Comparison

iBouquiniste Lite vs FBReader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

iBouquiniste Lite

This app offers a customizable ebook reading experience with support for multiple formats. Adjust fonts, indents, and paper types to mimic reading a physical book. Organize your library by author or recently opened books.

Highlights
  • Supports FB2, EPUB, PDF, DJVU, MOBI, CBR, CBZ, TXT
  • Adjustable fonts, paragraph indents, paper type
  • OPDS catalog support
  • Notes functionality
  • Send books via email
  • Author Library organization
  • Real page numbers
Features
Read full description

iBouquiniste is an iPad and iPhone ebook reader like none you've seen before. Unlike other readers, this app supports FB2, EPUB, PDF, DJVU, MOBI, CBR, CBZ and TXT formats and offers adjustable fonts, paragraph indents, paper type and more. iBouquiniste gives you a reading experience that's as close as you can get to reading a real book, and it even lets you share your favorite books via email. Click "...More" to learn why you should download this App today! *** Featured In New and Newsworthy! *** Do you love to read? With iBouquiniste you'll take your favorite books wherever you go! Book readers are a great innovation for busy book lovers, but they're still evolving. Some readers are so cluttered with settings and controls that you can barely read the text, while others are bare bones "What you see is what you get" style apps. iBouquiniste is a completely different reading experience. iBouquiniste Features Include: * Supports OPDS catalogs * Full support for iPad retina display * Supports notes * Send books by email * Unique Author Library (each author on their own bookshelf) * View most recently opened books in the order you opened them * Real page numbers * Adjustable fonts, spacing, margins, book paper and more * Download books via iTunes or any app supporting file transfer (i.e. Mail or Safari) The interface is clean and easy to use. The only controls on the screen are the ones you absolutely need, but you have the control that you want to display your books exactly the way you want them. iBouquiniste supports FB2 formatted books, which is how most books are formatted. Other reader apps still don't do that. If you want an even more personal reading experience, that's not a problem. You control paragraph indentation, font face and size, margins and even the type of paper for the pages in your book. Where some apps offer sepia tones, iBouquiniste can display your book on realistic paper, with actual page numbers for each page! Tired of digging through your library to find a specific book? This app gives you several ways to find any book in your collection with just a few taps. Like other, similar apps, iBouquiniste includes a complete table of contents that lists every book you own. This is a great feature if you're not sure what you want to read; but if you have a lot of books, you might spend more time looking for something to read than actually reading! That's why this app also features a unique Author's Library and a Favorites Library. If you're in the mood to read a certain book from a particular novelist, you'll quickly find what you're looking for in the Author's Library. Each writer has their own shelf with all of their works that are in your collection. Have you ever put down a book with the idea that you would come back and finish it after you've read something else? Who hasn't done that? The problem is that when you're ready to go back and finish it, you sometimes can't remember the title of the book, or even the name of the author. Now that you have iBouquiniste, all you need to do is to sort your books with "Recent". This feature narrows your search by displaying the books in the order you opened them. Now you can get back to that unfinished book within just a few seconds of starting your search. Once you've finished it, why not share that novel with a friend? It's as easy as sending an email right from the app! Don't let your book reader decide how your books should look. Spend less time searching and more time reading. Download iBouquiniste now and have all of your books at your fingertips.- You can send a book by email - Unique Authors Library (each author on it's own bookshelf) - Real page numbers - Adjustable fonts, spacings, margins, book paper etc. - You can download books via iTunes or any app supporting file transfer (for example Mail or Safari)

About

FBReader

A fast and versatile e-book reader supporting multiple formats like ePub, Kindle, and fb2. It offers cloud syncing for reading progress and a customizable interface. Upgrade to unlock unlimited library access and advanced features.

Highlights
  • Supports ePub, Kindle azw3, fb2, RTF, Word, HTML, and text
  • ePub3 and Readium LCP DRM support
  • Cloud syncing of library and reading positions
  • Customizable appearance and behavior options
  • Direct opening of downloaded files
  • Free version with library limits
Features
Read full description

FBReader is a fast and easy-to-use e-book reader for iPhone and iPad. It supports all major e-book formats, including ePub (with key ePub3 features), Kindle azw3, and fb2 (.zip). You can open both unprotected books and ePub files protected with Readium LCP DRM. FBReader also reads RTF, Word (.doc), HTML, and plain text, so you can keep all your books and documents in one place. Read anywhere and pick up right where you left off. FBReader can sync your library, reading positions, bookmarks, and more across devices using the FBReader Book Network, a cloud service powered by Google Drive. If you prefer managing files yourself, you can download books in your browser and open them directly with FBReader. A wide range of appearance and behavior options lets you customize the reading experience to match your preferences. Free version and upgrade options: • The free version allows up to 10 books in your library. • The built-in translation feature is disabled. Upgrade to the full version to remove these limits and enjoy the complete FBReader experience.

