# BookOwl vs Reading Journal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BookOwl at none against Reading Journal's 1. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reading Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BookOwl asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for BookOwl against 4.8 for Reading Journal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 44 and 35 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of BookOwl's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reading Journal's.

BookOwl ships an update every 11 days, Reading Journal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookOwl | Reading Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookowl-reading-tracker/id6749646194/reviews) | **[4.8 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-journal-book-tracker/id6757375623/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **44** | 35 |
| Positive reviews | 92.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 50 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Phil Getzen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1830876966) | [Sergii Nesterenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686841405) |

## What reviewers say

### BookOwl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookowl-reading-tracker/id6749646194)

Organize your reading life with this free companion app. Build your personal library, track your progress, and customize your profile. Import data from other services and scan books instantly. Enjoy personalized recommendations and share your reading insights.

**Highlights:** Barcode scanner for instant book addition, Import from Goodreads, StoryGraph, Audible, Libby, Customizable profile with aurora colors, Half and quarter-star rating system, Custom shelves and curated book lists, Reading progress tracking, Yearly reading goals and streaks

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Access | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookOwl free?

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

### Is Reading Journal free?

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

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

Reading Journal is rated higher. BookOwl averages 4.8 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while Reading Journal averages 4.8 from 35 ratings.

### Do BookOwl or Reading Journal have ads?

Neither BookOwl nor Reading Journal shows ads.

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

BookOwl ships an update every 11 days, and Reading Journal every 3 weeks. Most recently, BookOwl was updated on October 30, 2026 and Reading Journal on November 3, 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.*