# Freading vs The Palace Project

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 (#43 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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freading | The Palace Project |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freading/id485015785/reviews) | **[4.6 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-palace-project/id1574359693/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K | **5.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 16.1% of reviews | **26.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#43** |
| Size | 20 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Library Ideas, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/485015788) | [The Palace Project](https://appshunter.io/developer/1574359695) |

## What reviewers say

### Freading

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freading/id485015785)

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.

**Highlights:** Read EPUB and PDF books, Adobe DRM support, Tap or swipe page turning, Remembers last page read, Selectable text size

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 📚 Wide selection of books
- 🕰 No late fees

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📱 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🔍 Poor search and discovery
- 📚 Limited book selection
- 🔒 Login and authentication issues

**Reported bugs**

- Books fail to download or open
- App crashes when trying to access downloaded books
- Login process is unreliable and inconsistent

**Requested features**

- Improve app stability and reliability
- Enhance user interface and navigation
- Expand book selection and search capabilities
- Streamline login and authentication process


### The Palace Project

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-palace-project/id1574359693)

**Currently charting:** #43 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Borrow e-books and audiobooks, Access local library collections, Read or listen to books, Free Palace Bookshelf collection, Requires library card for full access

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great selection of books
- 💡 Convenient access to library books
- 👍 Simple and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- 🤯 Inconsistent user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Books not downloading properly
- Losing place in audiobooks
- Crashing and freezing issues
- Incompatibility with certain devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to track read/listened books
- Improved audiobook playback controls
- Dark mode option
- Integration with Kindle


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freading free?

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

### Is The Palace Project free?

The Palace Project is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Freading or The Palace Project?

The Palace Project is rated higher. Freading averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while The Palace Project averages 4.6 from 5.2K ratings.

### Do Freading or The Palace Project have ads?

Neither Freading nor The Palace Project shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Freading or The Palace Project?

Freading ships an update every 9 months, and The Palace Project fortnightly. Most recently, Freading was updated on September 26, 2026 and The Palace Project on September 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*