# National Library and Archives vs Gutenberg | eBook Reader

The clearest difference is ads: National Library and Archives at none against Gutenberg | eBook Reader's shown. National Library and Archives also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Gutenberg | eBook Reader's advantage is ratings volume (761 vs 3) and review sentiment (70% vs 60%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. National Library and Archives sells 17 one-off in-app purchases and Gutenberg | eBook Reader sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

National Library and Archives holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gutenberg | eBook Reader has 761 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of National Library and Archives's written reviews are positive against 70% of Gutenberg | eBook Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

National Library and Archives ships an update every 2 months, Gutenberg | eBook Reader every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | National Library and Archives | Gutenberg | eBook Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/national-library-and-archives/id629973883/reviews)** | [4.5 (761 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gutenberg-ebook-reader/id1289618861/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **761** |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **69.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 48 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Library and Archives](https://appshunter.io/developer/629973886) | [Webron Software LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1071126548) |

## What reviewers say

### National Library and Archives

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/national-library-and-archives/id629973883)

Access a comprehensive digital archive and library for the UAE, featuring historical media, public contributions, news archives, and an e-book store. Explore audio recordings and various other electronic services.

**Highlights:** Historical multimedia archive, User-submitted historical content, Daily news archives, E-book store, Audio library of Sheikh Zayed, Electronic services

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| YawmeyatMohammedBinRashed | Free | one-time |
| Liwa Arabic 29 | Free | one-time |
| Zayed From Challenges to Union | Free | one-time |
| YawmeyatZayedBinSultan | Free | one-time |
| YawmeyatMohamedBinZayed | Free | one-time |
| YawmeyatFatema | Free | one-time |
| قصر الحصن | Free | one-time |
| Rasael Al Rasoul | $3.99 | one-time |
| Emiratis All Our Yesterdays - Arabic | $4.99 | one-time |
| Zayed Ibn Al Sahraa | $4.99 | one-time |
| New Perpectives On Recording UAE History A | $4.99 | one-time |
| Old Mosques of the Coasts of Abu Dhabi - Arabic | $5.99 | one-time |
| Memoirs of the Emirates - Arabic | $9.99 | one-time |
| India and UAE | $9.99 | one-time |
| UAE and Iran - The three islands | $9.99 | one-time |
| Black Gold and Frankincense - Arabic | $9.99 | one-time |
| ZAYED Man Who Built A Nation Arabic | $9.99 | one-time |


### Gutenberg | eBook Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gutenberg-ebook-reader/id1289618861)

Access a vast library of public domain e-books and audiobooks from around the world. Explore tens of thousands of titles across numerous languages and categories, including classics and popular works.

**Highlights:** Vast public domain e-book library, Extensive audiobook collection, Thousands of titles available, Multiple languages supported, Categorized book selection, Top 50 e-books listed

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium | $39.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Extensive collection of classic literature
- 💰 Free access to thousands of books
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 📖 Page-turning feature mimics physical books
- 🌙 Night mode for comfortable reading

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Search function is unreliable and confusing
- 📱 Poor book organization and browsing
- 💔 Missing many books found on Project Gutenberg website
- 📺 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- ⚙️ Limited customization options for book format

**Reported bugs**

- Search returns no results or irrelevant results
- Books listed on Project Gutenberg not appearing in app
- App fails to download certain books
- Reading progress not saved between sessions
- Continuous scroll instead of page-by-page display

**Requested features**

- Improved search functionality with better filtering
- Better book organization and categorization system
- Dictionary/word definition feature
- Improved paragraph spacing and text formatting
- Page-by-page navigation instead of chapter-based


## Frequently asked questions

### Is National Library and Archives free?

National Library and Archives is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Gutenberg | eBook Reader free?

Gutenberg | eBook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, National Library and Archives or Gutenberg | eBook Reader?

National Library and Archives is rated higher. National Library and Archives averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Gutenberg | eBook Reader averages 4.5 from 761 ratings.

### Do National Library and Archives or Gutenberg | eBook Reader have ads?

Gutenberg | eBook Reader shows ads; National Library and Archives does not.

### Which is updated more often, National Library and Archives or Gutenberg | eBook Reader?

National Library and Archives ships an update every 2 months, and Gutenberg | eBook Reader every 6 weeks. Most recently, National Library and Archives was updated on October 17, 2026 and Gutenberg | eBook Reader on October 29, 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.*