# 百度文库 vs 掌阅课外书

The clearest difference is rating: 百度文库 at 4.6 against 掌阅课外书's 2.0. 百度文库 also leads on ratings volume (1.4K vs 2). 掌阅课外书's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 百度文库 sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and 掌阅课外书 sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

百度文库 holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 百度文库 has 1.4K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of 百度文库's written reviews are positive against 82% of 掌阅课外书's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 百度文库 | 掌阅课外书 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai/id426340811/reviews)** | [2.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1391647217/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.4K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **81.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 202 MB | 141 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Baidu Netcom Science & Technology Co.,Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/372585298) | [IReader Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/432481209) |

## What reviewers say

### 百度文库

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai/id426340811)

This app offers AI-powered content creation for documents, presentations, and images. It also provides access to a vast library of professional documents and tools for managing and editing your files. Enhance your learning and work with intelligent assistance.

**Highlights:** AI content generation (documents, PPTs, images), Extensive professional document library, Cloud storage and file management, AI-powered summarization and Q&A, Document format conversion, Voice interaction for editing

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 连续包月VIP | $1.99 | per month |
| 连续包月 | $2.49 | per month |
| 连续包月VIP | $2.49 | per month |
| 连续包月 | $2.99 | per month |
| 免费试用 | $3.99 | per month |
| 连续包月（特惠） | $3.99 | per month |
| 连续包月 | $3.99 | per month |
| 6文库币 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 18文库币 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 12个月VIP | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app
- 🚀 Fast and accurate search
- 💡 Comprehensive library of resources
- 👍 Helpful for learning and research

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall for full access
- 🐛 Misleading advertising about free content
- 🤬 Aggressive monetization tactics
- 🙄 Poor user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Sync issues between devices
- Broken download functionality

**Requested features**

- Offline access to documents
- More free content and resources
- Improved search and filtering options
- Better organization and categorization


### 掌阅课外书

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1391647217)

This app offers a vast library of over 20,000 international books for young readers, curated by experts and categorized by age and interest. It provides a safe, ad-free reading environment with features like a reading guide and eye protection mode.

**Highlights:** 20,000+ global books, Expert-curated reading lists, Age and grade-level categorization, Ad-free reading environment, Eye protection mode, Interactive reading community

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 掌阅课外书VIP畅读套餐 | $3.99 | per month |
| VIP自动续费包季套餐 | $10.99 | per 3 months |
| VIP自动续费包年套餐 | $42.99 | per year |
| 畅读套餐1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 畅读套餐2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| VIP订阅月套餐 | $5.99 | one-time |
| 畅读套餐5 | $14.99 | one-time |
| VIP订阅季套餐 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 畅读套餐6 | $29.99 | one-time |
| VIP订阅年套餐 | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 百度文库 free?

百度文库 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 掌阅课外书 free?

掌阅课外书 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 百度文库 or 掌阅课外书?

百度文库 is rated higher. 百度文库 averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while 掌阅课外书 averages 2.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do 百度文库 or 掌阅课外书 have ads?

百度文库 shows ads; 掌阅课外书 does not.

### Which is updated more often, 百度文库 or 掌阅课外书?

百度文库 ships an update every 2 weeks, and 掌阅课外书 every 2 weeks. Most recently, 百度文库 was updated on November 9, 2026 and 掌阅课外书 on November 2, 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.*