Comparison

BorrowBox vs BookPal

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

Head to head
About

BorrowBox

Access a vast digital library of eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers from your local library. Browse, borrow, and enjoy content on any device with seamless syncing and personalized features.

Highlights
  • Borrow eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, eNewspapers
  • All library formats in one app
  • Read and listen directly in the app
  • Curated collections and themes
  • Multi-language browsing
  • Automatic new issue downloads
  • Cross-device syncing
  • Adjustable playback speed and sleep timer
Features
Read full description

Discover the Ultimate Library Experience – Borrow eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers – All in One Place. With BorrowBox, browsing, borrowing, reading, or listening has never been simpler. Take your library with you, wherever you go, whenever you want. If your local library offers BorrowBox, simply sign in with your membership details to unlock a world of digital reading and listening. ALL YOUR LIBRARY FAVOURITES, ONE APP Explore eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers – all the formats your library offers, all in one place. EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE Read or listen to your borrowed titles directly in the app. No extra downloads, no extra steps. MADE FOR YOU Enjoy curated collections and themes that make discovering your next read and listen a breeze. BROWSE IN ANY LANGUAGE Our Language Browsing feature makes it simple to find content in multiple languages, tailored for different audiences. NEVER MISS A RELEASE Subscribe to your favourite eMagazines or eNewspapers, and they’ll be borrowed and downloaded automatically as new issues arrive. STAY IN SYNC Your reading and listening progress seamlessly follows you across all your devices. TAILORED TO YOU Set a sleep timer for your eAudiobooks, add your favourites to your reading lists, and adjust playback speed to suit your listening style.

About

BookPal

Features
Read full description

BookPal is an iOS reading companion app. Use it to catalogue or to track your reading over time in whatever way works for you. Use it to .. 1. catalogue your reading list 2. track your bookmarks 3. take notes as you read and hopefully to inspire you to make reading part of your everyday.

Screenshots

BorrowBox4 screens
BookPal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: BorrowBox at #89 against BookPal's unranked. BorrowBox also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
BorrowBox versus BookPal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBorrowBoxBookPal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (865 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings865 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#89 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size166 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBolinda digitalmark jones

Bugs and requests

BorrowBox

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes after recent update
  • Loses reading progress when switching devices
  • Night mode issues with invisible text
  • Audiobook controls not working with Bluetooth
  • Inconsistent behavior when using sleep timer

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add a wishlist or reading list feature
  • Improve search and filtering capabilities
  • Implement bookmark/progress tracking for audiobooks
  • Integrate with Apple CarPlay for safer driving
  • Add user reviews and ratings for books

BookPal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BorrowBox

No in-app purchases

None

BookPal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BorrowBox free?
BorrowBox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BookPal free?
BookPal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do BorrowBox or BookPal have ads?
Neither BorrowBox nor BookPal shows ads.

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