RidoBooks vs Parallèle Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RidoBooks
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Read your favourite books — at your language level. RidoBooks is the language learning app that turns classic literature into your most powerful vocabulary teacher. Over 400 adapted bestsellers — The Great Gatsby, Frankenstein, Moby Dick, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and more — available in 5 language levels and 8 languages. WHY READING WORKS Reading is one of the most effective and natural ways to learn a language. RidoBooks puts this into practice: Deep Context Learning Seeing words in full sentences helps you remember not just what they mean, but how to use them naturally. Real Input, Not Boring Drills Instead of flashcards and grammar tables, you read meaningful, engaging stories — content that actually sticks. Repetition Without Boredom Frequent exposure to the same words across different stories makes vocabulary stick — naturally and effortlessly. Content at Your Level RidoBooks adapts every book to your current level, so you're never lost and always learning just enough. KEY FEATURES 400+ Adapted Classics & Bestsellers From The Great Gatsby to Frankenstein — timeless stories made accessible at your level. 8 Languages English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Polish, Japanese. 5 Learning Levels Elementary, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Slang/Native — progress at your own pace. Built-in Instant Translation Tap any passage to see the translation into your chosen language — reinforce understanding on the spot. Dark Mode & Night Reading Comfortable colours and dark mode to protect your eyes. Offline Mode Read anywhere, anytime — no internet connection needed. Smart Progress Tracking The app remembers where you left off — always pick up right where you stopped. No boring exercises. No grammar tables. Just real books, real stories, and real vocabulary growth — every day. Download RidoBooks and read your way to fluency. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Parallèle Reader
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Read the books you love - and, whenever you like, read them in two languages, side by side. Parallèle Reader is a calm, aesthetic everyday reader for your books. It also has a language companion built in: open a book in its original language and a clean translation appears right beside it - there when you need it, out of the way when you don't. FEATURES - Read your own EPUB, PDF, and text files (five timeless classics included free, in their original languages) - Side-by-side bilingual reading in split screen — original and translation, page by page - Translate offline with Apple's on-device engine — no internet needed once your languages are downloaded, or connect your own DeepL key - Hide the translation and reveal it with a tap to test yourself - Long-press any word or passage to look it up, highlight it, add a note, or save it - A personal vocabulary that builds as you read — export it as a TSV file - Highlight in five colors, add notes, and bookmark pages — all organized by book - Reading stats with a heatmap that turns your daily progress into a streak — minutes read, books finished, and more - iCloud sync keeps your reading position, highlights, and vocabulary together across iPhone and iPad - Collections and smart shelves for Favorites and Finished, plus search by title, author, or language - Four reading themes (Warm Paper, Sepia, Light, Dark) - Classic serif fonts, adjustable size, spacing, and margins, and a focus mode WHO IT'S FOR You just love reading — a distraction-free reader for your own library, with stats that make the habit stick. Language learners — read authentic books instead of exercises; reading in context teaches what flashcards can't. Heritage and bilingual readers — move freely between both your languages on every page. Anyone after a book that was never translated for sale — read the original with a translation alongside. HOW IT WORKS Open one of the included classics, or import your own EPUB, PDF, or text file. In split screen, the original and a clean translation appear side by side, page by page — on your device with Apple Translate, or through your own DeepL key. Long-press a word or passage to look it up, highlight it, add a note, or save it to your vocabulary. Prefer to test yourself? Hide the translation and reveal it with a tap. PRICING Try Parallèle Reader free for 7 days. After the trial, a single one-time purchase unlocks the full app. PRIVACY Your reading stays private. iCloud sync is optional and connects only your own devices through your Apple ID — your reading habits never reach our servers. Translate entirely on-device with Apple Translate, and if you add a DeepL key, it's stored securely on your device. Whether you're rereading an old favorite or finally reading that novel in its original language, Parallèle Reader makes reading feel good — and quietly makes you better at it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Parallèle Reader at none against RidoBooks's shown. RidoBooks's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. RidoBooks sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Parallèle Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
RidoBooks ships an update monthly, Parallèle Reader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RidoBooks | Parallèle Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 78 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rido Lang Sp Z O.O. | Temirlan Abdyldaev |
In-app purchases
RidoBooks
- Weekly$3.997 Days
- RidoBooks Free Trial7 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Monthly$7.991 Month
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- Monthly Pro$9.991 Month
- Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
- Quarterly$14.993 Months
- Quarterly$17.993 Months
- Semiannual$17.996 Months
- Semiannual Pro$24.996 Months
- Yearly$29.991 Year
- Premium Yearly$29.991 Year
- Yearly Pro$39.991 Year
Parallèle Reader
- Unlock Parallèle Reader$9.99
Questions
Is RidoBooks free?
Is Parallèle Reader free?
Do RidoBooks or Parallèle Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, RidoBooks or Parallèle Reader?
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