# Freading vs MackinVIA

The clearest difference is rating: Freading at 4.6 against MackinVIA's 3.4. Freading also leads on ratings volume (2.9K vs 156). MackinVIA's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 17%) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Freading holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freading has 2.9K ratings behind it against 156, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of Freading's written reviews are positive against 56% of MackinVIA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Freading ships an update every 9 months, MackinVIA every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freading | MackinVIA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freading/id485015785/reviews)** | [3.4 (156 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mackinvia/id558020762/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.9K** | 156 |
| Positive reviews | 16.8% of reviews | **56.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 20 MB | 706 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Library Ideas, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/485015788) | [Mackin Book Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/558020765) |

## 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**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


### MackinVIA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mackinvia/id558020762)

Access your school's digital library, including eBooks and audiobooks. This reader app provides instant access to your checked-out materials, notes, and favorites, with powerful tools for annotation and offline reading.

**Highlights:** Offline access to downloaded resources, Bookmarking and note-taking, Highlighting and search within books, Customizable text and audio controls, Integrated dictionary and citation tools, Table of Contents and page view options

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good for audiobooks
- 👍 Useful for school
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Great for teachers and students
- 👍 Good selection of books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Login issues
- 🐛 App crashes
- 🐛 Slow loading times
- 🐛 Content not accessible on multiple devices
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance

**Reported bugs**

- Not logging in
- Sent back to App Store during sign-in
- App not loading
- School not appearing in sign-in options
- App immediately says user doesn't have it after getting off

**Requested features**

- Add more book series
- Add graphic novels/manga
- Make books unlimited
- Add voiceover support
- Improve turning pages motion


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freading free?

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

### Is MackinVIA free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Freading or MackinVIA?

Freading is rated higher. Freading averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while MackinVIA averages 3.4 from 156 ratings.

### Do Freading or MackinVIA have ads?

Neither Freading nor MackinVIA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Freading or MackinVIA?

Freading ships an update every 9 months, and MackinVIA every 3 months. Most recently, Freading was updated on October 16, 2026 and MackinVIA on October 7, 2026.

---

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