# iReadNote vs 思古

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.

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.

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.

iReadNote ships an update monthly, 思古 fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | iReadNote | 思古 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ireadnote/id6450734655/reviews)** | [4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6740050458/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **135** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **94.4% of reviews** | 90.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 48 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [晓德 江](https://appshunter.io/developer/1694635894) | [世浩 郭](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698520041) |

## What reviewers say

### iReadNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ireadnote/id6450734655)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscriptions | $0.99 | per month |
| Three Monthly Subscriptions | $0.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly Subscriptions | $3.99 | per year |
| Buy me a drink | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buyout permanent members | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Highly customizable interface and reading settings
- ⚡ Smooth and fast performance
- 📚 Excellent local file reading capabilities
- 🎙️ Advanced text-to-speech with custom voice sources
- 💾 Small app size with rich features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 📡 Forced internet requirement for local reader
- 🔊 Intrusive and frequent reward video popups
- ❌ Misleading ad close buttons that don't work
- ⚙️ Settings not persisting between sessions

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### 思古

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6740050458)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 每月 | $0.99 | per month |
| 每年 | $4.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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 21, 2026 and 思古 on October 21, 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.*