# Coread vs HotNovel

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HotNovel at 92% against Coread's 0%. HotNovel also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 weeks). Coread's advantage is iOS requirement (12.4 vs 14.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Coread sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per 7 days and HotNovel sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HotNovel holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 107 and 219 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Coread's written reviews are positive against 92% of HotNovel's.

Coread ships an update every 5 weeks, HotNovel every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on July 5, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Coread | HotNovel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (107 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coread/id6443828903/reviews) | **[4.8 (219 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotnovel/id6450293281/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 107 | **219** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **92.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 79 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [ZhiMing Tech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557807053) | [HONG KONG BESTREAD TECHNOLOGY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692724450) |

## What reviewers say

### Coread

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coread/id6443828903)

Discover popular novels on a free reading platform. Read chapters first and then decide to purchase books that capture your interest. Enjoy daily updates and smart recommendations for a personalized reading experience.

**Highlights:** Free reading chapters, Editor-recommended books, Daily updated chapters, Smart content recommendations, User feedback integration, Premium subscription options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium VIP Plan | $19.99 | per 7 days |
| VIP Weekly Plan | $21.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium VIP Plan Monthly | $54.99 | per month |
| New user coin pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| 200 coin pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Small coin pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small plus coin pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Medium coin pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Medium plus coin pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Big coin pack | $39.99 | one-time |


### HotNovel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotnovel/id6450293281)

Immerse yourself in a world of passion and desire with this romance novel app. Personalize your love stories, connect with a community of readers, and unlock exclusive content. Discover diverse tales celebrating all kinds of love.

**Highlights:** Interactive personalized love stories, Diverse character options, Community of romance lovers, Exclusive content and rewards, Inclusive LGBTQ+ and interracial romances, Weekly writing prompts and contests

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 550 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1500 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2000 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2600 Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 4000 Coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 4500 Coins | $29.99 | one-time |
| 6500 Coins | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 High-quality, engaging story collection
- 💰 Genuinely free reading with ad-supported model
- ⏰ No aggressive paywall tactics or sneaky coin requests
- ✨ Good spelling and grammar quality
- 🎯 Variety of genres and interesting plots

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Mandatory ads after every chapter
- 💸 High coin prices for paid chapters
- 🐛 App crashes and requires reinstallation
- ⏳ Long wait times between free chapter unlocks
- 📉 Reduced free chapter availability (now 2 per 24 hours)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and forces users to delete/reinstall
- Free chapter claim button not functioning
- Blank pages appearing instead of chapter content
- Ad delivery system failing (no ads to watch for free chapters)
- Chapter jumps and narrative continuity breaks

**Requested features**

- Increase free chapters per day (at least 3)
- Reduce or eliminate ads between chapters
- Lower coin prices for paid content
- Restore previous free chapter frequency
- Fix chapter ordering and continuity


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Coread free?

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

### Is HotNovel free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Coread or HotNovel?

HotNovel is rated higher. Coread averages 4.4 out of 5 from 107 ratings, while HotNovel averages 4.8 from 219 ratings.

### Do Coread or HotNovel have ads?

Both Coread and HotNovel show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Coread or HotNovel?

Coread ships an update every 5 weeks, and HotNovel every 9 days. Most recently, Coread was updated on July 5, 2026 and HotNovel on September 28, 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.*