# Novelwave vs Lex Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Novelwave at none against Lex Reader's 2. Novelwave also leads on ratings volume (65 vs 12). Lex Reader's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 90%) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lex Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Novelwave asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Novelwave against 4.9 for Lex Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Novelwave has 65 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Novelwave's written reviews are positive against 100% of Lex Reader's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Novelwave | Lex Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelwave-an-audiobook-player/id6720100886/reviews) | **[4.9 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lex-reader/id6757875402/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **65** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 90.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Mihai Petrenco](https://appshunter.io/developer/1566847213) | [LexBooks, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869433764) |

## What reviewers say

### Novelwave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/novelwave-an-audiobook-player/id6720100886)

This app provides a personalized listening experience for your DRM-free audiobooks. It allows for flexible imports, easy organization, and advanced playback customization. Enjoy features like chapter navigation, headphone controls, and bookmarking.

**Highlights:** Import various audio formats, Organize audiobooks into collections, Merge audio files, Adjust playback speed, Set sleep timers, Chapter navigation, Headphone gesture controls

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Lex Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lex-reader/id6757875402)

This app offers a versatile reading experience for books and audiobooks with customizable modes, extensive library access, and social features. It allows users to import their own content, sync progress across devices, and discover new reads through personalized recommendations and curated shelves.

**Highlights:** Customizable reading modes (scroll, paginated, blitz, bilingual), EPUB, PDF, and MP3 reader/player, Text-to-audio synchronization, Ambient audiobook listening with custom sounds, Extensive library search and personalized recommendations, Import reading data from Goodreads/Storygraph, Create and share custom book shelves, Sync reading progress across devices

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lex Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Lex Premium | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Novelwave free?

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

### Is Lex Reader free?

Lex Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Novelwave or Lex Reader?

Lex Reader is rated higher. Novelwave averages 4.8 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Lex Reader averages 4.9 from 12 ratings.

### Do Novelwave or Lex Reader have ads?

Neither Novelwave nor Lex Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Novelwave or Lex Reader?

Novelwave ships an update weekly, and Lex Reader weekly. Most recently, Novelwave was updated on October 28, 2026 and Lex Reader on October 24, 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.*