Comparison

Reading Log vs BookOwl

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

Head to head
About

Reading Log

Organize your reading with a simple book progress tracker. Manage your library, discover trending titles, and receive personalized recommendations. Set reminders and goals to stay motivated on your reading journey.

Highlights
  • Bookshelf organization
  • Trending book discovery
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Reading reminders
  • Progress tracking
  • Goal setting
Features
Read full description

Reading Log is your ultimate companion for managing your reading journey! Whether you’re a bookworm or a casual reader, our app helps you organize and keep track of all your books in one place. Key Features: • Bookshelf: Easily manage your books by categorizing them as ‘Reading Now,’ ‘To be Read,’ or ‘Finished.’ Keep your personal library organized and always know what to read next. • Trending Books: Stay up-to-date with the latest bestsellers and trending books in the literary world. Discover new titles that everyone is talking about! • Personalized Recommendations: Receive weekly book suggestions tailored to your reading preferences. Discover new authors and genres that match your taste. • Reading Reminders and Goals: Never miss a reading session! Set daily or weekly reading reminders to stay on track with your reading goals. Monitor your progress with easy-to-use trackers for books finished and pages read. Why Choose Reading Log? • Simple and Intuitive: Designed for book lovers of all types, our user-friendly interface makes tracking your reading effortless. • Personalized Experience: Tailored recommendations and reminders keep you motivated and engaged. • Stay Inspired: Discover new books and authors through our trending and recommended lists. Take control of your reading journey today.

About

BookOwl

Organize your reading life with this free companion app. Build your personal library, track your progress, and customize your profile. Import data from other services and scan books instantly. Enjoy personalized recommendations and share your reading insights.

Highlights
  • Barcode scanner for instant book addition
  • Import from Goodreads, StoryGraph, Audible, Libby
  • Customizable profile with aurora colors
  • Half and quarter-star rating system
  • Custom shelves and curated book lists
  • Reading progress tracking
  • Yearly reading goals and streaks
Features
Read full description

Your reading life, delightfully organized. BookOwl is a free reading companion for people who love books. Build your personal library, track what you're reading, and make the app feel like yours, all without ads, clutter, or data harvesting. Available on iOS and at bookowlapp.com. NEW: THE SIT TAB The Sit tab gives reading sessions a home. Start a sit, set a timer, and read. BookOwl keeps you company. Capture a mood, a scene, or a pinned moment mid-read without losing your place (speak it instead of typing, if you like). When you close the book, a wrap-up card logs how far you got and how the sit felt. A COMPLETELY REDESIGNED LIBRARY: Your library now opens like a magazine. A masthead greets you with the books you're reading now, The Lead carousel keeps your current reads one swipe away, and your shelves sit beneath. Pinch to zoom from big covers down to a compact index. The new Contents view puts shelves, filters, and sorting in one place, with breadcrumb chips showing what's active. YOUR THOUGHTS, ORGANIZED BY BOOK: Everything you capture lands where you'll find it again: pinned passages on the book's page, your moods across the book's arc, even why you set a book down. Make the capture chips your own with custom moods and scenes. Your written thoughts stay private, always. TRACK PROGRESS WITHOUT THE FUSS: Update your page, your status, and your reading dates in one place with the new progress editor. Edit or delete any past read. Your history stays accurate and syncs everywhere. MAKE IT YOURS WITH 12 THEMES: Every theme hand-tuned, from the warm sepia of Quiet Warmth to the banker's-lamp green of Reading Room, all meeting accessibility contrast standards. YOUR PROFILE, YOUR WAY: Five tabbed sections: Overview, Collections, Reviews, Stats, and Personal. Choose which reading stats sit front and center. Pick your aurora colors. Arrange your sections. PRIVACY THAT MAKES SENSE: One toggle. Three options: Public, Friends Only, or Private. Visitors see a friendly banner explaining what's shared. IMPORT FROM ANYWHERE: Switching from another app? Import your full reading history from Goodreads, StoryGraph, Audible (via OCR), or Libby. Your ratings, shelves, and reading dates all come with you. Export to CSV or JSON anytime. Your data belongs to you. SCAN BOOKS IN SECONDS: Point your camera at any barcode. BookOwl identifies it instantly and adds it to your library. Stack of books at a used bookstore? Scan them all in one session. ORGANIZE YOUR WAY: Custom shelves and curated lists for any purpose: "Beach Reads," "Book Club," "Lent to Friends." FIND YOUR NEXT READ: Personalized recommendations, author pages, series with reading order, and a catalog of millions of books. USE IT ANYWHERE: Web app at bookowlapp.com with the same profile and achievements. Your data syncs across devices. BUILT FOR READERS, NOT ADVERTISERS: No ads. No engagement tricks. No data selling. Just a calm, thoughtful space for your reading life, built by a reader, for readers. • Sit tab: timed reading sessions with a wrap-up card • Capture moods, scenes, and pinned moments mid-read • Voice capture: speak your thoughts without stopping • Redesigned Library: The Lead carousel and pinch-to-zoom shelves • Barcode scanner: add books in seconds • Import from Goodreads, StoryGraph, Audible, or Libby • Export your library to CSV or JSON • Progress editor: pages, status, and dates in one place • Edit or delete past reads anytime • 12 hand-tuned themes and alternate app icons • Customizable profile with aurora colors and hero stats • Half-star and quarter-star ratings • Custom shelves, collections, and curated book lists • Yearly reading goals and streaks • Year in Review: shareable reading personality cards • Series tracking with reading order • Privacy controls: Public, Friends Only, or Private • Social features: follow friends, reviews, profiles Whether you read 5 books a year or 50, BookOwl helps you remember every one. Whooo's ready to get started?

Screenshots

Reading Log4 screens
BookOwl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: BookOwl at every 11 days against Reading Log's every 6 weeks. BookOwl also leads on ratings volume (41 vs 10). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Reading Log against 4.9 for BookOwl. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 41 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Reading Log's written reviews are positive against 92% of BookOwl's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reading Log ships an update every 6 weeks, BookOwl every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Reading Log versus BookOwl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReading LogBookOwl
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (10 ratings)4.9 (41 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better92.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1041 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.5 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDimitry VinogradovPhil Getzen

Customer experience

Reading Log

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

BookOwl

All ratings41 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral7.7%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Reading Log

No in-app purchases

None

BookOwl

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reading Log free?
Reading Log is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BookOwl free?
BookOwl is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Reading Log or BookOwl?
Reading Log and BookOwl are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 10 and 41 ratings respectively.
Do Reading Log or BookOwl have ads?
Neither Reading Log nor BookOwl shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reading Log or BookOwl?
Reading Log ships an update every 6 weeks, and BookOwl every 11 days. Most recently, Reading Log was updated on October 10, 2026 and BookOwl on October 18, 2026.

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