# Four Books vs Wen Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Wen Reader at none against Four Books's 4. Four Books's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Four Books sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Wen Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Four Books against 5.0 for Wen Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Four Books has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Four Books ships an update monthly, Wen Reader every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Four Books | Wen Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/four-books-confucian-classics/id6747745289/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wen-reader/id6755988730/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 84 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daoxue Academy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1822727493) | [Oliver Zhang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1857877811) |

## What reviewers say

### Four Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/four-books-confucian-classics/id6747745289)

Explore the foundational texts of Confucianism with this scholarly reader. It offers translations, classical Chinese glosses, and detailed commentary, optimized for a seamless reading experience on Apple devices. Unlock the full content with a one-time purchase.

**Highlights:** Traditional interpretation of Confucian texts, Classical Chinese glosses and parsing, Dual-language presentation, Full-screen reader for iPad, Optimized multi-platform design, Fast search functionality

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A Cup of Coffee | $1.99 | one-time |
| Scholar Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| A Bundle of Dried Meat | $4.99 | one-time |
| Patron of the Way | $9.99 | one-time |


### Wen Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wen-reader/id6755988730)

This app provides a clean, modern way for intermediate Chinese learners to read native-level EPUB books. It offers instant, context-aware dictionary definitions with a simple long-press and supports offline reading with customizable typography. Users can import their own EPUBs and utilize tools for sharing text to other learning apps.

**Highlights:** EPUB import and reading, Instant dictionary pop-ups, Offline CC-CEDICT definitions, Context-aware word segmentation, Text sharing to Pleco/ChatGPT, Simple navigation and auto-save

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Four Books free?

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

### Is Wen Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Four Books or Wen Reader?

Four Books and Wen Reader are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Four Books or Wen Reader have ads?

Neither Four Books nor Wen Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Four Books or Wen Reader?

Four Books ships an update monthly, and Wen Reader every 3 months. Most recently, Four Books was updated on October 30, 2026 and Wen Reader 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.*