BorrowBox vs Dear Jane
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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.
Dear Jane
Engage with Jane Austen's world through AITA-style confessions, personality quizzes, and novel knowledge tests. Progress through Meryton society by earning Society Honours for your wit and judgment. This app is crafted for dedicated fans of Jane Austen's literature.
- AITA-style confessions from Austen's world
- Personality quizzes
- Novel knowledge tests
- Progress tracking for scandals and quizzes
- Society Honours system
- Debate participation
Read full descriptionHide full description
For those who know Jane Austen by heart. Read AITA-style confessions from Austen's world, pass judgement, then name the culprit. Discover who you'd be with personality quizzes, test your knowledge of the novels, and weigh in on the debates. As you play, rise from a new arrival in Meryton to an Austen aficionado, tracking your completed scandals, finished quizzes, and Society Honours earned for your judgement, wit, and thorough reading. Made independently by a lifelong Jane Austen fan, for everyone who never quite left Meryton. The assembly awaits!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: BorrowBox at free against Dear Jane's free with in-app purchases. BorrowBox also leads on ratings volume (861 vs 2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Dear Jane's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Dear Jane holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BorrowBox has 861 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of BorrowBox's written reviews are positive against 100% of Dear Jane's.
BorrowBox ships an update weekly, Dear Jane every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BorrowBox | Dear Jane |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (861 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 861 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #87 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 146 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Bolinda digital | Frances Maxwell |
Customer experience
BorrowBox
Dear Jane
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
Dear Jane
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BorrowBox
No in-app purchases
Dear Jane
No in-app purchases









