Freading vs The Palace Project
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Freading
This app allows users to read EPUB and PDF books downloaded from participating libraries. It supports Adobe DRM and offers a comfortable reading experience with features like page turning and adjustable text size.
- Read EPUB and PDF books
- Adobe DRM support
- Tap or swipe page turning
- Remembers last page read
- Selectable text size
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The Freading application is for reading EPUB books and PDF books. The application was developed for users of the Freading Ebook Service. The Freading (free reading) Ebook Service was developed by Library Ideas, LLC and is sold to libraries of all types around the world. End users are registered cardholders of participating libraries. Check with your local library for participation. The end user should use their browser to navigate the library website, then download the book from a library website into this application. Once in the application, the EPUB or PDF book can be explored and read. The Freading application is designed to lend full support for Adobe DRM and uses Adobe ID for Authentication. The Freading application includes many features that you would expect for a good reading experience such as tap or swipe to turn pages, remembering the last page read, and selectable text size.
The Palace Project
Access and enjoy e-books and audiobooks from your local library for free. Discover new titles, borrow them instantly with your library card, and read or listen anywhere. Even without a participating library, enjoy a collection of free books.
- Borrow e-books and audiobooks
- Access local library collections
- Read or listen to books
- Free Palace Bookshelf collection
- Requires library card for full access
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Palace is a free, easy-to-use e-reader app that lets you find, check out, and read or listen to books from your local library. It’s been said that libraries are “palaces for the people” and the Palace app gives you instant access to your local “palace” any time, right from the palm of your hand. All you need to sign up is your library card! And even if your library isn’t using Palace yet, you can still read more than 10,000 books--from children’s books to classics to foreign language books--for free from our Palace Bookshelf. The Palace app is built and maintained by Lyrasis, a not-for-profit organization working in partnership with Digital Public Library of America with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For more, visit https://thepalaceproject.org.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: The Palace Project at fortnightly against Freading's every 9 months. The Palace Project also leads on chart position (#33 vs unranked) and review sentiment (27% vs 16%). Freading's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Freading against 4.6 for The Palace Project. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.8K and 5.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 16% of Freading's written reviews are positive against 27% of The Palace Project's.
Freading ships an update every 9 months, The Palace Project fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Freading | The Palace Project |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (2.8K ratings) | 4.6 (5.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.1% of reviews | 26.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K | 5.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #33 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Library Ideas, LLC | The Palace Project |
Customer experience
Freading
The Palace Project
User reviews
Freading
From 2.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 📚 Wide selection of books
- 🕰 No late fees
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📱 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🔍 Poor search and discovery
- 📚 Limited book selection
- 🔒 Login and authentication issues
The Palace Project
From 5.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great selection of books
- 💡 Convenient access to library books
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- 🤯 Inconsistent user experience
Bugs and requests
Freading
Reported bugs
3 issues- Books fail to download or open
- App crashes when trying to access downloaded books
- Login process is unreliable and inconsistent
Requested features
4 requests- Improve app stability and reliability
- Enhance user interface and navigation
- Expand book selection and search capabilities
- Streamline login and authentication process
The Palace Project
Reported bugs
4 issues- Books not downloading properly
- Losing place in audiobooks
- Crashing and freezing issues
- Incompatibility with certain devices
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to track read/listened books
- Improved audiobook playback controls
- Dark mode option
- Integration with Kindle
In-app purchases
Freading
No in-app purchases
The Palace Project
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Freading free?
Is The Palace Project free?
Which has better reviews, Freading or The Palace Project?
Do Freading or The Palace Project have ads?
Which is updated more often, Freading or The Palace Project?
Other comparisons
