# Meanwhile vs Readwise Books

The clearest difference is price: Readwise Books at Free against Meanwhile's $4.99. Readwise Books also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 12 months). On ads, in-app purchases, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Readwise Books is free to download; Meanwhile costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Readwise Books holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Readwise Books has 144 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Meanwhile's written reviews are positive against 98% of Readwise Books's.

Meanwhile ships an update every 12 months, Readwise Books every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meanwhile | Readwise Books |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.2 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meanwhile-interactive-comic/id458451517/reviews) | **[5.0 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise-books/id6502848368/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **144** |
| Positive reviews | 79.2% of reviews | **97.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#91** | #135 |
| Size | 57 MB | 133 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Zarfhome Software Consulting](https://appshunter.io/developer/457956106) | [Readwise, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476885527) |

## What reviewers say

### Meanwhile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meanwhile-interactive-comic/id458451517)

**Currently charting:** #91 Top Paid · Book (US App Store)

Explore a mad scientist's wonderland and make choices that shape your adventure. This interactive comic offers thousands of branching paths, leading to various outcomes, from doom to success. Experience a unique story with full audio accessibility.

**Highlights:** Branching narrative paths, User-driven story choices, Thousands of adventure outcomes, Infinite scrollable canvas, Full audio accessibility (VoiceOver)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Readwise Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readwise-books/id6502848368)

**Currently charting:** #135 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

This reading app allows you to buy, read, and track all your books in one place. It automatically logs your reading sessions and provides detailed metrics to help you improve. Share your reading progress with friends in a low-pressure feed.

**Highlights:** Centralized book library, Automatic reading session logging, Detailed reading metrics, Print book tracking, Highlighting and note-taking, Optional social feed, EPUB audio playback

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meanwhile free?

Meanwhile costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Readwise Books free?

Readwise Books is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Meanwhile or Readwise Books?

Readwise Books is rated higher. Meanwhile averages 4.2 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Readwise Books averages 5.0 from 144 ratings.

### Do Meanwhile or Readwise Books have ads?

Neither Meanwhile nor Readwise Books shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Meanwhile or Readwise Books?

Meanwhile ships an update every 12 months, and Readwise Books every 3 days. Most recently, Meanwhile was updated on November 6, 2026 and Readwise Books on November 5, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Meanwhile or Readwise Books?

Meanwhile currently peaks at #91 in the App Store charts, and Readwise Books at #135. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*