Comparison

iReadNote vs 思古

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

Head to head
About

iReadNote

This app offers a highly customizable reading experience for various text and comic formats. It supports over 40 file types, allows for deep personalization of the reading interface, and includes features like smart notes, audiobook streaming, and multi-device sync. Family controls and robust backup options are also provided.

Highlights
  • Supports 40+ file types
  • Customizable reading interface
  • Smart notes and highlights
  • Audiobook playback and sync
  • Cloud drive and WebDAV import
  • Multi-device iCloud sync
  • Family controls
Features
Read full description

iReadNote: Your All-in-One, Customizable Reading Companion Reading should be boundless! iReadNote isn't just a powerful reader – it's your ultimate tool for tailoring the perfect reading experience. From classic texts to graphic novels, local libraries to cloud sync, it handles everything effortlessly. Core Features That Captivate: 1. Immersive Reading, Your Rules: Texts & Comics Mastery: Enjoy fluid reading of text (vertical/horizontal layouts) and optimized comic formats. Flawless Rendering: Perfectly displays complex EPUB/MOBI formatting with interactive annotations. Intelligently parses TXT files, auto-extracting chapters, tags, and summaries. Unrivaled Format Support: Handles 40+ file types (TXT, EPUB, PDF, CBZ/CBR, DOCX, MOBI/AZW series, PDB, PRC, images, etc.). Smartly extracts nested archives (ZIP/RAR/7Z) and organizes content automatically. 2.Total Customization, Your Space: Deep Reading Customization: Control backgrounds, fonts, eye-comfort shades, spacing, line-height, auto-dual page – every detail is yours. Personalized Bookshelf: Design shelf layouts, item styles, and widgets for maximum efficiency. Audiobook Freedom: Listen via full-screen or mini player. Sync narration with text. Stream online audiobooks using custom protocols (HTTP/HTTPS/WebSocket). 3.Effortless Management, Everywhere: Smart Notes & Highlights: Annotate any book format. Never lose an insight. Flexible Import: Add books via App Files, Wi-Fi, Hotspot, Shared Folders, Cloud Drives, WebDAV, OPDS, or other apps – effortlessly. Family Controls: Create unlimited child profiles, set passwords, and hide sensitive content for a safe reading environment. 4.Seamless Sync, Always Secure: iCloud Multi-Device Sync: Continuously access books, progress, collections, and stats across iPhone/iPad. Multi-Backup Options: Safeguard data via iCloud plus major Cloud Drives or WebDAV. iReadNote: Beyond Reading, It Understands You: Custom interfaces? Delivered. Format compatibility? Beyond expectations.  Sync & security? Comprehensive.  Personalization? Tailored by You.  We focus on one mission: Delivering a free, powerful, and intuitive reading experience.
 Driven by You, Evolving Constantly! Download Free Now & Unleash Limitless Reading! 【Automatic Subscription Service Description】 1. Membership rights: free of all advertisements and access to all advanced functions; 2. Subscription service: continuous monthly subscription (1 month), continuous quarterly subscription (3 months), continuous annual subscription (12 months); 3. Payment: "Continuous Monthly/Quarterly/Yearly" products are auto-renewal products, and will be deducted from your Apple iTunes account after the purchase is confirmed; 4. Renewal: 24 hours before the expiration of your subscription cycle, Apple will automatically deduct the fee from your iTunes account, and the validity period of the membership will be automatically extended after success. 5. If you need to cancel the auto-renewal, please manually turn off the auto-renewal in the AppleID account settings at least 24 hours before the subscription expires. 6. If you have any problems with in-app purchases, you can use the recovery function, and if you have any questions, you can contact me in "Settings" - "About". 7. Membership Service Agreement and Payment Terms: https://jxddevapp.github.io/iReadNote/vipInfo.html

About

思古

Immerse yourself in classical Chinese literature with a reader designed for an authentic experience. Customize fonts, layouts, and reading styles to suit your preferences. Organize your collection, take notes, and sync across devices.

