Comparison

myON vs MackinVIA

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

Head to head
About

myON

Access a vast library of digital books tailored to individual reading levels and interests. This program offers enhanced books with reading support, allowing students to discover new titles and read offline. It connects to school accounts for full access or provides free books for independent use.

Highlights
  • Personalized book recommendations
  • Over 5500 enhanced digital books
  • Reading supports and audio
  • Offline reading capability
  • School account integration
  • Free book access
Features
Read full description

Description: The myON app provides access to digital books from myON reader, a personalized, online literacy program that matches student’s interests and their reading level to a recommended book list. With over 5500 enhanced digital books with reading supports, students have access to all types of books and topics that will entice them to continue reading. Using the app, students can link their account to their school, and then read any book even when the Internet isn’t available. Hear what students from across the country are saying: · John in Florida, “I get to choose what I want to read.” · Emilia in Illinois, “There are a lot of books for any age. You get to read as many books as you like because they keep adding books to your account.” · Sally in South Carolina, “I like to read on myON reader because it’s fun.” · Sam in Indiana, “When I forget my library book, I can still get books from myON reader.” Hear what teachers and parents are saying about myON reader: · Teacher Mr. Newhouse, “This student is just one of many 6th graders at our school that have been sucked into myON after being reluctant. I have been amazed at how even the noisiest 6th grade classroom becomes silent and focused when myON is brought into play.” · Teacher Ms. Carnes: “myON makes kids want to read. Even my reluctant readers are excited to go onto MyON to read because they can all have access to the same text and can share it with their friends. Even if they can't read it for themselves, the system will read it for them and the students can then discuss the book together.” · Parent in Indiana: As a parent of a child doing the myON Reading program, I have to say I LOVE this program. Paige's Lexile score has now doubled in the very short time she has been reading with this program. Her fluency has improved so much, which helps her better understand what she is reading. She has read over 80 books in the last couple of months. Her test scores in Reading have gotten so much better. We had considered getting her a tutor for Reading, because she could read, but not really comprehend what she was reading, when she was done. She now has an A in Reading with NO tutor. · Parent in Florida: My child recognizes more and more words by reading with myON. She is only in Kindergarten but now reads books way above her level. We also like that there are so many books to choose from. Version 1.0 · Students have their unique login and password to access over 3000 enhanced digital books · Students can download up to 20 books to read off line · If your child is a student at a school that has subscribed to myON, they can access the entire book collection. No subscription at school? No problem... the myON app let’s you access a free book! Version 1.4 · The collection has expanded to over 5,000 books available with audio · Additional publisher packages are available when the school has licensed more books · Students can use a PIN instead of a password to register their account · Activity data is collected properly from students outside of the US

About

MackinVIA

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
Read full description

Explore your school’s eBooks, audiobooks, and other digital resources with the MackinVIA Reader, an easy-to-use app that’s fully integrated with your MackinVIA Backpack. The MackinVIA Reader gives you instant access to your favorites, checkouts, and notes, and you’re always one tap away from searching your school’s MackinVIA for more titles. Features include: -Bookmarks -Note-taking -Highlighting -Search within the book -Citations -Merriam-Webster™ dictionary -Customizable text size and font -Text-to-speech -Audio controls -Table of Contents -Single or dual page view -Download resources for offline access To get started, simply enter your school’s name along with your MackinVIA Backpack username and password.

Screenshots

MackinVIA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: MackinVIA at free against myON's free with in-app purchases. MackinVIA also leads on rating (3.4 vs 3.1) and review sentiment (56% vs 37%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MackinVIA holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 66 and 159 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of myON's written reviews are positive against 56% of MackinVIA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

myON ships an update every 4 months, MackinVIA every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
myON versus MackinVIA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermyONMackinVIA
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (66 ratings)3.4 (159 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.8% of reviews55.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings66159 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB727 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCapstone Digital, LLCMackin Book Company

Customer experience

myON

All ratings61 ratings
Positive45.9%
Neutral8.2%
Negative45.9%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive36.8%
Neutral9.5%
Negative53.7%

MackinVIA

All ratings159 ratings
Positive56.6%
Neutral9.4%
Negative34.0%
Written reviews72 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral12.5%
Negative31.9%

User reviews

myON

From 66 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📚 Extensive book collection with diverse genres
  • 🎧 Audio narration feature with natural-sounding voices
  • 🎯 Personalized book recommendations based on interests
  • 📱 Offline reading capability after downloading books
  • 🏫 Useful tool for school reading programs

Room to improve

  • 🔓 Frequent login issues and authentication failures
  • 🐛 App crashes and freezing problems
  • ⏱️ Slow page loading and buffering
  • 🔄 Requires constant re-login after exiting app
  • 📵 Requires internet connection even for downloaded books

MackinVIA

From 159 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

myON

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Login fails with correct credentials
  • School dropdown list fails to load
  • App crashes frequently and unexpectedly
  • Page turning causes app to freeze or go to wrong page
  • Books downloaded for offline reading show as locked
Show 9 more
  • Images in books fail to display
  • Constant buffering and loading circles when turning pages
  • Sign-off button becomes disabled
  • Password validation inconsistent between app and website
  • Books lose place and get deleted after reinstalling
  • App logs user out immediately after closing
  • Cannot skip to specific pages
  • Clever login integration not working
  • School selection not recognized

Requested features

12 requests
  • Quiz functionality for taking assessments after reading
  • Ability to remove or manage downloaded books
  • Book-level filtering and sorting by grade level
  • Adjustable reading speed for audio narration
  • Sync reading progress between app and website
Show 7 more
  • Phone compatibility (not just iPad)
  • Persistent login (stay logged in between sessions)
  • Teacher assignment access within app
  • Annotation and note-taking tools
  • Search by reading level
  • Dark mode option
  • Offline login capability

MackinVIA

Reported bugs

20 issues
  • 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
Show 15 more
  • Cannot download update from iTunes
  • App gets stuck opening to a white screen
  • Cannot access downloaded books on other devices
  • Keeps signing out
  • App crashes before sign-in window on older iPads
  • Audio freezes, glitches, or bugs out
  • Audio skips around and freezes
  • App crashes when trying to read a book
  • Cannot get into a book due to 'on another device' error
  • Resource downloaded to another device error
  • App crashes after latest update
  • Downloaded books cannot be opened (corrupted file)
  • Active session error prevents usage
  • Newest update has made the app glitchy
  • Login doesn't work after logging in from school

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add more book series
  • Add graphic novels/manga
  • Make books unlimited
  • Add voiceover support
  • Improve turning pages motion
Show 5 more
  • Improve font adjustment
  • Add a section to see checked-out books
  • Improve advanced search functionality
  • Allow bookmarks to stay in place
  • Fix issues with downloaded books on multiple devices

In-app purchases

None

myON

No in-app purchases

None

MackinVIA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is myON free?
myON 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, myON or MackinVIA?
MackinVIA is rated higher. myON averages 3.1 out of 5 from 66 ratings, while MackinVIA averages 3.4 from 159 ratings.
Do myON or MackinVIA have ads?
Neither myON nor MackinVIA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, myON or MackinVIA?
myON ships an update every 4 months, and MackinVIA every 3 months. Most recently, myON was updated on October 26, 2026 and MackinVIA on October 29, 2026.

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