Comparison

Bookshop.org vs Poetry Reader

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

Head to head
About

Bookshop.org

Read your ebooks and discover new titles while supporting independent bookstores. All ebook purchases made through this platform directly benefit local bookshops, ensuring their continued success in the digital age.

Highlights
  • Read ebooks from your library
  • Browse millions of ebooks
  • Add titles to wishlist
  • Support local bookstores with purchases
  • Connect seamlessly with Bookshop
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Bookshop.org’s mission is simple: We help local, independent bookstores thrive by giving more than 80% of our profits back to our network of 3,000+ stores. In our app, you can read millions of ebooks - and every purchase supports an independent bookstore near you! In the Bookshop app you can: - Read your ebooks in our customizable ebook reader. - Browse millions of titles and discover your next favorite read in romance, thrillers, mystery, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, and more. - Organize your TBR into custom shelves. - Highlight in five different colors, and add notes to your highlighted passages. - Sort & filter highlights and notes by date created, book order, and more. - Save titles to your wishlist so you can read them later. - Shop knowing that over 80% of the profit goes directly to local, independent bookstores. We’re a Certified B Corp, and we’ve raised more than $50 million for independent bookstores nationwide since 2020. Download the Bookshop.org app to support bookstores, not billionaires.

About

Poetry Reader

Explore classic poems with AI-powered explanations and personalized notes. Discover new authors and works, with offline reading capabilities. Start reading immediately without an account.

Highlights
  • AI poem explanations
  • Searchable public domain library
  • Highlight and annotate poems
  • Save favorite poems
  • Offline reading
  • Customizable text appearance
  • Daily reading reminders
Read full description

Discover what a poem is saying—and how it says it. Poetry Reader brings classic poetry and optional AI explanations together. Read a poem, explore its imagery and meaning, and ask questions about the lines that interest you. EXPLORE A POEM’S MEANING Tap Explain for an AI explanation, or ask your own question by voice or text. Explore unfamiliar language, imagery, themes, and possible interpretations while keeping the poem close at hand. DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FAVORITE Browse 1,834 public-domain collections, including works by Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, and John Keats. Search authors, collections, poem titles, and first lines. MAKE READING YOUR OWN • Highlight passages and add personal notes • Save favorite poems and collections • Download collections for offline reading • Return to your reading position • Adjust text size and choose light or dark appearance • Set an optional daily reading reminder • Read on iPhone and iPad START READING WITHOUT AN ACCOUNT Browse and read without signing in. Sign in with Apple to use AI explanations and questions or sync your reading profile across devices. AI explanations can make mistakes and offer one interpretation among many. The library uses Project Gutenberg editions that are public domain in the United States. App availability is limited to the U.S.

Screenshots

Bookshop.org4 screens
Poetry Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bookshop.org at every 5 days against Poetry Reader's every 5 weeks. Bookshop.org also leads on ratings volume (2.2K vs 1) and chart position (#120 vs unranked). Poetry Reader's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ads, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Poetry Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshop.org has 2.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bookshop.org ships an update every 5 days, Poetry Reader every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Bookshop.org versus Poetry Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookshop.orgPoetry Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.2K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.2K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#120 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB9 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperBookshop, Inc.Joseph Philleo

Customer experience

Bookshop.org

All ratings2,175 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews180 reviews
Positive56.7%
Neutral22.8%
Negative20.6%

Poetry Reader

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Bookshop.org

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to remember last page read
  • Scrolling issues and unexpected page skipping
  • Formatting problems (stripped italics, weird paragraph spacing)
  • Settings not persisting between app sessions

Requested features

7 requests
  • More font and theme options
  • Ability to adjust line spacing, margins, and other formatting
  • Implement highlighting, annotation, and note-taking features
  • Add search functionality
  • Improve page turning and navigation
Show 2 more
  • Provide better dark mode/night reading experience
  • Sync reading progress across devices

Poetry Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Bookshop.org

No in-app purchases

None

Poetry Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bookshop.org free?
Bookshop.org is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Poetry Reader free?
Poetry Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bookshop.org or Poetry Reader?
Poetry Reader is rated higher. Bookshop.org averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Poetry Reader averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Bookshop.org or Poetry Reader have ads?
Neither Bookshop.org nor Poetry Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bookshop.org or Poetry Reader?
Bookshop.org ships an update every 5 days, and Poetry Reader every 5 weeks. Most recently, Bookshop.org was updated on October 27, 2026 and Poetry Reader on October 17, 2026.

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