and find local store information.

**Highlights:** Browse and buy books, gifts, and games, Click & collect from local shops, Earn and redeem Waterstones Plus rewards, Create multiple wish lists, Read and write customer reviews, Scan Plus card from phone

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Holodeck Archive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holodeck-archive/id6762021372)

**Currently charting:** #125 Top Paid · Book (US App Store)

Organize your science fiction book and comic collection. Browse a vast catalog, track owned and read items, and manage wish lists. Sync your data across devices with a clean, ad-free interface.

**Highlights:** Browse sci-fi novel and comic catalog, Track owned, read, and wish list items, Organize by series and chronological order, Sync collection data across devices, Minimalist, ad-free interface

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Waterstones free?

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

### Is Holodeck Archive free?

Holodeck Archive costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Waterstones or Holodeck Archive?

Waterstones is rated higher. Waterstones averages 4.7 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while Holodeck Archive averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Waterstones or Holodeck Archive have ads?

Neither Waterstones nor Holodeck Archive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Waterstones or Holodeck Archive?

Waterstones ships an update every 3 weeks, and Holodeck Archive daily. Most recently, Waterstones was updated on November 10, 2026 and Holodeck Archive on November 9, 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.*