Comparison

Reader for Watch vs CrossX

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

Head to head
About

Reader for Watch

This app transforms your Apple Watch into a standalone e-reader for EPUB and TXT files. Import books from your iPhone, read them offline on your watch, or listen using text-to-speech. Enjoy customizable reading experiences and smart layouts for on-the-go enjoyment.

Highlights
  • Standalone offline reading on Apple Watch
  • EPUB and TXT file import
  • Text-to-Speech (TTS) playback
  • Customizable text styles and layouts
  • Smooth auto-scroll for hands-free reading
  • Library management and progress tracking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Reader for Watch turns your Apple Watch into a fully standalone EPUB & TXT reader. Import books from your iPhone Files app, send them to your paired Apple Watch, then read offline or listen with Read Aloud (TTS) anytime—completely phone-free! Perfect for workouts, commutes, running, or leaving your phone behind. The app beautifully adapts your books for the watch screen with auto-scroll, chapter parsing, and customizable text styles. Key Features: • Standalone Reading: Read fully offline on Apple Watch after a quick transfer. • EPUB & TXT Support: Easy import from the iOS Files app or other apps. • Image Support: Full support for displaying images and illustrations in EPUB books. • Text-to-Speech (TTS): Listen via the Apple Watch speaker or Bluetooth headphones. • Smart Layouts: Automatic chapter parsing, reading progress sync, and bookmarks. • Smooth Auto-Scroll: Enjoy hands-free reading while on the move. • Quick Resume: Continue Reading widget and watchOS complication/control for fast resume. • Library Management: Pin books, track progress, and manage finished books. • Highly Customizable: Adjust font size, themes, custom colors, and speech rates. • Local Archiving: Option to archive local copies on iPhone after sending them to your watch. • Privacy First: Completely private. No data collection. Reader for Watch is designed for book lovers who want a clean, private, and simple way to carry their personal library on their wrist.

About

CrossX

Transform web pages into formatted EPUBs for your e-reader without using the cloud. Manage files and customize your device's wallpaper directly over WiFi. This app prioritizes privacy with no tracking or accounts.

Highlights
  • Convert web pages to EPUB
  • Send to e-reader over WiFi
  • Offline conversion queue
  • E-reader file management
  • Custom e-ink wallpaper tool
  • Native iOS and macOS experience
Features
Read full description

CrossX Send turns any web page into a clean, formatted EPUB e-book and sends it directly to your Xteink X4 e-reader over its local WiFi hotspot. No cloud. No accounts. No subscriptions. Everything stays on your network. CONVERT ANY WEB PAGE Paste a URL, tap one button, and get a beautifully formatted EPUB in seconds. The app automatically fetches the page, extracts the article content, strips out ads, scripts, and clutter, and builds a standards-compliant EPUB 2.0 file. Long articles are automatically split into chapters. Twitter/X posts are fully supported. WORKS OFFLINE Don't have your e-reader nearby? No problem. Convert articles anytime — they're automatically queued and sent the moment your device connects. You'll get a prompt as soon as the X4 is detected. CONVERT FROM ANYWHERE Use the iOS Share Extension to convert pages directly from Safari — no need to open the app. Or set up a Siri Shortcut to convert pages with your voice or from any app's Share menu. FILE MANAGER Browse your X4's storage, upload files (.epub, .xtc, .bump, .txt), create folders, move files between directories, and delete what you don't need. Everything is managed over WiFi with real-time upload progress. WALLPAPERX Set a custom wallpaper on your e-reader. Pick any image from your Photos library, then fine-tune it with controls designed for e-ink: fit mode, 9-point alignment, rotation, color depth (24-bit to 1-bit), grayscale, and invert. Preview exactly how it will look before sending. DEVICE AUTO-DETECTION CrossX Send automatically finds your X4 and determines whether it's running Stock or CrossPoint firmware. Just connect to your e-reader's WiFi and tap Connect. Supports mDNS/Bonjour discovery and static IP fallback. ACTIVITY HISTORY A unified timeline tracks every conversion and file operation. Filter by conversions, file activity, or queued items. Tap any entry for full details. Swipe to resend or delete. PRIVACY FIRST Zero data leaves your local network. No cloud services, no analytics, no tracking, no accounts. Your reading habits are yours alone. NATIVE ON iPHONE, iPAD & MAC A single app delivers a truly native experience on all three platforms — not a web wrapper, not Mac Catalyst. Designed with the latest Apple technologies including Liquid Glass, SwiftUI, SwiftData, and App Intents. OPEN SOURCE CrossX Send is open source under the MIT license. View the code, report issues, or contribute on GitHub. KEY FEATURES • Paste any URL → clean EPUB in seconds • Send directly to Xteink X4 over WiFi • Offline queue with auto-send on connect • Safari Share Extension for one-tap conversion • Siri Shortcuts support • Twitter/X post conversion • On-device file manager with upload, move, delete • Custom wallpaper tool optimized for e-ink • Auto chapter splitting for long articles • Stock & CrossPoint firmware support • Activity history with filtering and search • English and Simplified Chinese interface • No cloud, no accounts, no tracking • Native on iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Open source (MIT license) Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Reader for Watch4 screens
CrossX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: CrossX at Free against Reader for Watch's $2.99. CrossX also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 56%) and rating (4.8 vs 3.2). Reader for Watch's advantage is chart position (#193 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On ratings volume, update cadence, 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

CrossX is free to download; Reader for Watch costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CrossX holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 29 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Reader for Watch's written reviews are positive against 100% of CrossX's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reader for Watch ships an update every 3 weeks, CrossX every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Reader for Watch versus CrossX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReader for WatchCrossX
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating3.2 (27 ratings)4.8 (29 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2729 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#193 — better—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer磊 汪Jonathan Taveras

Customer experience

Reader for Watch

All ratings27 ratings
Positive55.6%
Neutral3.7%
Negative40.7%
Written reviews57 reviews
Positive56.1%
Neutral8.8%
Negative35.1%

CrossX

All ratings29 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Reader for Watch

No in-app purchases

None

CrossX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reader for Watch free?
Reader for Watch costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is CrossX free?
CrossX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Reader for Watch or CrossX?
CrossX is rated higher. Reader for Watch averages 3.2 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while CrossX averages 4.8 from 29 ratings.
Do Reader for Watch or CrossX have ads?
Neither Reader for Watch nor CrossX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reader for Watch or CrossX?
Reader for Watch ships an update every 3 weeks, and CrossX every 4 weeks. Most recently, Reader for Watch was updated on November 3, 2026 and CrossX on October 31, 2026.

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