Comparison

iBunkoS vs Booklover

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

iBunkoS

This app offers a realistic paper book reading experience on your iPhone, supporting various file formats like TXT, PDF, and comics. It includes features like a digital bookshelf, bookmarking with notes, and dictionary lookups.

Highlights
  • Realistic paper book interface
  • Supports TXT, PDF, CBZ, CBR files
  • 230+ built-in books and Aozora Bunko access
  • Customizable bookshelf and bookmarks
  • File transfer via USB, cloud, and servers
  • Dictionary lookup integration
  • Passcode lock for privacy
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

iBunkoS provides you the best way to read novels, documents and comic books on iPhone. Thanks to a realistic interface, you can enjoy reading as you would with a real paper book. Reading on your iPhone is now easier than ever! This is a great iPhone app for all the book lovers! Read books and comics in vertical setting with comfort ・Support both horizontal (left open) and vertical (right open) writings. ・The app automatically detects the binding direction of a PDF document. Double page spread and page effect ・When viewed landscape mode, the pages switch to the double page spread. The pages containing landscape format images are automatically treated as a double page spread. ・You can "flip" pages just like reading a real paper book. Feature about 230 built-in books and "Aozora Bunko" ・ You can download a book with simple controls from "Aozora Bunko", the Japanese digital library that provides copyright-free Japanese literary works. ・ The app comes with the well-known books from "Aozora Bunko". "Bookshelf" function ・Create a bookshelf as you need. ・You can easily choose a book you'd like to read by browsing the book covers displayed on the shelf. "Bookmark" function ・You can place as many bookmarks as you want and add notes on it. ・Select text as a bookmark in order to highlight the sentence. Supported file formats. iBunkoS supports the following file formats as books: - .txt, .pdf - .zip, .rar (containing .txt or .jpg/.png files) - .cbz, .cbr Transfer files ・Transfer the files using iTunes 'File Sharing' via the USB cable as well as via Dropbox, SkyDrive, pogoplug, Box, SugarSync. The app also supports both the WebDAV and the FTP servers. Utilize data from PDF ・Support the table of contents or hyperlinks on the file. ・Select and search words (when the data contains text). ・Using our own processing technology, app can select a Japanese words smoothly. Smart screen design removing the white space ・Eliminate unnecessary white space for better readability on the screen. Thumbnails of pages show quick reference for where you'd like to read ・List the page thumbnails at the bottom of the screen or in the full screen. ・The page with bookmarks will be attached a mark. You can also display only the page thumbnails which contain bookmarks. History back pages ・Viewed pages are saved in history so you can easily go back to the previous page. Look up words in the dictionary ・You can use the iPhone's built-in dictionary as well as other dictionary apps that support custom URL schemes. ・Just select text and tap the button to look up the word. Passcode lock ・You can set passcode lock on specific bookshelves or the "folder" screen that stored transferred files. Various page settings ・Available various settings such as enable/disable the flipping effect or change the position of the tap control. ・Customize your iBunkoS to suit your own preferences! You will find many more convenient functions and settings.

About

Booklover

Organize and read a vast collection of eBooks, including PDFs, manga, and scanned books. Seamlessly sync with iCloud Drive and customize your reading experience with advanced reader settings and library management tools.

