# SideBooks vs PureLibro

The clearest difference is ratings volume: PureLibro at 362 against SideBooks's 97. SideBooks's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.4). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SideBooks sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PureLibro sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for SideBooks against 4.6 for PureLibro. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 97 and 362 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of SideBooks's written reviews are positive against 77% of PureLibro's.

SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, PureLibro every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SideBooks | PureLibro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidebooks/id409777225/reviews) | [4.6 (362 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purelibro-ebook-reader/id1546612448/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 97 | **362** |
| Positive reviews | 73.7% of reviews | **76.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tatsumi-system Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/409777230) | [添欢 谢](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497426499) |

## What reviewers say

### SideBooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidebooks/id409777225)

This app offers a high-performance PDF and comic viewer with realistic paper-turning animations. It supports various viewing directions, enhanced bookshelf management, and secure password protection for your documents. Easily import files from multiple sources and enjoy a customizable reading experience.

**Highlights:** Realistic paper curl animation, Multiple viewing directions, Enhanced bookshelf management, Password protection, Dropbox and iTunes file import, Supports PDF, ZIP, CBZ, RAR, CBR

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thema extension Add-On | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth page turning
- 📚 Great for reading comics and manga
- 🗂️ Excellent folder organization
- 🔍 Useful search and table of contents features
- 💻 Seamless Dropbox integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes when loading large files
- 🚫 Limited file format support (no CBZ/CBR)
- 🔍 Difficult to find and delete books
- 🔒 Requires Dropbox access, no local file support
- 🔍 Small thumbnail size makes it hard to browse

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain PDF files
- Corrupted files cause repeated crashes
- Dropbox integration issues on some devices

**Requested features**

- Add support for ePub and other popular formats
- Implement iCloud/Google Drive integration
- Allow manual rearrangement of bookshelf
- Add dark mode and customizable background options
- Improve bookmark and annotation features


### PureLibro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purelibro-ebook-reader/id1546612448)

This app offers a comprehensive reading experience for various digital book and comic formats. It features AI-powered image enhancement, cloud synchronization, extensive customization options, and robust privacy controls. Enjoy hands-free reading and track your progress with detailed statistics.

**Highlights:** Supports TXT, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, CBZ, CBR and more, AI-powered image enhancement for comics, iCloud sync across devices, Hands-free auto reading mode, Extensive customization of fonts, layout, and appearance, Advanced privacy features with password and Face ID, Detailed reading statistics and library management

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 monthly subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| 3 monthly subscription | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| yearly subscription | $5.99 | per year |
| Pro Special Offer | $12.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Pro Version | $12.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Pro Version | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent rendering and image quality
- 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface
- 🔒 Supports a variety of file formats
- 💡 Customizable reading experience
- 🚀 Fast and responsive app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some issues with text formatting and italics
- 💡 Lack of multi-device sync and progress tracking
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or performance issues
- 💡 Limited font and theme customization options
- 🐛 Localization problems with menus and settings

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent behavior when switching between reading modes
- Issues with loading and rendering large books or comics
- Problems with the reliability of the built-in web browser
- Bugs related to the iCloud sync and backup functionality

**Requested features**

- Add support for more text-to-speech options
- Implement bulk import and management of books
- Introduce multi-device sync and reading progress tracking
- Expand font and theme customization capabilities
- Improve localization and translation of the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SideBooks free?

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

### Is PureLibro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SideBooks or PureLibro?

SideBooks and PureLibro are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 97 and 362 ratings respectively.

### Do SideBooks or PureLibro have ads?

Neither SideBooks nor PureLibro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SideBooks or PureLibro?

SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, and PureLibro every 10 days. Most recently, SideBooks was updated on October 13, 2026 and PureLibro on October 13, 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.*