# 纵横小说 vs 起点读书

The clearest difference is rating: 起点读书 at 3.8 against 纵横小说's 2.8. 起点读书 also leads on ratings volume (2.1K vs 62) and chart position (#38 vs unranked). 纵横小说's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (62% vs 43%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 纵横小说 sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and 起点读书 sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

起点读书 holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 起点读书 has 2.1K ratings behind it against 62, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of 纵横小说's written reviews are positive against 43% of 起点读书's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

纵横小说 ships an update fortnightly, 起点读书 weekly. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | 纵横小说 | 起点读书 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id433125283/reviews) | **[3.8 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id534174796/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 62 | **2.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **62.4% of reviews** | 43.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#38** |
| Size | 130 MB | 241 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Huanxiang Zongheng Network Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/424545654) | [起点中文网](https://appshunter.io/developer/514238850) |

## What reviewers say

### 纵横小说

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id433125283)

Access the latest chapters of popular web novels, including exclusive first releases. Earn rewards and redeem points through a task center. Offers customer support for assistance and feedback.

**Highlights:** Latest chapter releases, Exclusive first publications, Task center for rewards, Points redemption, Customer support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 纵横会员 - 连续包月 | $1.99 | per month |
| 600纵横币 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1200纵横币 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 纵横会员 - 月卡 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 3000纵横币 | $4.99 | one-time |
| 纵横会员 - 季卡 | $5.99 | one-time |
| 5000纵横币 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 9800纵横币 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 纵横会员 - 年卡 | $17.99 | one-time |
| 19800纵横币 | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Extensive collection of novels and original content
- 🎯 User-friendly interface with intuitive design
- 🔊 Voice reading/audio feature available
- 💰 Frequent promotional activities and rewards
- 📖 Support for original authors and quality content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and instability
- ⏱️ Slow loading times and performance issues
- 📱 Poor iPad/tablet optimization (only phone format)
- 💳 Aggressive monetization and paywall tactics
- 🌍 International user unfriendliness (China-only features)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch or during reading
- Chapters fail to load or load extremely slowly
- Audio reader stops randomly mid-playback
- Chapter numbering errors and content mismatches
- Login failures and session disconnections

**Requested features**

- iPad/tablet horizontal orientation support
- English language translation option
- Email registration instead of phone number only
- International phone number support
- Ability to comment without Chinese phone binding


### 起点读书

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id534174796)

**Currently charting:** #38 Top Grossing · Book, #184 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access a vast library of original Chinese web novels, audiobooks, and comics. Engage with authors, discover curated book lists, and enjoy a seamless reading experience with smart recommendations and cloud synchronization.

**Highlights:** Vast library of original web novels, Audiobook and comic collection, Author interaction and community, Curated book lists, Personalized recommendations, Cloud synchronization, Free new releases

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 起点会员卡 - 连续包月 | $1.49 | per month |
| 起点会员卡·连续包月 | $2.99 | per month |
| 100点 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 600点 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1200点 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 900点 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 2500点 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 3000点 | $4.99 | one-time |
| 5000点 | $6.99 | one-time |
| 176.4万字 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 9800点 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 29800点 | $44.99 | one-time |
| 64800点 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient reading experience
- 📚 Wide selection of books
- 🎧 Good audio narration
- 💰 Frequent free content and promotions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive subscription and content
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find books
- 🔌 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Restrictive DRM and account management
- 🤖 Poor quality of machine-translated books

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Login and account issues
- Syncing and progress tracking problems
- Unreliable in-app purchases and billing

**Requested features**

- Add English translation option
- Improve search and discovery features
- Provide more transparency on content ownership
- Optimize app performance and battery life


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 纵横小说 free?

纵横小说 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 起点读书 free?

起点读书 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 纵横小说 or 起点读书?

起点读书 is rated higher. 纵横小说 averages 2.8 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while 起点读书 averages 3.8 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do 纵横小说 or 起点读书 have ads?

起点读书 shows ads; 纵横小说 does not.

### Which is updated more often, 纵横小说 or 起点读书?

纵横小说 ships an update fortnightly, and 起点读书 weekly. Most recently, 纵横小说 was updated on October 26, 2026 and 起点读书 on October 26, 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.*