Highlights
  • Authentic antique book layout
  • Six antique font styles
  • Customizable reading backgrounds and text colors
  • Bookmark, highlight, and note-taking
  • iCloud backup and cross-device sync
  • Rare character display and lookup
Features
Read full description

功能: 排版:文字纵向排列,双字夹注,仿古书风格排版。 字体:六种古风字体选择;古籍原字、标准繁体、简体切换;有无标点切换;有无注疏切换;字体大小调节。 样式:五种阅读背景色选择;五种文字颜色选择;纯粹文字、四周单边、四周双边切换;亮度调节;暗黑模式。 批注:书签、划线、笔记;点击跳转。 分享:十二种背景色选择;书名、作者、章节、日期显隐;图片高度调节。 书库:经、史、子、集、佛、道分类;合集书单。 笔记:卡片笔记,随机回顾你的笔记,多种样式可配置。 分组:古籍归类管理;分组排序;分组内书籍排序,批量操作。 目录:鱼尾样式;点击跳转指定章节。 同步:iCloud 自动备份;跨设备同步。 查询:支持生僻字显示;长按选中查询或复制到其他平台查询。 无论是研读经典,还是随手翻阅,这款应用都将带来沉浸式的古籍阅读体验。

Screenshots

iReadNote4 screens
思古4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: 思古 at none against iReadNote's shown. iReadNote's advantage is ratings volume (135 vs 4) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

Both are free to download. iReadNote sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and 思古 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for iReadNote against 4.8 for 思古. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iReadNote has 135 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of iReadNote's written reviews are positive against 91% of 思古's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iReadNote ships an update monthly, 思古 fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
iReadNote versus 思古: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriReadNote思古
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (135 ratings) — better4.8 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews94.4% of reviews — better90.9% of reviews
Number of ratings135 — better4
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB199 MB
Age rating17+12+
Developer晓德 江世浩 郭

Customer experience

iReadNote

All ratings135 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral0.7%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews143 reviews
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.2%

思古

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral9.1%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

iReadNote

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Reading jumps backward to previous pages unexpectedly
  • Search button and text overlap after deleting books
  • TTS configuration not saved between sessions
  • App crashes when exporting voice configuration
  • Voice highlighting out of sync with audio playback
Show 8 more
  • Dual audio playback when resuming after system pause
  • Siri control causes error messages and audio interruption
  • Audio playback fails with error code 88322 after screen lock
  • PDF progress bar unresponsive and crashes with extended use
  • Translation feature causes app crash
  • Color settings reset to default unexpectedly
  • Recent listening feature malfunction with page restart loops
  • UI elements becoming unresponsive or laggy

Requested features

18 requests
  • iCloud sync for books and reading progress across devices
  • Reset sync status option for switching Apple IDs
  • Password protection after app backgrounding
  • Improved PDF functionality with draggable progress bar and page jumping
  • Chapter-based audio stop trigger instead of time-based
Show 13 more
  • Daily reading statistics and tracking
  • Gamepad/controller support for page turning
  • Left/right tap zone customization for page navigation
  • Pinyin font support for language learning
  • Content extraction customization
  • Additional TTS voice sources (Baidu, iFlytek, etc.)
  • Simplified TTS timer configuration with memory
  • Simplified import process with multi-select option
  • Clickable image enlargement in EPUB files
  • Disableable long-press haptic feedback
  • Network drive/cloud storage mounting (Aliyun, Baidu, OneDrive)
  • Launch screen icon consistency
  • Text-to-speech transcoding for specific websites

思古

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

iReadNote

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscriptions$0.991 Month
  • Three Monthly Subscriptions$0.993 Months
  • Yearly Subscriptions$3.991 Year
One-time2
  • Buy me a drink$0.99
  • Buyout permanent members$14.99
2 purchases

思古

Subscriptions2
  • 每月3 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • 每年7 Days trial$4.991 Year

Questions

Is iReadNote free?
iReadNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 思古 free?
思古 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iReadNote or 思古?
iReadNote is rated higher. iReadNote averages 4.8 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while 思古 averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.
Do iReadNote or 思古 have ads?
iReadNote shows ads; 思古 does not.
Which is updated more often, iReadNote or 思古?
iReadNote ships an update monthly, and 思古 fortnightly. Most recently, iReadNote was updated on October 17, 2026 and 思古 on October 21, 2026.

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