# Margins vs Common Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Margins at 4.9 against Common Reader's 3.0. Margins also leads on ratings volume (20K vs 2) and review sentiment (95% vs 80%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Margins sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Common Reader sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Margins holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Margins has 20K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Margins's written reviews are positive against 80% of Common Reader's.

Margins ships an update every 4 days, Common Reader every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Margins | Common Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/margins-book-tracker/id6737528718/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-reader-ebook-reader/id6770067434/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **95.2% of reviews** | 80.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#64** | — |
| Size | 115 MB | 119 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Paratext Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724586882) | [天宇 高](https://appshunter.io/developer/1851416147) |

## What reviewers say

### Margins

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/margins-book-tracker/id6737528718)

**Currently charting:** #64 Top Free · Book, #191 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Annual | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 🔍 Helpful search and recommendation features
- 📚 Comprehensive book tracking capabilities
- 🔄 Smooth import from Goodreads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Missing books in the database
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 🔒 Concerns about using phone number for sign-up
- 🔢 Lack of social features and community

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Common Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-reader-ebook-reader/id6770067434)

This app offers a unified reading and AI-powered analysis experience for various ebook formats. It allows users to ask questions about book content, automatically organize their library, and sync across multiple devices. Privacy is a core focus, with no proactive data collection.

**Highlights:** Supports multiple ebook formats (epub, azw3, mobi, txt, md, pdf), AI-powered questions about book content, Automatic library organization with generative AI, Cloud sync (iCloud, OneDrive, WebDAV), Fast full-library search, Unified cross-platform interface

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Cup of Coffee | $4.00 | one-time |
| 2 Cups of Coffee | $8.00 | one-time |
| Lifetime Unlock | $9.99 | one-time |
| 4 Cups of Coffee | $16.00 | one-time |
| Many coffees | $32.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Margins free?

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

### Is Common Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Margins or Common Reader?

Margins is rated higher. Margins averages 4.9 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Common Reader averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Margins or Common Reader have ads?

Neither Margins nor Common Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Margins or Common Reader?

Margins ships an update every 4 days, and Common Reader every 2 days. Most recently, Margins was updated on November 4, 2026 and Common Reader on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*