# iPublishCentral Reader vs PocketBook Reader

The clearest difference is rating: PocketBook Reader at 4.5 against iPublishCentral Reader's 3.7. PocketBook Reader also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 19%) and ratings volume (9.8K vs 156). iPublishCentral Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 56) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PocketBook Reader sells 41 one-off in-app purchases. iPublishCentral Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

PocketBook Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PocketBook Reader has 9.8K ratings behind it against 156, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of iPublishCentral Reader's written reviews are positive against 54% of PocketBook Reader's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iPublishCentral Reader | PocketBook Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (156 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipublishcentral-reader/id510322929/reviews) | **[4.5 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketbook-reader/id805488884/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 156 | **9.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 19.0% of reviews | **54.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#161** |
| Size | 178 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [iPublishCentral](https://appshunter.io/developer/419606382) | [Pocketbook International SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536135171) |

## What reviewers say

### iPublishCentral Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipublishcentral-reader/id510322929)

Read and manage your digital library with this app. It supports PDF and EPUB formats, allowing you to organize books, customize your reading experience with notes and highlights, and sync progress across devices. Download content from various sources, including cloud storage and email.

**Highlights:** Read PDF and EPUB ebooks, Organize books into shelves, Add notes and highlights, Bookmark pages, Sync reading progress across devices, Download content from Dropbox and email, Customize font, margins, and background

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### PocketBook Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketbook-reader/id805488884)

**Currently charting:** #161 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

This app is a versatile reader supporting 26 book and audio formats, including EPUB, PDF, and audiobooks. It offers features like PDF reflow, text-to-speech, cloud synchronization, and extensive customization options for a comfortable reading experience.

**Highlights:** Supports 26 book and audio formats, PDF Reflow function, Text-to-speech engine, Cloud synchronization service, Customizable interface and reading settings, Adobe DRM support

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

**In-app purchases (41)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| eBook | $0.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class A) | $0.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $1.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class B) | $1.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $2.95 | one-time |
| eBook | $2.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class C) | $2.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 4.79 | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 4.19 | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class D) | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class Alt5) | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 5.39 | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class F) | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 5.89 | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 5.09 | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class G) | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 7.09 | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 7.19 | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 8.29 | $6.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 7.59 | $6.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $7.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 8.89 | $7.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class J) | $8.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $8.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $9.90 | one-time |
| eBook | $9.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class L) | $10.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 13.9 | $11.90 | one-time |
| eBook | $11.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 12.99 | $11.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $12.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class N) | $12.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class O) | $13.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 17.9 | $14.90 | one-time |
| eBook | $14.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class R) | $16.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class T) | $18.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class W) | $21.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient reading experience
- 🚀 Smooth scrolling
- 💡 Customizable settings (font, margin, etc.)
- 🔒 Supports DRM-protected content
- 👍 Intuitive user interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Unreliable cloud sync
- 🐛 Inconsistent page rendering
- 🐛 Buggy text highlighting and annotation
- 🐛 Slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Books disappearing from library after login issues
- Inability to open DRM-protected PDFs
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between portrait and landscape modes
- Text-to-speech voice quality issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to organize books into custom folders
- Option to disable quick action zones
- Improved text-to-speech controls (seek, pause, etc.)
- Support for handwritten annotations with Apple Pencil
- Faster page turning and scrolling


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iPublishCentral Reader free?

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

### Is PocketBook Reader free?

PocketBook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, iPublishCentral Reader or PocketBook Reader?

PocketBook Reader is rated higher. iPublishCentral Reader averages 3.7 out of 5 from 156 ratings, while PocketBook Reader averages 4.5 from 9.8K ratings.

### Do iPublishCentral Reader or PocketBook Reader have ads?

Neither iPublishCentral Reader nor PocketBook Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iPublishCentral Reader or PocketBook Reader?

iPublishCentral Reader ships an update every 2 months, and PocketBook Reader every 2 months. Most recently, iPublishCentral Reader was updated on August 20, 2026 and PocketBook Reader on September 24, 2026.

---

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