Comparison

Litres vs FBReader

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

Head to head
About

Litres

Access a vast library of books and audiobooks in multiple languages, including bestsellers and free titles. Enjoy reading on your iPhone or iPad with features like synced bookmarks, customizable reading settings, and offline access. Explore excerpts before buying and discover new releases.

Highlights
  • Vast library of books and audiobooks
  • Multiple languages supported
  • Free excerpts up to 20%
  • Cross-device syncing
  • Offline reading mode
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Free book selection
Features
Read full description

• Litres: Books - a huge library in Estonian, English, Lithuanian, Latvian, Russian and other languages. • All the latest international bestsellers • The #1 reading app in the App Store • Over 10 million of happy customers • The largest catalog — over 250,000 books Welcome to Litres! It’s a great way to read your favorite books on your iPhone or iPad. For you: · Access to 600,000 books and audiobooks in your favorite genres: fantasy, science fiction, business, Russian literature, DIY, romance, mystery, action, business, self-improvement, psychology, and much more. · The first 20% of any book is free. What if you don’t like it? Read and choose which books to get. · The hottest new releases. Be the first! Most new releases appear in the Litres catalog at the same time the paper book is released. · Over 32,000 free books — read to your heart's content! · Enter regularly-scheduled drawings and win valuable prizes for registered Litres users. Special features: · Your books are always with you — all the books you have purchased are available to you on all your devices (as long as you use the same account) · Start reading on your iPhone, pick up where you left off on your iPad! All your bookmarks will be synced across all your devices and the Litres online reader (as long as you use the same account) · The convenient search function lets you search for books based on various criteria. Do you only know the author's last name? Or are you trying to find a new fantasy novel to read? Our search function can help! · You can sign up in a single tap using your social network account To select a book: · Read large free excerpts before you buy the book (up to 20% of the book) · Read book reviews by other users or write your own · Study the author's official web page with biographies, critiques, and easy access to series of books While reading, you can: · add the pages you need to your bookmarks · see how many pages you’ve read and how many you have left · fine-tune your reading experience for maximum comfort — adjust book background, screen brightness, and font size · access your entire library in offline mode even when roaming or outside a network area (you will have to download the books beforehand) · enable nighttime reading mode with a single button If you like a book, you can: · buy it with a single tap or put it in your cart and buy it later from your current device or a different one · share information about the book with your friends on a social network Get access to the best books and read online. Enjoy authors such as: Boris Akunin, E. L. James, Alexandra Marinina, Sergei Lukyanenko, Darya Dontsova, Dina Rubina, Tatyana Ustinova, Roman Zlotnikov, Jojo Moyes, Tatyana Polyakova, George R. R. Martin, Vadim Panov, Sergei Tarmashev, Dmitrii Glukhovsky, Elena Zvyozdnaya, Stephen King, Max Frye, Maria Metlitskaya, Oleg Roi, Andrei Kruz, Yekaterina Vilmont, Donna Tartt, Zakhar Prilepin, Artyom Kamenisty, Dan Brown, Viktor Pelevin, James Rollins, Robert Galbraith, Vadim Zeland, Dmitrii Bykov, Alexander Mazin, Erich Maria Remarque, Anna and Sergei Litvinov, Natalya Zhiltsova, Dmitrii Rus, Jo Nesbø, Anna Gavrilova, Irene Kao, Viktoria Tokareva, Alexander Pushkin, Anton Chekhov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev. Most popular books - Anna Karenina, War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, Fathers and Sons. Note: the Litres app may collect anonymous usage statistics.

About

FBReader

A fast and versatile e-book reader supporting multiple formats like ePub, Kindle, and fb2. It offers cloud syncing for reading progress and a customizable interface. Upgrade to unlock unlimited library access and advanced features.

