Comparison

Lucid Reader vs Rishi Reader

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

Head to head
About

Lucid Reader

Features
Read full description

Lucid Reader β€” A Streamlined PDF Viewer for Focused Reading Lucid Reader gives you a clean, distraction-free way to read PDFs β€” whether they're standard documents or books you've scanned yourself. No clutter, no complexity. Just your PDF and you. *** Key Features *** β€’ Two-Page Spread β€” Read like a real book, with an optional standalone cover page. β€’ Flexible Binding β€” Switch between right-to-left or left-to-right binding, perfect for Japanese-style books and manga. β€’ Optimized Display β€” Fine-tune the display area and zoom independently for the left and right pages to maximize space and trim away margins. β€’ Intuitive Page Navigation β€” Turn pages effortlessly with a tap or a swipe, with customizable tap zones. β€’ Page Lock β€” Keep your view exactly where you set it and prevent accidental shifts. β€’ Full-Screen Mode β€” Fully immerse yourself with a distraction-free view. β€’ Collections β€” Group multiple files together for tidy, organized reading. β€’ iCloud Storage β€” Offload files to iCloud to reclaim space on your device. *** Effortless File Access *** Open PDFs in seconds: β€’ Tap the + icon in the top-right corner of the file list, or β€’ Choose "Save to Lucid Reader" from the share menu in any other app. *** Secret Mode β€” Enhanced Privacy (In-App Purchase) *** β€’ Create more collections β€’ Protect your sensitive files with advanced privacy tools: β€’ File Hiding β€” Swipe right on any file and tap Secret to hide it from the list. β€’ Restricted Access β€” Hidden files stay concealed until you unlock them with Face ID / Touch ID, keeping them private even if someone glances at your screen. β€’ App Switcher Privacy β€” Secret-mode PDFs are blurred when switching apps, so your private content stays hidden even on the multitasking screen. β€’ End-to-End Encryption β€” Encrypt secret files with a password directly on your device. Your files remain unreadable without your password, even if your iCloud storage is accessed. Experience the perfect balance of simplicity and control. Lucid Reader is built for one thing β€” hassle-free PDF reading.

About

Rishi Reader

Features
Read full description

Rishi turns the books on your devices into conversations. Read your EPUB and PDF library on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, then ask questions, get summaries, or talk through a passage out loud β€” all without leaving the page. Bring your own books. Drop EPUB or PDF files into Rishi and they live in a fast, searchable library with covers, progress, and a Reading Now shelf. Highlights and notes follow you across devices. Read the way you like. A focused, customizable reader handles fixed-layout and reflowable EPUBs, scanned PDFs with a real text layer, and table-of-contents jumps. Pick light, dark, or sepia. Adjust font size and spacing. Search every page. Pick up where you left off. Open a book on your Mac, keep reading on iPhone on the train, finish on iPad in bed β€” Rishi syncs your position, highlights, and notes in the background using silent push. Chat with any book. Ask "what does this chapter argue?" or "summarize this scene," and Rishi answers grounded in the book you're reading. Conversations are saved per-book and per-session, so you can come back to the thread later. Talk it through. Real-time voice chat lets you have a natural spoken conversation about what you’re reading β€” ideal for studying, language practice, or thinking out loud on a walk. Voice chat and premium narration require an active Apple subscription. Read aloud. Start foreground narration from the open book with a configurable voice and sentence-level highlighting. Follow along on the page while Rishi is open. Made for Apple silicon. Optimized for Mac Catalyst with a real sidebar, full keyboard navigation, native menus, and scene restoration. Universal Links open books straight from Safari, Mail, or Messages. Accessible by default. VoiceOver labels across the reader, library, and chat. Full Dynamic Type support. AA contrast on every surface. Reduce Motion and Increase Contrast respected. Private by design. Sign in with Apple β€” no password to manage, no email required. Your reading data lives in your account, not in an ad network. Anonymous diagnostics can be turned off in Settings. Pro features (subscription). Voice chat, unlimited chat conversations, and premium narration voices are available through an Apple subscription purchased in Rishi. Use the in-app purchase sheet to subscribe, Restore Purchases to recover an existing subscription, or Settings to open Apple's subscription management sheet. Terms of Use: https://rishi.fidexa.org/terms. Subscription Terms: https://rishi.fidexa.org/legal/subscription-terms

Screenshots

Lucid Reader3 screens
Rishi Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Rishi Reader at every 5 days against Lucid Reader's fortnightly. Rishi Reader also leads on device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Lucid Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Rishi Reader sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lucid Reader ships an update fortnightly, Rishi Reader every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Lucid Reader versus Rishi Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLucid ReaderRishi Reader
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch β€” better
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better18.4
Further details β€” not scored
Size4 MB123 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSatoshi TakezawaFarid Matovu

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Lucid Reader

One-time1
  • Pro Mode$0.99
8 purchases

Rishi Reader

Subscriptions8
  • Reader Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Rishi Reader Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Voice Monthly$14.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Rishi Voice Monthly$14.991 Month
  • Reader Annual$76.991 Year
  • Rishi Reader Annual$79.991 Year
  • Rishi Voice Annual$99.991 Year
  • Voice Annual$143.991 Year

Questions

Is Lucid Reader free?
Lucid Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rishi Reader free?
Rishi Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Lucid Reader or Rishi Reader have ads?
Neither Lucid Reader nor Rishi Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lucid Reader or Rishi Reader?
Lucid Reader ships an update fortnightly, and Rishi Reader every 5 days. Most recently, Lucid Reader was updated on September 26, 2026 and Rishi Reader on September 9, 2026.

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