# Bluefire Reader vs Thorium Reader

The clearest difference is price: Thorium Reader at Free against Bluefire Reader's $4.99. Thorium Reader also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Bluefire Reader's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (4.1K vs 11). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Thorium Reader is free to download; Bluefire Reader costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Bluefire Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bluefire Reader has 4.1K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Bluefire Reader's written reviews are positive against 38% of Thorium Reader's.

Bluefire Reader ships an update every 2 months, Thorium Reader every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bluefire Reader | Thorium Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluefire-reader/id394275498/reviews)** | [3.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thorium-reader/id6745025189/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **55.2% of reviews** | 37.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#53** | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Bluefire Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/394275501) | [Readium](https://appshunter.io/developer/1232183924) |

## What reviewers say

### Bluefire Reader

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

**Currently charting:** #53 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


### Thorium Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thorium-reader/id6745025189)

Organize all your ebooks, comics, and manga in a single app. Customize your reading experience with adjustable text, fonts, and themes. Listen to audiobooks and zoom into visual content with ease.

**Highlights:** Unified bookshelf for all content, Adjustable text size and spacing, Multiple font options, Text-to-speech audio playback, Zoom for comics and manga, Offline dictionary and translation, Import EPUB, PDF, CBZ files

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bluefire Reader free?

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

### Is Thorium Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bluefire Reader or Thorium Reader?

Bluefire Reader is rated higher. Bluefire Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while Thorium Reader averages 3.6 from 11 ratings.

### Do Bluefire Reader or Thorium Reader have ads?

Neither Bluefire Reader nor Thorium Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bluefire Reader or Thorium Reader?

Bluefire Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Thorium Reader every 3 weeks. Most recently, Bluefire Reader was updated on October 2, 2026 and Thorium Reader on September 28, 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.*