Comparison

iReadNote vs Scuba

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

Scuba

Discover and read classic books with a modern, mobile-first approach. This app breaks down stories into digestible beats, using vertical swipes for natural phone navigation. Story recaps and offline reading features help you maintain your reading habit.

Highlights
  • Story beats for easier reading
  • Recaps to remember story progress
  • Vertical swiping for phone reading
  • Home screen widget for current book
  • Offline reading support
  • Curated bookstore
Read full description

Scuba is a new way to read books on your phone. Browse a curated bookstore, then read with Story Beats™, natural vertical swiping and Story So Far recaps designed to keep you reading. Your first book is free. Features • Story Beats™ keep you moving deeper into the story • Natural vertical swiping • Story So Far recaps help you pick up where you left off • Adjustable text size, themes and page design • Home Screen widget to jump straight back into your book • Offline reading for flights, travel and commuting • A curated bookstore of timeless classics Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

iReadNote4 screens
Scuba4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Scuba at none against iReadNote's shown. Scuba also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). iReadNote's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Scuba sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iReadNote ships an update monthly, Scuba every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
iReadNote versus Scuba: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriReadNoteScuba
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (131 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews94.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings131 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB38 MB
Age rating17+4+
Developer晓德 江Tim Brown

Customer experience

iReadNote

All ratings131 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.8%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews129 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral1.6%
Negative3.9%

Scuba

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
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

Scuba

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
1 purchases

Scuba

Subscriptions1
  • Scuba Reading Pass$24.991 Year

Questions

Is iReadNote free?
iReadNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Scuba free?
Scuba is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do iReadNote or Scuba have ads?
iReadNote shows ads; Scuba does not.
Which is updated more often, iReadNote or Scuba?
iReadNote ships an update monthly, and Scuba every 3 days. Most recently, iReadNote was updated on September 25, 2026 and Scuba on September 21, 2026.

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