Screenshots

iBouquiniste Lite3 screens
FBReader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: FBReader at none against iBouquiniste Lite's shown. iBouquiniste Lite's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. iBouquiniste Lite sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and FBReader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.8 for iBouquiniste Lite against 3.7 for FBReader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 49 and 129 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of iBouquiniste Lite's written reviews are positive against 52% of FBReader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iBouquiniste Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, FBReader monthly. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
iBouquiniste Lite versus FBReader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriBouquiniste LiteFBReader
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (49 ratings) — better3.7 (129 ratings)
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews — better52.5% of reviews
Number of ratings49129 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB22 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperSandrFBReader.ORG Limited

Customer experience

iBouquiniste Lite

All ratings49 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral6.1%
Negative22.4%
Written reviews75 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative33.3%

FBReader

All ratings128 ratings
Positive64.8%
Neutral9.4%
Negative25.8%
Written reviews322 reviews
Positive52.5%
Neutral14.0%
Negative33.5%

User reviews

iBouquiniste Lite

From 49 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great app for reading
  • 👍 Convenient navigation
  • 👍 Nice interface and design
  • 👍 Supports multiple formats
  • 👍 Good customization options

Room to improve

  • 😠 Intrusive and unclosable ads
  • 😠 App crashes frequently
  • 😠 Issues with opening/reading certain formats (EPUB, DJVU, FB2)
  • 😠 UI can be difficult to use on smaller screens
  • 😠 Battery drains quickly

FBReader

From 129 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and smooth reading experience
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
  • 💡 Customizable font, margin, and layout options
  • 🔒 Secure syncing across devices
  • 🎨 Retro background textures

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
  • 🔧 Lack of advanced organization features (folders, shelves)
  • 🚫 No PDF support
  • 🔍 Inconsistent search and book discovery
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns around data collection

Bugs and requests

iBouquiniste Lite

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes on launch or when opening books
  • Cannot open certain book formats (EPUB, FB2, DJVU)
  • Ads are unclosable or reappear after purchase
  • OPDS does not work
  • Control codes appear instead of characters
Show 5 more
  • App does not open or access books
  • Battery drains significantly
  • App crashes when interacting with ads
  • Corrupted pages
  • App crashes on initial loading page

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add option to remove ads
  • Improve OPDS support
  • Add notes and markup features
  • Improve handling of large books
  • Fix issues with specific file formats
Show 5 more
  • Add dark mode
  • Improve UI for smaller screens
  • Add translation/thesaurus feature
  • Allow highlighting current chapter in list
  • Add picture enlargement option

FBReader

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Syncing issues with Google Drive
  • Deletion of books from library
  • Formatting problems with large footnotes
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Vertical scrolling mode
  • Improved bookmark and annotation tools
  • Ability to add/change book covers
  • Text-to-speech functionality
  • Better library management (read/unread, collections)

In-app purchases

4 purchases

iBouquiniste Lite

One-time4
  • PDF Support$0.99
  • DJVU Support$0.99
  • Remove Ads$1.99
Show 1 more
  • iBouquiniste Cloud Storage Basic$1.99
1 purchases

FBReader

One-time1
  • FBReader Full Edition2 variants$12.99

Questions

Is iBouquiniste Lite free?
iBouquiniste Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FBReader free?
FBReader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iBouquiniste Lite or FBReader?
iBouquiniste Lite is rated higher. iBouquiniste Lite averages 3.8 out of 5 from 49 ratings, while FBReader averages 3.7 from 129 ratings.
Do iBouquiniste Lite or FBReader have ads?
iBouquiniste Lite shows ads; FBReader does not.
Which is updated more often, iBouquiniste Lite or FBReader?
iBouquiniste Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, and FBReader monthly. Most recently, iBouquiniste Lite was updated on October 26, 2026 and FBReader on October 26, 2026.

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