# BookBuddy vs Read Today

The clearest difference is ratings volume: BookBuddy at 15K against Read Today's 2. BookBuddy also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and chart position (#178 vs unranked). Read Today's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 82%) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BookBuddy sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Read Today sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Read Today holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BookBuddy has 15K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of BookBuddy's written reviews are positive against 100% of Read Today's.

BookBuddy ships an update every 3 days, Read Today weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookBuddy | Read Today |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbuddy-book-tracker/id395150347/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-today-reading-tracker/id6504188468/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 81.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#178** | — |
| Size | 33 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kimico, Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/395149953) | [Mickael Lokhate](https://appshunter.io/developer/1552371840) |

## What reviewers say

### BookBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbuddy-book-tracker/id395150347)

**Currently charting:** #178 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Manage your entire book collection digitally, track reading progress, and organize your library. Easily add books by scanning, searching, or manual entry. Keep tabs on borrowed and lent items, and gain insights into your reading habits.

**Highlights:** Scan barcodes to add books, Organize into custom categories, Track borrowed and lent books, Sync library across devices, Analyze reading statistics, Import/export library data

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Online Sharing Std (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Online Sharing Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Online Sharing Std (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Online Sharing Pro (Yearly) | $49.99 | per year |
| BookBuddy Pro (Lifetime) | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient book scanning
- 📚 Comprehensive book cataloging
- 🔍 Helpful search and filtering options
- 💻 Syncs across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Limited search capabilities
- 🔢 Restrictive free version limits
- 🔀 Issues with series organization
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 📚 Struggles with older/obscure books

**Reported bugs**

- Books disappearing from library
- Syncing issues between devices
- Barcode scanning not always reliable

**Requested features**

- Allow sorting by author last name
- Add ability to track reading progress
- Integrate with other book services (e.g. Goodreads)
- Improve duplicate book detection
- Expand export/sharing options


### Read Today

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-today-reading-tracker/id6504188468)

This app helps you track your reading progress, set personalized goals, and manage your book collection. It offers features like reading streaks, finish date estimates, and barcode scanning for easy book addition. Stay motivated and organized with detailed statistics and reminders.

**Highlights:** Reading progress tracking, Personalized booklists, Customizable reading goals, Finish date estimates, Barcode book scanning, Reading statistics, Reading streaks

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ReadToday Plus Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| ReadToday Plus Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookBuddy free?

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

### Is Read Today free?

Read Today is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, BookBuddy or Read Today?

Read Today is rated higher. BookBuddy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Read Today averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do BookBuddy or Read Today have ads?

Neither BookBuddy nor Read Today shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookBuddy or Read Today?

BookBuddy ships an update every 3 days, and Read Today weekly. Most recently, BookBuddy was updated on October 30, 2026 and Read Today on October 25, 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.*