# 南亞eBooks vs 掌閱iReader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 南亞eBooks at none against 掌閱iReader's 10. 南亞eBooks also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.4). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 掌閱iReader sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. 南亞eBooks asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | 南亞eBooks | 掌閱iReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.3 (179 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ireader/id1050576032/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **179** |
| Positive reviews | — | 28.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 132 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 12.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [HamaStar Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/453199183) | [HK IReader Technology Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1110639431) |

## What reviewers say

### 南亞eBooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebooks/id555552655)

**In-app purchases:** none


### 掌閱iReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ireader/id1050576032)

This app offers a comfortable reading experience with a vast library of authorized novels. Explore diverse genres and popular titles, with personalized settings and timely updates. Discover new stories and connect with fellow readers.

**Highlights:** Massive library of authorized novels, Diverse genres including romance, fantasy, and sci-fi, Personalized reading settings (font, background, night mode), Timely updates and notifications for new chapters, Popular novel rankings and recommendations, User-friendly interface with smooth page turning

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 600 iCoins | $0.99 | one-time |
| VIP of 1 month | $3.99 | one-time |
| 3000 iCoins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 6000 iCoins | $9.99 | one-time |
| VIP of 3 months | $10.99 | one-time |
| 12000 Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 18000 iCoins | $29.99 | one-time |
| VIP of 12 months | $39.99 | one-time |
| 30000iCons | $49.99 | one-time |
| 60000閲餠 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Extensive free book resources available
- ⬆️ File upload feature from PC to phone
- 👁️ Eye-care reading modes
- 🎨 User-friendly interface (in older versions)
- 🔊 Text-to-speech/audio reading functionality (previously)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive advertisements throughout app
- 🐛 App crashes and won't open
- 🌐 Forced traditional Chinese characters only
- 🗑️ Removed text-to-speech audio reading feature
- ❌ Missing simplified Chinese language option

**Reported bugs**

- App won't open or displays blank page
- PDF documents cannot be opened
- TXT file import errors
- iOS 13 compatibility crashes
- Automatic forced updates to traditional Chinese

**Requested features**

- Full-screen page turning functionality
- Landscape view mode
- Simplified Chinese language support
- Text translation/lookup feature
- Automatic scrolling reading mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 南亞eBooks free?

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

### Is 掌閱iReader free?

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

### Do 南亞eBooks or 掌閱iReader have ads?

掌閱iReader shows ads; 南亞eBooks does not.

### Which is updated more often, 南亞eBooks or 掌閱iReader?

南亞eBooks ships an update every 3 weeks, and 掌閱iReader every 3 weeks. Most recently, 南亞eBooks was updated on October 16, 2026 and 掌閱iReader on October 16, 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.*