# SideBooks vs bookend

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SideBooks at 72% against bookend's 10%. SideBooks also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SideBooks sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and bookend sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, bookend monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SideBooks | bookend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidebooks/id409777225/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **97** | — |
| Positive reviews | **72.4% of reviews** | 10.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Tatsumi-system Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/409777230) | [iDoc K.K.](https://appshunter.io/developer/410797244) |

## 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


### bookend

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookend/id410797241)

This app offers a beautiful and intuitive reading experience for purchased digital books on iPad and iPhone. It allows for easy navigation, page turning, and zooming, with cloud syncing for content across devices. Discover and enjoy a growing library of digital content.

**Highlights:** Beautiful, easy-to-use interface, Cloud Library for syncing across devices, Easy flick to turn pages, Portrait and landscape reading modes, Thumbnail view for quick navigation, Pinch and zoom pages, Bookshelf view with bibliographic data

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 神話から読み、知る日本の神様 | $11.99 | one-time |
| 大川功　人間の魅力 | $11.99 | one-time |
| 読む餃子 | $11.99 | one-time |
| 面白くてよくわかる！ 太平洋戦争 | $11.99 | one-time |
| 面白くてよくわかる！ 古事記 | $11.99 | one-time |
| 保存版 上野・谷根千を極める！ | $11.99 | one-time |
| 保存版 横浜・中華街を極める！ | $11.99 | one-time |
| 40代を素敵にしなやかに生きるシンプルセオリー | $11.99 | one-time |
| 今日もごちそうさまでした | $11.99 | one-time |
| 妄想男子 － 佐藤歩×田中大地 写真集 | $13.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SideBooks free?

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

### Is bookend free?

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

### Do SideBooks or bookend have ads?

Neither SideBooks nor bookend shows ads.

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

SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, and bookend monthly. Most recently, SideBooks was updated on September 29, 2026 and bookend on September 21, 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.*