# BookBuddy vs Leanpub

BookBuddy and Leanpub both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of BookBuddy's written reviews are positive against 12% of Leanpub's. BookBuddy also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (16K vs 29). Leanpub's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (18.5 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BookBuddy sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Leanpub asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for BookBuddy against 4.8 for Leanpub. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BookBuddy has 16K ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of BookBuddy's written reviews are positive against 12% of Leanpub's.

BookBuddy ships an update every 3 days, Leanpub every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookBuddy | Leanpub |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbuddy-book-tracker/id395150347/reviews)** | [4.8 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leanpub/id913517110/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 29 |
| Positive reviews | **81.8% of reviews** | 12.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#166** | — |
| Size | 33 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kimico, Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/395149953) | [Leanpub](https://appshunter.io/developer/913517113) |

## What reviewers say

### BookBuddy

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

**Currently charting:** #166 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Manage your personal book collection with ease. Scan barcodes, track borrowed and lent books, and gain insights into your reading habits. Sync across devices and personalize your library organization.

**Highlights:** Barcode scanning, ISBN entry, Online book search, Track borrowed/lent books, Sync across devices, Reading statistics, 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


### Leanpub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leanpub/id913517110)

Access your entire ebook library on your mobile device. Discover new titles, take notes, and switch between reading modes. Authors can also write and publish their own books directly through the platform.

**Highlights:** Read Leanpub ebooks, Discover new ebooks, Sync notes across devices, Dark and Light Mode reading, Write and publish books, Read ebook samples

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookBuddy free?

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

### Is Leanpub free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BookBuddy or Leanpub?

BookBuddy is rated higher. BookBuddy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while Leanpub averages 4.8 from 29 ratings.

### Do BookBuddy or Leanpub have ads?

Neither BookBuddy nor Leanpub shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookBuddy or Leanpub?

BookBuddy ships an update every 3 days, and Leanpub every 6 weeks. Most recently, BookBuddy was updated on November 7, 2026 and Leanpub 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.*