# Readest vs Thorium Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Readest at 4.5 against Thorium Reader's 3.9. Readest also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 60%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Thorium Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Readest sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Thorium Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Readest holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Readest has 178 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Readest's written reviews are positive against 60% of Thorium Reader's.

Readest ships an update fortnightly, Thorium Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Readest | Thorium Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (178 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readest-ebook-reader/id6738622779/reviews)** | [3.9 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thorium-reader/id6745025189/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **178** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **85.1% of reviews** | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 67 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Bilingify LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1781524090) | [Readium](https://appshunter.io/developer/1232183924) |

## What reviewers say

### Readest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readest-ebook-reader/id6738622779)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscribe to Plus Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Subscribe to Pro Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscribe to Plus Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Subscribe to Pro Plan | $99.99 | per year |
| 1 GB | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2 GB | $14.99 | one-time |
| 5 GB | $29.99 | one-time |
| 10 GB | $49.99 | one-time |


### Thorium Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thorium-reader/id6745025189)

Organize all your ebooks, comics, and manga in a single app. Customize your reading experience with adjustable text, fonts, and themes. Listen to audiobooks and zoom into visual content with ease.

**Highlights:** Unified bookshelf for all content, Adjustable text size and spacing, Multiple font options, Text-to-speech audio playback, Zoom for comics and manga, Offline dictionary and translation, Import EPUB, PDF, CBZ files

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Readest free?

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

### Is Thorium Reader free?

Thorium Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Readest or Thorium Reader?

Readest is rated higher. Readest averages 4.5 out of 5 from 178 ratings, while Thorium Reader averages 3.9 from 9 ratings.

### Do Readest or Thorium Reader have ads?

Neither Readest nor Thorium Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Readest or Thorium Reader?

Readest ships an update fortnightly, and Thorium Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Readest was updated on September 26, 2026 and Thorium Reader on September 10, 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.*