Comparison

Bookstar vs NextPhase Reader

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

Head to head
About

Bookstar

Read full description

Read English books in the original — the ones you actually want to read. Bookstar keeps the translation right under the original text, page after page. Nothing to look up, nothing to type, no reason to put the book down. The safety net is already there. HOW IT WORKS 1. Add your own EPUB — from Files, iCloud, or anywhere on your iPhone.** 2. Read the original. The translation into your language stays below it, passage by passage.* 3. Tap a star to hear that sentence read aloud, and catch how the language actually sounds.* 4. Open Explain on a phrase that feels odd. It tells you what it means in plain words, with an everyday example.* WHAT YOU GET • Your own library — import the EPUB files you already own** • Translation always in view: no pop-ups, no dictionary detours, no losing your place* • Audio for any marked sentence — rhythm and pronunciation, not just meaning* • Translate into 11 languages: Spanish, French, German, Ukrainian, Polish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Turkish, Russian • A free classic included, so you can start today: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan • A quiet reader — no streaks, no badges, no feed • Explanations for idioms and odd phrases — the meaning in plain words, and an example you can hear* WHO IT IS FOR • You are around B1–B2 in English, and textbooks stopped being enough • Your favourite author's new book is not translated into your language — and might never be • You moved abroad and need the living language, not classroom phrases • You are preparing for an exam and need real reading plus pronunciation *READING PAST PAGE 10 REQUIRES A SUBSCRIPTION The first 10 pages of a book are free. That includes the included classic and one book you import. Translation and audio are included on those free pages. **ONE IMPORTED BOOK IS FREE You can import one EPUB of your own without a subscription. Adding more of your own books requires Bookstar Premium. BOOKSTAR PREMIUM • Weekly Premium — 1 week — $9.99 • Six Month Premium — 6 months — $49.99 (equivalent to $8.33/month), with a 7-day free trial Prices are in U.S. dollars. In other countries the price is shown in your local currency on this page and on the subscription screen, before any payment is taken. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. You can manage or cancel in Settings → [Your Name] → Subscriptions. ABOUT THE BOOKS Bookstar is a reader, not a bookstore. We do not sell, host, or distribute books — you import EPUB files you already own. The one title included with the app is in the public domain. Format: EPUB only. Books must be in English; the translation can be any of the 11 languages above. Terms of Use: https://bookstar.cc/terms Privacy Policy: https://bookstar.cc/privacy

About

NextPhase Reader

Features
Read full description

Read it. Listen to it. Learn from it. Listen instead of read. Turn your documents and compatible books into audio. NextPhase Reader brings reading, listening and language practice together on iPhone and iPad, using content you choose. LISTEN TO YOUR CONTENT • Read supported books and documents aloud using Apple device voices by default, with voice, speed and sleep-timer controls. Optional online voices are also available for live listening. • Listen to the original text, its translation, or both. • With Pro, prepare chapters or PDF pages as saved audio for offline playback. Export separate M4A recordings to Files or share them with another app. • Create saved audio with downloaded Kokoro voices, on your device with the app in the foreground. Apple device voices and online voices are for live listening; online voices require an internet connection. READ WHAT INTERESTS YOU • Import your own DRM-free EPUB, KEPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW3, FB2, TXT, RTF, DOCX and HTML files. • Explore free classics through Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks, or connect a compatible OPDS library. • Adjust text size and reading layout, choose Light, Sepia or Dark, and keep highlights, notes and bookmarks. • Read text-based PDFs in their original layout or as flowing text. Scanned PDFs without selectable text are not supported for translation or speech. LEARN FROM YOUR READING Stay motivated. Read in the languages you want. Import content for side-by-side reading. • Read original and translated EPUB paragraphs together: side by side on wider screens, interleaved on narrow screens. • Save words in context and return to them with spaced-repetition review. • Use pronunciation guides for supported languages, including pinyin, furigana and romaja. • With Pro, highlight saved words as they reappear, export vocabulary as CSV, and export compatible books as bilingual EPUBs. Your first vocabulary CSV export is free. TRANSLATION CHOICES Built-in online translation needs no API key. Apple on-device translation requires a supported device, OS and downloaded language pair; unavailable language packs may lead to an online fallback. You can also use your own DeepL, OpenAI, Google Cloud or Azure key. Provider availability and quality vary by language. Completed translations are cached for reuse. PRO: ONE-TIME PURCHASE Choose one book to try Pro features free. Unlock Pro for all your books with a one-time in-app purchase for major version 1. No subscription. Pro includes natural voice downloads, saved audio, bilingual EPUB export and vocabulary export. Family Sharing is supported. Restore purchases is available in Settings. YOUR CONTENT, YOUR CHOICES Core reading works without an account. Your library is stored locally. Online translation and speech send relevant text to the selected services; optional account sync uploads reading data. Downloaded voices and saved audio support offline listening, but online services and new downloads require a connection. Compatible, DRM-free content only. Audio exports are separate chapter or page recordings, not a single combined audiobook. Interface available in English and Spanish.

Screenshots

Bookstar4 screens
NextPhase Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

Bookstar and NextPhase Reader are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Bookstar sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and NextPhase Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Bookstar versus NextPhase Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookstarNextPhase Reader
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB90 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAnatolii MalynovskyiNextPhase LLC

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Bookstar

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Weekly$6.997 Days
  • Six Months$29.996 Months
1 purchases

NextPhase Reader

One-time1
  • NextPhase Reader Pro$29.99

Questions

Is Bookstar free?
Bookstar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NextPhase Reader free?
NextPhase Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Bookstar or NextPhase Reader have ads?
Neither Bookstar nor NextPhase Reader shows ads.

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