Highlights
  • Supports ePub, Kindle azw3, fb2, RTF, Word, HTML, and text
  • ePub3 and Readium LCP DRM support
  • Cloud syncing of library and reading positions
  • Customizable appearance and behavior options
  • Direct opening of downloaded files
  • Free version with library limits
Features
Read full description

FBReader is a fast and easy-to-use e-book reader for iPhone and iPad. It supports all major e-book formats, including ePub (with key ePub3 features), Kindle azw3, and fb2 (.zip). You can open both unprotected books and ePub files protected with Readium LCP DRM. FBReader also reads RTF, Word (.doc), HTML, and plain text, so you can keep all your books and documents in one place. Read anywhere and pick up right where you left off. FBReader can sync your library, reading positions, bookmarks, and more across devices using the FBReader Book Network, a cloud service powered by Google Drive. If you prefer managing files yourself, you can download books in your browser and open them directly with FBReader. A wide range of appearance and behavior options lets you customize the reading experience to match your preferences. Free version and upgrade options: • The free version allows up to 10 books in your library. • The built-in translation feature is disabled. Upgrade to the full version to remove these limits and enjoy the complete FBReader experience.

Screenshots

Litres4 screens
FBReader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Litres at 4.8 against FBReader's 3.7. Litres also leads on ratings volume (9.2K vs 129) and update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly). FBReader's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Litres sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and FBReader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Litres holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Litres has 9.2K ratings behind it against 129, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 51% of Litres's written reviews are positive against 52% of FBReader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Litres ships an update every 11 days, FBReader monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Litres versus FBReader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLitresFBReader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (9.2K ratings) — better3.7 (129 ratings)
Positive reviews50.5% of reviews52.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9.2K — better129
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#42 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB22 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperLitRes OOOFBReader.ORG Limited

Customer experience

Litres

All ratings9,180 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral1.6%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews857 reviews
Positive50.5%
Neutral8.6%
Negative40.8%

FBReader

All ratings128 ratings
Positive64.8%
Neutral9.4%
Negative25.8%
Written reviews322 reviews
Positive52.5%
Neutral14.0%
Negative33.5%

User reviews

Litres

From 9.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Excellent customer support
  • 📚 Vast selection of books
  • 🔍 Convenient search and browsing
  • 🔒 Secure app and purchases
  • 🎧 Great audiobook experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and glitches
  • 💰 Overpriced books compared to website
  • 🔍 Poor search and filtering functionality
  • 🔌 Drains device battery quickly
  • 🔒 Difficulty unsubscribing from services

FBReader

From 129 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and smooth reading experience
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
  • 💡 Customizable font, margin, and layout options
  • 🔒 Secure syncing across devices
  • 🎨 Retro background textures

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
  • 🔧 Lack of advanced organization features (folders, shelves)
  • 🚫 No PDF support
  • 🔍 Inconsistent search and book discovery
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns around data collection

Bugs and requests

Litres

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Purchased books disappearing from library
  • Sync issues between devices
  • Unreliable login and authentication
  • Corrupted book downloads
  • Incorrect pricing and discounts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to gift books to other users
  • Improved sorting and filtering options
  • Offline reading mode for books
  • Customizable reading themes and settings
  • Enhanced audiobook controls and features

FBReader

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Syncing issues with Google Drive
  • Deletion of books from library
  • Formatting problems with large footnotes
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Vertical scrolling mode
  • Improved bookmark and annotation tools
  • Ability to add/change book covers
  • Text-to-speech functionality
  • Better library management (read/unread, collections)

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Litres

Subscriptions1
  • ЛитРес: Подписка 1 месяц$4.991 Month
One-time9
  • electronic book$0.99
  • electronic book$1.99
  • electronic book$2.99
Show 6 more
  • electronic book$3.99
  • electronic book$4.99
  • electronic book$5.99
  • electronic book$6.99
  • electronic book$7.99
  • electronic book$9.99
1 purchases

FBReader

One-time1
  • FBReader Full Edition2 variants$12.99

Questions

Is Litres free?
Litres is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FBReader free?
FBReader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Litres or FBReader?
Litres is rated higher. Litres averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9.2K ratings, while FBReader averages 3.7 from 129 ratings.
Do Litres or FBReader have ads?
Neither Litres nor FBReader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Litres or FBReader?
Litres ships an update every 11 days, and FBReader monthly. Most recently, Litres was updated on November 7, 2026 and FBReader on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons