# BookPine vs Reading Journal

BookPine and Reading Journal both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Reading Journal's written reviews are positive against 25% of BookPine's. Reading Journal also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). BookPine's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BookPine sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Reading Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for BookPine against 4.8 for Reading Journal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 78 and 35 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 25% of BookPine's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reading Journal's.

BookPine ships an update weekly, Reading Journal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookPine | Reading Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookpine-book-tracker-and-stats/id6739737366/reviews) | **[4.8 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-journal-book-tracker/id6757375623/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **78** | 35 |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 101 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Devpri SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679575613) | [Sergii Nesterenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686841405) |

## What reviewers say

### BookPine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookpine-book-tracker-and-stats/id6739737366)

Track your reading journey with detailed stats, custom lists, and reading goals. Easily import your library from other platforms and discover ambient sounds for focused reading. Share your progress and connect with a community of book lovers.

**Highlights:** Detailed reading stats and insights, Custom lists and shelves for organization, Personalized reading goals and challenges, Import from Goodreads, StoryGraph, LibraryThing, Ambient sounds for focused reading, Social features to follow friends and share reviews, Transaction log for borrowed, lent, or purchased books

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BookPine Pro | $4.99 | per month |
| BookPine Pro | $49.99 | per year |


### Reading Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-journal-book-tracker/id6757375623)

This app helps you remember what you read by tracking your library, reading status, and favorite quotes. Set reading goals, join challenges, and keep your progress organized with personal notes and summaries.

**Highlights:** Track books (want to read, reading, finished), Save quotes, reviews, and summaries, Set reading goals and track progress, Join reading challenges, Sync library with iCloud, Export/import data (JSON/CSV)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Access | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly Access | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookPine free?

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

### Is Reading Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BookPine or Reading Journal?

Reading Journal is rated higher. BookPine averages 4.8 out of 5 from 78 ratings, while Reading Journal averages 4.8 from 35 ratings.

### Do BookPine or Reading Journal have ads?

Neither BookPine nor Reading Journal shows ads.

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

BookPine ships an update weekly, and Reading Journal every 3 weeks. Most recently, BookPine was updated on October 30, 2026 and Reading Journal on October 28, 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.*