# Touchstones vs Bionic Reading®

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Touchstones at 98% against Bionic Reading®'s 26%. Touchstones also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Bionic Reading®'s advantage is price (Free vs $7.99) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 11 months). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Bionic Reading® is free to download; Touchstones costs $7.99 up front. Bionic Reading® sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.95 per month. Touchstones asks for nothing beyond the download.

Touchstones holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Touchstones has 1.6K ratings behind it against 151, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 98% of Touchstones's written reviews are positive against 26% of Bionic Reading®'s.

Touchstones ships an update every 11 months, Bionic Reading® every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Touchstones | Bionic Reading® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touchstones/id397846608/reviews)** | [2.4 (151 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bionic-reading/id1644658030/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 151 |
| Positive reviews | **97.9% of reviews** | 26.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#41** | #189 |
| Size | 33 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [BookMobile](https://appshunter.io/developer/389029537) | [Bionic Reading AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1659624105) |

## What reviewers say

### Touchstones

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touchstones/id397846608)

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Paid · Book (US App Store)

This app offers daily meditations and insights specifically for men, focusing on masculinity, recovery, and personal growth. It provides tools for navigating life's challenges, supporting self-help programs, and fostering balanced living.

**Highlights:** Daily readings for recovery and personal growth, Meditations exploring masculinity, Includes Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Bookmark favorite meditations, Search all daily readings, Daily notification reminders, Light/dark mode and font size settings

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient daily access
- 👍 Helpful for recovery and spiritual growth
- 🙏 Meaningful and inspiring messages
- 📱 Great to have on mobile device

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with iOS updates
- 💡 Could use more functionality (highlighting, notes, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing or not opening on iOS 8.3
- Text size issues after iOS 10 upgrade

**Requested features**

- Audio narration of daily readings
- Ability to create custom folders/bookmarks
- Notification reminders to read daily


### Bionic Reading®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bionic-reading/id1644658030)

**Currently charting:** #189 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

This app enhances reading speed and comprehension by highlighting the most concise parts of words. It offers customizable reading modes to aid users with reading difficulties and improve focus for all.

**Highlights:** Text revision for faster reading, Customizable reading modes, Save reading position across platforms, Bookmarks for favorite pages, Upload files, text, or websites for conversion, Export to EPUB, PDF, WORD, Light and Dark Mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bionic Reading® Premium | $2.95 | per month |
| Bionic Reading® Premium Plus | $12.99 | per month |
| Bionic Reading® Premium | $30.49 | per year |
| Bionic Reading® Premium Plus | $128.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faster reading
- 🔍 Helpful for ADHD and dyslexia
- 👍 Life-changing for some users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app
- 🚫 Limited functionality (no PDF support)
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes
- Subscription issues (unable to upgrade, cancel, or get refunds)
- Conversion errors and failed file uploads

**Requested features**

- Integrate with more platforms (Kindle, web browser)
- Offer one-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Improve customer support and communication


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Touchstones free?

Touchstones costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bionic Reading® free?

Bionic Reading® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Touchstones or Bionic Reading®?

Touchstones is rated higher. Touchstones averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Bionic Reading® averages 2.4 from 151 ratings.

### Do Touchstones or Bionic Reading® have ads?

Neither Touchstones nor Bionic Reading® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Touchstones or Bionic Reading®?

Touchstones ships an update every 11 months, and Bionic Reading® every 3 weeks. Most recently, Touchstones was updated on September 27, 2026 and Bionic Reading® on September 28, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Touchstones or Bionic Reading®?

Touchstones currently peaks at #41 in the App Store charts, and Bionic Reading® at #189. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*