# the reader vs Excellent English

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: the reader at none against Excellent English's 6. the reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and device support (3 vs 1). Excellent English's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 14 months) and ratings volume (360 vs 1). On price, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Excellent English sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. the reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

the reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Excellent English has 360 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of the reader's written reviews are positive against 93% of Excellent English's.

the reader ships an update every 14 months, Excellent English every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | the reader | Excellent English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-reader/id475858519/reviews)** | [4.8 (360 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/excellent-english/id6462335675/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **360** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 93.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 6 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CROMBEZ Emmanuel](https://appshunter.io/developer/375656695) | [Dzmitry Viarenich](https://appshunter.io/developer/840124013) |

## What reviewers say

### the reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-reader/id475858519)

This app allows you to read custom text aloud to children. It's designed to engage young minds with personalized stories and content.

**Highlights:** Read custom text aloud, Personalized content, Child-friendly interface, Engaging for young learners

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Excellent English

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/excellent-english/id6462335675)

Improve your English speaking, listening, and writing skills with just 10 minutes a day. Learn over 500 new words monthly and retain up to 90% of your learning using spaced repetition. This app breaks down complex topics into manageable lessons.

**Highlights:** Daily 10-minute lessons, Learn 500+ new words monthly, Spaced repetition for retention, Improve speaking, listening, writing, Learn collocations, idioms, grammar, University-endorsed learning approach

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full access for 1 week | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Full access for 3 months | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Full access for 6 months | $19.99 | per 6 months |
| Full access for 2 months | $29.99 | per 2 months |
| Full access for 1 year | $79.99 | per year |
| Full access forever | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Rapid vocabulary acquisition compared to competitors
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 📚 Effective learning methodology with spaced repetition
- 🎯 Customizable learning topics and themes
- ⏱️ Bite-sized daily lessons that fit busy schedules

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📱 iPad interface not optimized for tablet use
- 🔄 No cloud sync between devices (progress lost on phone change)
- 🌐 Limited language options (missing Korean, Persian, Greek)
- 🎤 Lacks pronunciation/audio features
- 🔀 Inconsistent word translations and meanings

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent word translations between sessions
- Progress lost when switching devices

**Requested features**

- iCloud/cloud synchronization for cross-device progress
- iPad-optimized interface
- Korean language support
- Persian language support
- Greek language support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is the reader free?

the reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Excellent English free?

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

### Which has better reviews, the reader or Excellent English?

the reader is rated higher. the reader averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Excellent English averages 4.8 from 360 ratings.

### Do the reader or Excellent English have ads?

Neither the reader nor Excellent English shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, the reader or Excellent English?

the reader ships an update every 14 months, and Excellent English every 3 weeks. Most recently, the reader was updated on October 6, 2026 and Excellent English on October 24, 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.*