# Bamboo Reader vs Polinu

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Bamboo Reader at 18.0 against Polinu's 26.0. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bamboo Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Polinu sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 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 — 5.0 for Bamboo Reader against 5.0 for Polinu. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Bamboo Reader ships an update every 9 days, Polinu weekly. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bamboo Reader | Polinu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bamboo-reader-read-chinese/id6746738856/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polinu/id6749646411/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 87 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tifany Pan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1816393725) | [Adam Gerber](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831575151) |

## What reviewers say

### Bamboo Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bamboo-reader-read-chinese/id6746738856)

Master Chinese by importing any document, article, or voice recording. Get instant translations, build vocabulary with smart flashcards, and study offline. Supports HSK levels 1-6 for structured learning.

**Highlights:** Import documents, articles, and web content, Instant word translation with pinyin, Smart spaced repetition flashcards, Offline dictionary with 50,000+ entries, Progress tracking for HSK levels, Customizable vocabulary decks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $5.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $89.99 | one-time |


### Polinu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polinu/id6749646411)

Master new languages by reading ePub books you love. Get instant word translations, detailed grammatical analysis, and build vocabulary with smart flashcards and spaced repetition. Track your progress with in-depth analytics.

**Highlights:** Read ePub books in multiple languages, Instant word translations and contextual meaning, Verb conjugations and noun declensions, Part-of-speech analysis, Personalized flashcard decks, Spaced-repetition algorithm, Memory strength tracking

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bamboo Reader free?

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

### Is Polinu free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bamboo Reader or Polinu?

Bamboo Reader and Polinu are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Bamboo Reader or Polinu have ads?

Neither Bamboo Reader nor Polinu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bamboo Reader or Polinu?

Bamboo Reader ships an update every 9 days, and Polinu weekly. Most recently, Bamboo Reader was updated on October 30, 2026 and Polinu on October 30, 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.*