Comparison

Readest vs Shiori Reader

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

Head to head
About

Readest

This app is a powerful ebook reader designed for deep thinkers and researchers. It offers advanced annotation tools, seamless device syncing, and robust library management with OPDS and Calibre support. Enjoy a distraction-free reading experience with customizable modes and multi-book viewing for enhanced study and analysis.

Highlights
  • OPDS Online Libraries
  • Calibre Integration
  • Sync Across Devices
  • Bookshelf Management
  • Customizable Reading Modes
  • Multi-Book View
  • Advanced Annotations & Highlights
Features
Read full description

Readest is an ebook reader for people who read a lot, and who want their books, notes and reading position on whatever device is nearest. Open EPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW3, FB2, CBZ, TXT and Markdown in one library. Pull books from OPDS catalogs or from your own Calibre server. Read, annotate, listen, translate. Made for iPhone and iPad • CarPlay, so you can keep listening on the road with playback controls on the dashboard • Download read-aloud voices per book and listen with no connection at all • Add books from Files, Mail or any share sheet, and read them in place instead of copying them into a second library • Open up to four books at once on iPad and arrange them how you like Reading • Paginated or scrolling, with custom fonts, themes, spacing and margins • Vertical text for CJK books • Contrast and refresh tuned for e-ink screens • Full-text search inside a book Your library • Browse, search and download from OPDS catalogs and public libraries • Connect to Calibre or Calibre-Web, covers and metadata included • Organize with bookshelf groups you can rename Notes • Highlights, bookmarks and structured notes • Copy a highlight together with a deep link back to the passage • Export your annotations Listening and languages • Text-to-speech with downloadable offline voices • Translate a sentence, a page, or an entire book • Wikipedia and dictionary lookup without leaving the page Sync • Readest Cloud, or bring your own: iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, WebDAV, S3 • KOReader sync keeps your progress in step with your e-reader • iPhone, iPad, Mac, all other platforms and the web Readest is open source. Support: support@readest.com Privacy Policy: https://readest.com/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Shiori Reader

This EPUB reader is designed for Japanese language learners. It offers one-tap dictionary lookups, vocabulary saving, and Anki integration to help users expand their Japanese vocabulary and improve reading comprehension.

Highlights
  • One-tap dictionary lookup
  • Yomitan dictionary import
  • Seamless EPUB reading
  • Vocabulary list saving
  • Anki integration
  • Context-aware learning
  • Smart Japanese text support
Features
Read full description

Read Japanese books with ease - look up words with a tap and expand your vocabulary. Shiori Reader is the ultimate EPUB reader designed specifically for Japanese language learners. With a sleek interface and powerful learning tools, Shiori transforms your reading experience by making Japanese texts accessible and enjoyable. Key Features: • One-tap dictionary lookup - Simply tap any Japanese word to instantly see its meaning, reading, and pitch accent • Dictionary import - Import Yomitan-formatted dictionaries to help expand your Japanese vocabulary • Seamless EPUB reading - Enjoy a fluid reading experience with customizable themes and font settings • Vocabulary building - Save important words to your vocabulary list for later review • Anki integration - Export words directly to AnkiMobile for efficient spaced repetition study • Context-aware learning - See words in their original sentence context to enhance understanding • Smart Japanese support - Advanced support for kanji, furigana, pitch accent, and complex Japanese text • Customizable reading experience - Choose between scroll and page modes, adjust font size and theme colors Perfect for Japanese learners at any level, Shiori Reader bridges the gap between reading authentic Japanese content and building vocabulary. Import your own EPUB files and start improving your Japanese reading skills today.

Screenshots

Readest4 screens
Shiori Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shiori Reader at none against Readest's 9. Shiori Reader also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 84%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Readest's advantage is ratings volume (185 vs 14) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support 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. Readest sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Shiori Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shiori Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Readest has 185 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Readest's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shiori Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Readest ships an update fortnightly, Shiori Reader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Readest versus Shiori Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadestShiori Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (185 ratings)4.7 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings185 — better14
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB310 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBilingify LLCClint Russell Graviet Jr

Customer experience

Readest

All ratings185 ratings
Positive86.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews280 reviews
Positive83.9%
Neutral5.4%
Negative10.7%

Shiori Reader

All ratings14 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Readest

Subscriptions4
  • Subscribe to Plus Plan$4.991 Month
  • Subscribe to Pro Plan$9.991 Month
  • Subscribe to Plus Plan$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Subscribe to Pro Plan$99.991 Year
One-time5
  • 1 GB$9.99
  • 2 GB$14.99
  • Full Customization$19.99
Show 2 more
  • 5 GB$29.99
  • 10 GB$49.99
None

Shiori Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Readest free?
Readest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shiori Reader free?
Shiori Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Readest or Shiori Reader?
Shiori Reader is rated higher. Readest averages 4.5 out of 5 from 185 ratings, while Shiori Reader averages 4.7 from 14 ratings.
Do Readest or Shiori Reader have ads?
Neither Readest nor Shiori Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Readest or Shiori Reader?
Readest ships an update fortnightly, and Shiori Reader weekly. Most recently, Readest was updated on October 14, 2026 and Shiori Reader on October 2, 2026.

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