Comparison

BorrowBox vs Broadside Reader

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

Broadside Reader

Features
Read full description

Broadside Reader Your Readings, the way they were meant to be read. Some reading happens on the bus, some in a waiting room, and some on the sofa with the lights low. Broadside Reader is built for all of it: your PDFs, EPUBs, articles and notes, in your pocket and, when you want them, up on the biggest, calmest screen in the house. Send it anything A novel, a script, a sermon, a stack of research. PDF, EPUB, web page, Markdown, plain text: send it over and it's waiting on your TV and your iPhone, ready to open. Made to disappear Choose your type size, your spacing, your typeface, your colours. Keep a document's original layout, or let the text reflow to fit the room. Atkinson Hyperlegible is built in for anyone who needs it. A reading ruler and typoscope hold your place on a long line, so the only thing you notice is the words. Or don't read at all Read aloud follows along as it speaks. Auto-scroll carries the page at whatever pace feels right, hands free, eyes free. One library, everywhere Folders as deep as you need, tags, search, bookmarks. Start a chapter on the TV, pick it up on your phone on the bus home. Position, bookmarks, settings: all of it follows you, quietly, through your own iCloud. Yours alone Nothing you read is uploaded anywhere. No ads. No tracking. Just your library, synced privately to your own devices. When you need to read to a room A cue line, a countdown, a mirrored view: everything for reading aloud with confidence, whether it's a toast, a sermon or a scene. Broadside is free to try for 7 days. After the trial, continue reading with a subscription: $2.99/month or $24.99/year. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://broadside-reader.vercel.app/privacy

Screenshots

BorrowBox4 screens
Broadside Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BorrowBox at none against Broadside Reader's 2. BorrowBox also leads on chart position (#93 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Broadside Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. BorrowBox asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BorrowBox ships an update every 6 days, Broadside Reader every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
BorrowBox versus Broadside Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBorrowBoxBroadside Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (876 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings876 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#93 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple TV
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size165 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBolinda digitalOswald Gyabaah

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

Broadside Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BorrowBox

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Broadside Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is BorrowBox free?
BorrowBox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Broadside Reader free?
Broadside Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BorrowBox or Broadside Reader have ads?
Neither BorrowBox nor Broadside Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BorrowBox or Broadside Reader?
BorrowBox ships an update every 6 days, and Broadside Reader every 3 days. Most recently, BorrowBox was updated on November 1, 2026 and Broadside Reader on October 24, 2026.

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