# SideBooks vs Reader+

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SideBooks at 74% against Reader+'s 18%. SideBooks also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.7) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). 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 Reader+ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SideBooks holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 97 and 23 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of SideBooks's written reviews are positive against 18% of Reader+'s.

SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, Reader+ every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SideBooks | Reader+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sidebooks/id409777225/reviews)** | [2.7 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-plus-scan-and-read-books/id903703729/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **97** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | **73.7% of reviews** | 17.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tatsumi-system Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/409777230) | [LEE DONG WON](https://appshunter.io/developer/666182402) |

## 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


### Reader+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-plus-scan-and-read-books/id903703729)

Instantly digitize your physical books using your device's camera. This app supports various file formats and cloud storage, offering features like TTS, customizable reading settings, and social sharing.

**Highlights:** Scan physical books with rear camera, Supports PDF, EPUB, TXT, CBZ, CBR formats, Cloud storage integration (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud), Text-to-Speech (TTS) functionality, Customizable reading settings (font, margins, background), Page curl and slide animations, Social media sharing

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reader+ Pro | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SideBooks free?

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

### Is Reader+ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SideBooks or Reader+?

SideBooks is rated higher. SideBooks averages 4.6 out of 5 from 97 ratings, while Reader+ averages 2.7 from 23 ratings.

### Do SideBooks or Reader+ have ads?

Neither SideBooks nor Reader+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SideBooks or Reader+?

SideBooks ships an update every 9 days, and Reader+ every 3 months. Most recently, SideBooks was updated on October 20, 2026 and Reader+ 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.*