# History Pointer vs ReadBay

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ReadBay at 84% against History Pointer's 24%. ReadBay also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and rating (4.8 vs 3.5). History Pointer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

ReadBay is free to download; History Pointer costs $4.99 up front. ReadBay sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. History Pointer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReadBay holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ReadBay has 256 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of History Pointer's written reviews are positive against 84% of ReadBay's.

History Pointer ships an update every 5 months, ReadBay every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and July 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | History Pointer | ReadBay |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.5 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/history-pointer/id463895470/reviews) | **[4.8 (256 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readbay-book-summaries/id6499073338/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 32 | **256** |
| Positive reviews | 23.5% of reviews | **84.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 168 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mobile Geographics](https://appshunter.io/developer/286844996) | [Bange Sabastine Hwonyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708740698) |

## What reviewers say

### History Pointer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/history-pointer/id463895470)

Discover over 100,000 historic sites across the US with this app. Explore locations near you or plan road trips, with integrated maps and Wikipedia excerpts. An augmented reality view helps you find and navigate to these significant places.

**Highlights:** National Register of Historic Places database, Location-based site discovery, Road trip planning, Multiple map views (Apple, USGS, NOAA), Wikipedia excerpts and links, Augmented Reality (AR) identification and navigation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### ReadBay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readbay-book-summaries/id6499073338)

Access concise summaries and audio versions of bestselling books in under 15 minutes. Master key insights from business, self-help, and personal development titles for faster learning and habit building.

**Highlights:** 15-minute book summaries, Audiobook summaries, Offline reading, Progress tracking, Habit building challenges, Bookmark favorite notes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Pro Annual Membership | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Pro Membership | $24.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Membership | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Informative and easy to follow
- 👍 Smooth listening experience
- 👍 Broad library of titles
- 👍 Allows reading or listening
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Usability issues when multitasking
- 🐛 Audiobook restarts from beginning
- 🔒 Lack of transparency (broken links, no contact info)
- 👎 Limited book recommendations
- 👎 Needs more book options and larger selection

**Reported bugs**

- Purchased lifetime subscription not accessible on new device
- Identical summaries for different books

**Requested features**

- Support for French books
- Ability to share summaries to Kindle
- More language options (e.g., Chinese)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is History Pointer free?

History Pointer costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ReadBay free?

ReadBay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, History Pointer or ReadBay?

ReadBay is rated higher. History Pointer averages 3.5 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while ReadBay averages 4.8 from 256 ratings.

### Do History Pointer or ReadBay have ads?

Neither History Pointer nor ReadBay shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, History Pointer or ReadBay?

History Pointer ships an update every 5 months, and ReadBay every 10 days. Most recently, History Pointer was updated on September 9, 2026 and ReadBay on July 10, 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.*