Comparison

Margins vs Bookadoro

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

Head to head
About

Margins

Track your reading habits, discover new books through unique vibe-based searches, and block distracting apps to focus on your reading. This app offers a beautifully designed interface to curate your library, connect with friends, and manage book clubs.

Highlights
  • Log books, series, and authors
  • Track reading goals and streaks
  • Search books by mood and vibe
  • Block distracting apps
  • Customize book covers and library
  • Connect with friends and book clubs
  • Import from Goodreads and other platforms
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

Bookadoro

This app combines a Pomodoro timer with a reading tracker to help users build a consistent reading habit. It logs reading time, tracks progress on books, and offers social features for accountability and competition.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro reading timer
  • Reading habit streak tracker
  • Book library organization
  • Friend challenges and leaderboards
  • Book club integration
  • Detailed reading statistics
  • Weekly reading challenges
Features
Read full description

Turn every reading session into a focused habit — with the timer built for readers. Bookadoro combines the proven Pomodoro technique with a full reading tracker, so you don't just log what you've read, you actually build the habit of reading more. ----- READING TIMER THAT WORKS ----- Set a session length, tap start, and read. Bookadoro tracks your pace, estimates when you'll finish your book, and logs every minute to your history. Short breaks between sessions keep your focus sharp — the same technique used by students and professionals worldwide to improve concentration and retention. ----- BUILD YOUR STREAK ----- The single most powerful habit tool in Bookadoro is the streak counter. Read every day, don't break the chain. Miss a day? Use a Streak Shield to protect what you've built. The longer your streak, the higher you climb — through XP levels from Bookworm all the way to Legend. ----- TRACK EVERY BOOK ----- Scan the barcode, search by title, or browse the catalog to add books instantly. Your library stays organised across three shelves: Reading, Finished, and Want to Read. Your TBR pile finally has a home. ----- COMPETE WITH FRIENDS ----- Add friends and see who's reading more this week. Build duo streaks together — keep each other accountable. Climb the weekly league leaderboard. Reading has never been this competitive. ----- BOOK CLUBS ----- Create a club for your book group or join one with a 6-character invite code. Every member's reading minutes and sessions are tracked and ranked on the club leaderboard. Watch the activity feed update in real time as your group reads. The most accountable book club you've ever been in. ----- WEEKLY CHALLENGES ----- A new challenge drops every Monday — read for 90 minutes this week, finish a session every day, explore a new genre. Complete it for bonus XP and Streak Shields. ----- ACHIEVEMENTS ----- Over 20 unlockable achievements track your biggest milestones: first finished book, 30-day streak, night owl reader, genre explorer, and more. ----- DEEP READING STATS ----- Know your reading better than ever: • Pages and minutes per session • Average reading speed and projected finish dates • Books and pages read by month • Genre breakdown over time • 12-week reading trends ----- BOOKADORO PLUS ----- The full Bookadoro experience: • All reading analytics unlocked • Exclusive app themes (Birch, Slate, Midnight, Bloom, Citrus) • 3 fresh Streak Shields every month • Support independent development Or buy exactly what you need — Stats Pro is a one-time $2.99 unlock. Streak Shields are available as a 3-pack for $0.99. Whether you read 10 minutes a day or 10 hours, Bookadoro makes every session count. Privacy Policy: https://bookadoro.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://bookadoro.com/terms

Screenshots

Margins4 screens
Bookadoro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Margins at 20K against Bookadoro's 5. Margins also leads on chart position (#53 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence 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 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Bookadoro sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Margins against 5.0 for Bookadoro. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Margins has 20K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Margins ships an update every 4 days, Bookadoro every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Margins versus Bookadoro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarginsBookadoro
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (20K ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews95.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings20K — better5
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
Best chart rank#53 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size135 MB98 MB
Age rating12++9
DeveloperParatext Inc.Loki Labs

Customer experience

Margins

All ratings20,150 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral0.8%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews3,744 reviews
Positive95.2%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.4%

Bookadoro

All ratings4 ratings
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

Bookadoro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Margins

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Annual$59.991 Year
4 purchases

Bookadoro

Subscriptions2
  • Bookadoro Plus$0.991 Month
  • Bookadoro Plus - Yearly$5.991 Year
One-time2
  • 3 Streak Shields$0.99
  • Stats Pro$2.99

Questions

Is Margins free?
Margins is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bookadoro free?
Bookadoro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Margins or Bookadoro?
Bookadoro is rated higher. Margins averages 4.9 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Bookadoro averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Margins or Bookadoro have ads?
Neither Margins nor Bookadoro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Margins or Bookadoro?
Margins ships an update every 4 days, and Bookadoro every 2 days. Most recently, Margins was updated on November 11, 2026 and Bookadoro on November 9, 2026.

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