Comparison

Margins vs Constant Reader

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

Head to head
About

Margins

This app helps you discover, track, and share your reading journey. It offers detailed tracking options, customizable features, and powerful search capabilities. Stay focused on your reading goals with built-in tools to minimize distractions.

Highlights
  • Half-star ratings
  • Track recommendations
  • Customizable book covers
  • Fuzzy date tracking
  • Advanced book search
  • Reading goals
  • Reading timer
  • Distraction blocking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Margins is a beautifully designed app for people who love books. - App of the Day in 20+ countries - 4.9 rating (40,000+ reviews) - Featured in USA Today, BookRiot, and more TRACK YOUR READING - Log books, series, authors, recommendations, and more - Track Strava-style goals, stats, and streaks - Curate lists of books you care about SEARCH BOOKS BY VIBES - Search books by mood, plot, setting, vibe, and more - Try things like “books like 1920s Paris,” “thriller with a love triangle,” or “indie romantasy” - You can even turn images from Pinterest or your camera roll into book recommendations BLOCK DISTRACTING APPS - Block social media, notifications, and other apps while you read - Use meditation reading timer for soothing rain sounds CHOOSE YOUR COVERS - Pick the cover that matches your version of the book - Curate covers to fit your aesthetic - Sort your library by color CUSTOMIZE YOUR PROFILE - Turn your picture into a sketched portrait you’d see in a book - Show off your favorite books SEE WHAT FRIENDS ARE READING - Find and follow other book lovers - See what they’re reading in Stories - Enjoy gorgeous, hand-illustrated monthly recaps INVITE YOUR BOOK CLUB - Schedule gatherings - Suggest and vote on books - Log your club’s history LEAVE GOODREADS FOR GOOD - Import from Goodreads, StoryGraph, and Fable - Half-star ratings - Support a small, indie team WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING “LOVE this app! so easy to import data from goodreads. it excels where others fail. like letterboxd for books. Really glad there’s finally a good book app out there, i’ve been waiting for something like this!” — scruffythejanitor01 “I love the UI of this app, easy to use and aesthetically pleasing. Also, I've been struggling getting back into reading and the screentime feature has helped me loads. I haven't been able to read this much since 4 years ago. Thank you Margins” — mitakaluvr “The search by vibes is so cool. I am a WWII buff, but this search popped up a two-book WWII saga I had never even heard of, much less read. It ended up being my top read of 2025.” —Michigancolt FREE TO USE Almost all features are free to use. An optional subscription unlocks premium features and priority support. FOLLOW US Instagram: @readwithmargins TikTok: @margins TERMS OF USE Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Margins Terms of Service: https://margins.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://margins.app/privacy “Without the margins, writing is just words on a page. But with them, each of us is invited to leave our mark in the endless conversation between books and the people that love them.” — Excerpt from the Margins manifesto

About

Constant Reader

Track your Stephen King reading journey and explore his universe with detailed insights and adaptation information. Unlock themed ranks as you progress through his iconic bibliography. Designed for fans with a private, fast, and simple experience.

Highlights
  • Track reading progress
  • Explore King's universe
  • Unlock themed ranks
  • Discover book adaptations
  • Private and fast experience
  • Stephen King inspired design
Features
Read full description

Enter the world of Stephen King like never before. Constant Reader is the ultimate companion app for fans of Stephen King, whether you are just opening your first book or you have already traveled to the Dark Tower. Track your reading, explore his universe, and watch your journey evolve as you move from Newcomer to true Constant Reader. TRACK YOUR JOURNEY Log every Stephen King book you have read and see your progress at a glance. Build your personal reading history and stay motivated as you work your way through one of the most iconic bibliographies in modern literature. UNLOCK RANKS Your reading journey comes with status. Progress through themed ranks inspired by King’s worlds, from Night Shift to Dark Tower Traveler, each milestone marking your growing connection to his stories. EXPLORE THE KING UNIVERSE Dive deeper into each book with rich details, connections, and insights. Discover how stories intertwine across Castle Rock, Derry, and beyond. DISCOVER ADAPTATIONS Browse film and TV adaptations tied to each book. See how King’s stories have been brought to life across generations of movies and series. DESIGNED FOR FANS From subtle horror-inspired visuals to rewarding interactions, every detail is crafted to feel like it belongs in a Stephen King story. SIMPLE, PRIVATE, FAST No accounts. No data tracking. Your reading journey stays on your device, just open the app and start exploring. Whether you are revisiting classics like “It” and “The Shining” or discovering hidden gems, Constant Reader helps you experience Stephen King’s work in a whole new way. Start your journey today, and see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Screenshots

Margins4 screens
Constant Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Constant Reader at none against Margins's 2. Constant Reader also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 days). Margins's advantage is ratings volume (20K vs 14) and chart position (#110 vs unranked). 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. Margins sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Constant Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Margins against 4.9 for Constant Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Margins has 20K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Margins's written reviews are positive against 100% of Constant Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Margins ships an update every 4 days, Constant Reader every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Margins versus Constant Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarginsConstant Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (20K ratings)4.9 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews95.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings20K — better14
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#110 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size115 MB8 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperParatext Inc.Shed Labs LLC

Customer experience

Margins

All ratings19,672 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral0.8%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews3,709 reviews
Positive95.3%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.3%

Constant Reader

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Margins

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Reading time not saving correctly
  • Inability to delete or edit books from lists
  • Inconsistent behavior when importing data from Goodreads

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to track page progress and percentage read
  • Implement a profile system with custom avatars and bios
  • Introduce a social feed to share reading activity with friends
  • Add more advanced statistics and reading analytics

Constant Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Margins

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Annual$59.991 Year
None

Constant Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Margins free?
Margins is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Constant Reader free?
Constant Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Margins or Constant Reader?
Margins and Constant Reader are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 20K and 14 ratings respectively.
Do Margins or Constant Reader have ads?
Neither Margins nor Constant Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Margins or Constant Reader?
Margins ships an update every 4 days, and Constant Reader every 2 days. Most recently, Margins was updated on October 18, 2026 and Constant Reader on October 16, 2026.

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