# CU vs PocketBook Reader

The clearest difference is rating: PocketBook Reader at 4.5 against CU's 2.8. PocketBook Reader also leads on ratings volume (9.8K vs 4) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). CU's advantage is review sentiment (93% vs 55%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CU sells 17 one-off in-app purchases and PocketBook Reader sells 41 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PocketBook Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PocketBook Reader has 9.8K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 93% of CU's written reviews are positive against 55% of PocketBook Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CU ships an update every 6 months, PocketBook Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CU | PocketBook Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cu-ebook-store/id537037074/reviews) | **[4.5 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketbook-reader/id805488884/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **9.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **93.3% of reviews** | 54.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#156** |
| Size | 119 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [MEB Corporation Public Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/436964329) | [Pocketbook International SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536135171) |

## What reviewers say

### CU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cu-ebook-store/id537037074)

Access a digital library of academic books and magazines from leading publishers. Read, annotate, and manage your downloaded content with a user-friendly reader designed for comfort and convenience.

**Highlights:** Browse and search academic books, Download and read e-books, Adjustable text size and fonts, Night mode and brightness control, Take notes and draw on pages, Bookmark and resume reading, Review and rate books

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| อธิษฐาน - ATiTarn | $1.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 1.99 USD | $1.99 | one-time |
| เข็มทิศชีวิต | $2.99 | one-time |
| เข็มทิศชีวิต II | $2.99 | one-time |
| เข็มทิศจิตใต้สำนึก | $2.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 2.99 USD | $2.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 3.99 USD | $3.99 | one-time |
| 100 WAYS TO SAY IN ENGLISH | $4.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 4.99 USD | $4.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 5.99 USD | $5.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 6.99 USD | $6.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 7.99 USD | $7.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 8.99 USD | $8.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 9.99 USD | $9.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 10.99 USD | $10.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 11.99 USD | $11.99 | one-time |
| หนังสือราคา 12.99 USD | $12.99 | one-time |


### PocketBook Reader

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

**Currently charting:** #156 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 CU free?

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

### Is PocketBook Reader free?

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

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

PocketBook Reader is rated higher. CU averages 2.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while PocketBook Reader averages 4.5 from 9.8K ratings.

### Do CU or PocketBook Reader have ads?

Neither CU nor PocketBook Reader shows ads.

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

CU ships an update every 6 months, and PocketBook Reader every 2 months. Most recently, CU was updated on October 3, 2026 and PocketBook Reader on October 15, 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.*