# Margins vs Reading Journal

The clearest difference is update cadence: Margins at every 4 days against Reading Journal's fortnightly. Margins also leads on chart position (#57 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Margins sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Reading Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Margins ships an update every 4 days, Reading Journal fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Margins | Reading Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/margins-book-tracker/id6737528718/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 95.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#57** | — |
| Size | 115 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Paratext Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724586882) | [程辉 杨](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789610048) |

## What reviewers say

### Margins

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

**Currently charting:** #57 Top Free · Book, #183 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


### Reading Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-journal-tabmap/id6796663483)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TabMap Pro Annual | $6.99 | per year |
| TabMap Lifetime Pro | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Margins free?

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

### Is Reading Journal free?

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

### Do Margins or Reading Journal have ads?

Neither Margins nor Reading Journal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Margins or Reading Journal?

Margins ships an update every 4 days, and Reading Journal fortnightly. Most recently, Margins was updated on November 5, 2026 and Reading Journal on October 31, 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.*