# Freading vs Blackstone Unlimited

The clearest difference is update cadence: Blackstone Unlimited at every 3 weeks against Freading's every 9 months. Blackstone Unlimited also leads on review sentiment (26% vs 17%). Freading's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (2.9K vs 635). 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 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.9K and 635 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of Freading's written reviews are positive against 26% of Blackstone Unlimited'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, Blackstone Unlimited every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Freading | Blackstone Unlimited |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/freading/id485015785/reviews)** | [4.3 (635 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackstone-unlimited/id6443725473/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.9K** | 635 |
| Positive reviews | 16.8% of reviews | **26.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 20 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Library Ideas, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/485015788) | [Blackstone Audio, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/354766336) |

## 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


### Blackstone Unlimited

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackstone-unlimited/id6443725473)

Access a vast digital library of bestselling audiobooks for free using your library card. Enjoy instant borrowing with no holds or waiting periods, and download titles for offline listening. Discover new arrivals regularly from an award-winning catalog.

**Highlights:** Free audiobook borrowing, No holds or waiting, Instant access to catalog, Download for offline listening, Passwordless login, Award-winning titles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Free audiobooks from the library
- 👍 No wait times for books
- 👍 Wide selection of choices
- 👍 User-friendly interface (mentioned by one user)
- 👍 Good for commutes and escaping reality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App won't open after update
- 🐛 No books available (reported by one user)
- 🐛 Limited content selection (less than most popular titles)
- 🐛 Poor category discovery and browsing
- 🐛 No CarPlay support

**Reported bugs**

- App won't open after latest update
- App crashes frequently
- Error messages displayed
- App doesn't work with Bluetooth devices
- Audiobooks randomly stop playing

**Requested features**

- Favorites list functionality
- Customizable playback speed options (more granular control)
- Improved browsing and genre discovery
- More international book selection (UK, Australia, NZ, Canada)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Freading free?

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

### Is Blackstone Unlimited free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Freading or Blackstone Unlimited?

Freading is rated higher. Freading averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while Blackstone Unlimited averages 4.3 from 635 ratings.

### Do Freading or Blackstone Unlimited have ads?

Neither Freading nor Blackstone Unlimited shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Freading or Blackstone Unlimited?

Freading ships an update every 9 months, and Blackstone Unlimited every 3 weeks. Most recently, Freading was updated on October 29, 2026 and Blackstone Unlimited on October 30, 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.*