# Bluefire Reader vs MapleRead CX

The clearest difference is price: MapleRead CX at Free against Bluefire Reader's $4.99. Bluefire Reader's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 3.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

MapleRead CX is free to download; Bluefire Reader costs $4.99 up front. MapleRead CX sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Bluefire Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bluefire Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bluefire Reader has 4.1K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Bluefire Reader's written reviews are positive against 62% of MapleRead CX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Bluefire Reader ships an update every 2 months, MapleRead CX every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bluefire Reader | MapleRead CX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluefire-reader/id394275498/reviews)** | [3.4 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapleread-cx/id1128582526/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | 55.2% of reviews | **61.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#35** | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bluefire Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/394275501) | [Maplepop LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/798017700) |

## What reviewers say

### Bluefire Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluefire-reader/id394275498)

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Paid · Book (US App Store)

This application allows users to read EPUB and PDF ebooks on their iPhone or iPad. It supports Adobe® Content Server protected content from various retailers, publishers, and libraries, offering features like bookmarking, notes, and search for a customized reading experience.

**Highlights:** Read EPUB and PDF ebooks, Supports Adobe Content Server protected content, Bookmarking and notes, Search functionality, Customizable reading experience, Collections management

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Excellent ePub reader
- 🌙 Useful night mode
- 📚 Organizes library well
- 🎨 Customizable font and layout
- 🔍 Convenient search and navigation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 📍 Loses page position when reopening
- 🔍 Inconsistent search and bookmark behavior
- 🔧 Outdated and lacking updates
- 🔒 Adobe DRM integration issues

**Reported bugs**

- Incompatible with latest iOS versions
- Blank pages when opening some books
- Incorrect page numbering and navigation
- Unreliable bookmarking and note-taking

**Requested features**

- Sync reading progress across devices
- Improved highlighting and annotation tools
- Vertical scrolling option
- Customizable highlight colors
- Integrated dictionary/reference lookup


### MapleRead CX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapleread-cx/id1128582526)

This app offers a unique audio-visual reading experience for EPUB ebooks. Customize book styles, generate pseudo audiobooks with various voices, and enjoy immersive reading with synchronized audio and text. It also functions as a powerful library management tool with extensive customization options.

**Highlights:** Audio-visual EPUB reader, Pseudo audiobook generation, Immersion reading (sync audio/text), Customizable book styles and themes, Word lookup and translation, Library management and organization, User-defined fonts and highlight colors

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Upgrade | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bluefire Reader free?

Bluefire Reader costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MapleRead CX free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bluefire Reader or MapleRead CX?

Bluefire Reader is rated higher. Bluefire Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while MapleRead CX averages 3.4 from 24 ratings.

### Do Bluefire Reader or MapleRead CX have ads?

Neither Bluefire Reader nor MapleRead CX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bluefire Reader or MapleRead CX?

Bluefire Reader ships an update every 2 months, and MapleRead CX every 5 weeks. Most recently, Bluefire Reader was updated on October 2, 2026 and MapleRead CX on September 30, 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.*