Comparison

Lucid Reader vs AuthorAZ

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

Head to head
About

Lucid Reader

Features
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Lucid Reader — A Streamlined PDF Viewer for Focused Reading Lucid Reader gives you a clean, distraction-free way to read PDFs — whether they're standard documents or books you've scanned yourself. No clutter, no complexity. Just your PDF and you. *** Key Features *** • Two-Page Spread — Read like a real book, with an optional standalone cover page. • Flexible Binding — Switch between right-to-left or left-to-right binding, perfect for Japanese-style books and manga. • Optimized Display — Fine-tune the display area and zoom independently for the left and right pages to maximize space and trim away margins. • Intuitive Page Navigation — Turn pages effortlessly with a tap or a swipe, with customizable tap zones. • Page Lock — Keep your view exactly where you set it and prevent accidental shifts. • Full-Screen Mode — Fully immerse yourself with a distraction-free view. • Collections — Group multiple files together for tidy, organized reading. • iCloud Storage — Offload files to iCloud to reclaim space on your device. *** Effortless File Access *** Open PDFs in seconds: • Tap the + icon in the top-right corner of the file list, or • Choose "Save to Lucid Reader" from the share menu in any other app. *** Secret Mode — Enhanced Privacy (In-App Purchase) *** • Create more collections • Protect your sensitive files with advanced privacy tools: • File Hiding — Swipe right on any file and tap Secret to hide it from the list. • Restricted Access — Hidden files stay concealed until you unlock them with Face ID / Touch ID, keeping them private even if someone glances at your screen. • App Switcher Privacy — Secret-mode PDFs are blurred when switching apps, so your private content stays hidden even on the multitasking screen. • End-to-End Encryption — 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 — hassle-free PDF reading.

About

AuthorAZ

Features
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AuthorAZ is a private, offline workspace for indie authors to organize books, manage publishing information, write, dictate, store manuscript snapshots, collect quotes, and keep the practical side of an author career in one place. If your book business is scattered across folders, spreadsheets, cloud drives, old files, writing apps, and half-remembered notes, AuthorAZ gives every book a clean private home. No AI reading your work. No AuthorAZ cloud. No account needed. No data or user tracking. Everything lives on your device. Your library is encrypted locally, and backups only leave your device when you choose to export them. WRITE WITHOUT SENDING YOUR WORDS ANYWHERE Create and edit writing projects directly inside AuthorAZ. Draft chapters, scenes, notes, or entire books in a focused writing workspace connected to the rest of your book information. Your writing stays on your device. AuthorAZ does not upload your manuscript, analyze your prose, rewrite your sentences, or send your work to an AI service. DICTATE ON YOUR DEVICE Prefer speaking to typing? Use dictation to turn your voice into text inside the writing workspace, using supported on-device speech recognition. Your manuscript stays in your private AuthorAZ library rather than being processed by an AuthorAZ server. BUILT FOR AUTHORS WITH MORE THAN ONE THING TO MANAGE AuthorAZ helps you organize: • Pen names and author identities • Books, series, statuses, and release dates • Writing projects and chapters • ASINs, ISBNs, BISAC categories, prices, keywords, descriptions, and A+ notes • Ebook, paperback, hardcover, audio, and variant cover slots • Store and reader links • Quote banks and quote tags • Manuscript snapshots • Notes and book-specific reference material ONE-TAP COPY FOR DAILY AUTHOR WORK Tap to copy titles, subtitles, identifiers, prices, keywords, descriptions, buy links, and full metadata sheets. AuthorAZ is designed for repetitive publishing tasks, whether you manage one book or an entire catalogue across multiple pen names. IMPORT MANUSCRIPT SNAPSHOTS Import a .txt, .docx, or .epub file as a read-only manuscript snapshot. Your original file is never edited. Once imported, you can: • Search across your manuscript text • Listen with on-device text-to-speech • Scan for quotable lines • Save quotes to your quote bank • Check manuscript health stats • Bookmark and flag lines for review • Re-import a newer snapshot when your manuscript changes HEAR YOUR BOOK BEFORE READERS DO Use on-device text-to-speech to listen sentence by sentence. Adjust speed, choose a system voice, jump between chapters, bookmark your place, or flag lines that need attention. No audio is uploaded by AuthorAZ. No manuscript is sent to an AuthorAZ server. FIND QUOTES WITHOUT AI AuthorAZ uses deterministic, on-device filters to help surface potential quote lines. Search for punchy lines, dialogue, questions, emotional lines, chapter endings, or character mentions. You stay in control. AuthorAZ does not write for you, rewrite your work, generate passages, or train on your manuscript. CREATE QUOTE CARDS Save your favorite lines and turn them into clean quote cards for social media. Choose the format, background, and display elements, then export a full-resolution PNG with no watermark. LIGHT OR DARK. YOUR WORKSPACE. Use AuthorAZ in light mode or dark mode and choose the workspace that feels right for the way you work. PRIVATE BACKUPS YOU CONTROL AuthorAZ creates encrypted backup files that you export yourself. Save them wherever you choose and restore them later with your password. AuthorAZ does not keep a copy. TRY EVERYTHING FREE Start with a full 14-day trial. Then unlock lifetime access with one payment. No recurring subscription. AuthorAZ is for indie authors who want to write, organize, search, listen to, and manage their books without handing their creative work to another cloud platform. Your books. Your words. Your device.

Screenshots

Lucid Reader3 screens
AuthorAZ4 screens

Verdict

The call

Lucid Reader and AuthorAZ are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

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

Both are free to download. Lucid Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and AuthorAZ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lucid Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, AuthorAZ every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Lucid Reader versus AuthorAZ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLucid ReaderAuthorAZ
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB62 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSatoshi TakezawaAlex Filip

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Lucid Reader

One-time1
  • Pro Mode$0.99
1 purchases

AuthorAZ

One-time1
  • English$29.99

Questions

Is Lucid Reader free?
Lucid Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AuthorAZ free?
AuthorAZ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Lucid Reader or AuthorAZ have ads?
Neither Lucid Reader nor AuthorAZ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lucid Reader or AuthorAZ?
Lucid Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, and AuthorAZ every 2 weeks. Most recently, Lucid Reader was updated on October 12, 2026 and AuthorAZ on October 4, 2026.

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