# Now Reading vs Reading Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Now Reading at none against Reading Journal's 3. Reading Journal's advantage is ratings volume (35 vs 2) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reading Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Now Reading asks for nothing beyond the download.

Now Reading holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reading Journal has 35 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Now Reading ships an update fortnightly, Reading Journal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Now Reading | Reading Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/now-reading/id6627332935/reviews)** | [4.8 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-journal-book-tracker/id6757375623/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **35** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 8 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Minsang choi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1762237320) | [Sergii Nesterenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686841405) |

## What reviewers say

### Now Reading

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/now-reading/id6627332935)

Log books you are currently reading, have finished, or want to read. Display original or custom book covers and share your reading progress with friends through widgets or by swiping through your logged books.

**Highlights:** Track current reads, Archive finished books, Manage wishlist, Display book covers, Share reading progress, Widget support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Reading Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-journal-book-tracker/id6757375623)

This app helps you remember what you read by tracking your library, reading status, and favorite quotes. Set reading goals, join challenges, and keep your progress organized with personal notes and summaries.

**Highlights:** Track books (want to read, reading, finished), Save quotes, reviews, and summaries, Set reading goals and track progress, Join reading challenges, Sync library with iCloud, Export/import data (JSON/CSV)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Access | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly Access | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Now Reading free?

Now Reading is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Reading Journal free?

Reading Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Now Reading or Reading Journal?

Now Reading is rated higher. Now Reading averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Reading Journal averages 4.8 from 35 ratings.

### Do Now Reading or Reading Journal have ads?

Neither Now Reading nor Reading Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Now Reading or Reading Journal?

Now Reading ships an update fortnightly, and Reading Journal every 3 weeks. Most recently, Now Reading was updated on October 27, 2026 and Reading Journal on October 28, 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.*