Highlights
  • Manage and view eBooks (PDF, ZIP/CBZ, RAR/CBR)
  • iCloud Drive syncing
  • Organize books by genre and bibliographic details
  • Powerful search and Library Navigator
  • Customizable reader settings
  • Bookmarks and PDF annotations
  • Support for archived image files
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Booklover is a highly responsive and robust eBook reader. It excels at handling PDFs, manga, and scanned books. The metadata-driven library management system makes it easy to organize and enjoy a large collection of books in PDF, ZIP/CBZ, and RAR/CBR formats. Seamlessly integrated with iCloud Drive, books in the iCloud Drive/Booklover folder automatically appear in the app’s library and can be downloaded on demand. In the library, you can organize books by genres and arrange them using various bibliographic details such as title, author, publisher, and more. With the search field and powerful Library Navigator, you can quickly locate a book among thousands in your collection. Customize your reading experience with settings for each book, including page layout, transition axis and style, cropping, filters, progress direction, background, and more. Booklover supports bookmarks with titles and notes, as well as PDF text annotations (highlights), text search, and a table of contents. Main Features: # General • Manage and view eBooks (PDF, ZIP/CBZ, RAR/CBR) • Support for archived image files in JPG, PNG, GIF, HEIF, WEBP, AVIF, and JPEG XL formats • Automatic syncing of book files placed in iCloud Drive/Booklover. On-demand caching (download) of the remote files • Import files via iTunes (Windows), Finder (Mac), AirDrop, Drag & Drop, "Open with..." etc. • Import files via apps from various cloud storage services, such as Dropbox and OneDrive, as well as other services accessible through the iOS Files app. • Slide Over / Split View (iPad) • Hardware keyboard support (mainly in the reader) # Library • Section books by genre (ON/OFF) • The Library Navigator (ON/OFF) • Histories of added and opened books • Context Menu for individual books (long-press a book cover) • Change sort order: By Title, Author, Publisher, Filename, Added Date, etc. • Alphanumeric Index Labels (ON/OFF) • Toggle display of cover accessories • Adjust cover grid size • Responsive Shadow (shows page volume with shadow) • Filter books by Status, Genre, Tags, etc. • Search books by various bibliographic details, file name, and tags # Reader • PDF text annotations (highlights) with notes, text search, and a table of contents • Bookmarks with titles and notes • Lists of bookmarks and PDF annotations • Page transition settings: Axis (Horizontal, Vertical), Style (Scroll, Continuous Scroll, Stack, Crossfade, Zoom fade, Instant) • Progress direction setting: Left to Right, Right to Left (for vertical text, manga, Arabic, etc.) • Page layout setting: Automatic, Single-Page, Two-Pages (spread) • Separate page layout settings for view orientation (Portrait / Landscape) • Page trimming (for images only) • Page sizing: Show All, Width-Fit, Height-Fit • Page thumbnail view (overview, bookmarks) • Image correction filters • Dynamic background (When the "Background Color" option for a book is set to "Dynamic") • Adjust page spread position (Insert adjuster page at the beginning of the book body) • Text recognition within images (with compatible devices only) • Export (share) the currently displayed page # Book Management • Edit metadata: Title, Author, Genre, Publisher, Published Date, ISBN, etc. • Edit Tags (Can be used as filter criteria in the side menu) • Extract metadata (title/author) from PDFs • Extract various metadata from file names with configurable extraction rules • Automatic/Manual cropping of book covers • Batch modification of book settings and metadata • Transfer book files: "Open with...", AirDrop, Drag & Drop, etc. • Can manage the content files and data separately ("Ghost Book") ——————————————— # Acknowledgments [Books used in the screenshots] • "Give My Regards to Black Jack" by SHUHO SATO (Manga on Web: http://mangaonweb.com) • Public domain books from Feedbooks (http://www.feedbooks.com) • Public domain comics from digitalcomicmuseum.com (http://digitalcomicmuseum.com)

Screenshots

iBunkoS4 screens
Booklover4 screens

Verdict

The call

iBunkoS and Booklover both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of Booklover's written reviews are positive against 58% of iBunkoS's. Booklover also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (57 vs 9). iBunkoS's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.6). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

iBunkoS costs $2.99 and Booklover $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Booklover holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Booklover has 57 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of iBunkoS's written reviews are positive against 87% of Booklover's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iBunkoS ships an update every 2 months, Booklover fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
iBunkoS versus Booklover: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriBunkoSBooklover
Price$2.99 — better$3.99
Rating4.4 (9 ratings)4.6 (57 ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.3% of reviews87.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings957 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#170#43 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB22 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDWANGO Co., Ltd.Plastic Software, Inc.

Customer experience

iBunkoS

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive58.3%
Neutral14.6%
Negative27.1%

Booklover

All ratings57 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral1.8%
Negative7.0%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive87.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative9.0%

In-app purchases

None

iBunkoS

No in-app purchases

None

Booklover

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iBunkoS free?
iBunkoS costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Booklover free?
Booklover costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iBunkoS or Booklover?
Booklover is rated higher. iBunkoS averages 4.4 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Booklover averages 4.6 from 57 ratings.
Do iBunkoS or Booklover have ads?
Neither iBunkoS nor Booklover shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iBunkoS or Booklover?
iBunkoS ships an update every 2 months, and Booklover fortnightly. Most recently, iBunkoS was updated on September 22, 2026 and Booklover on September 21, 2026.
Which is more popular, iBunkoS or Booklover?
iBunkoS currently peaks at #170 in the App Store charts, and Booklover at #43. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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