Comparison

Reading Timer vs Reading Journal

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

Head to head
About

Reading Timer

Track your reading time and pages with a quick timer. Organize your personal library, view detailed reading statistics, and stay motivated with a visual reading heatmap.

Highlights
  • Quick reading timer
  • Page tracking
  • Personal library management
  • Reading statistics and reports
  • Reading heatmap for streaks
  • Track reading pace
Features
Read full description

How much did you read today? Keep the time, pages, and thoughts together. Reading Timer is a reading log and book tracker for the books you already own. Start the timer, read at your own pace, then enter your ending page. Your session becomes part of your book diary, with time, pages read, and reading speed in one place. KEEP A READING JOURNAL Save a thought after each session, add notes to a book, and revisit what you read. Forgot the timer? Add a reading record manually. SEE YOUR BOOKS MOVE FORWARD Keep current reads and completed books on your bookshelf. Track page progress and view each book’s sessions, average pace, and estimated completion based on your recorded reading. BUILD A READING HABIT YOU CAN SEE Choose a time or page goal for the day, week, month, or year. Check your reading calendar, activity heatmap, and statistics. Optional daily time-goal alerts let you know when you reach that goal while reading. ADD BOOKS YOUR WAY Enter a title and author, or look up book information by ISBN barcode. Check the details before saving; information may be incomplete. Export books and sessions as CSV for use in a spreadsheet. READ AT YOUR OWN PACE Use dark mode or keep the screen awake while timing. Join the optional weekly ranking or share a reading record if you choose. Reading Timer tracks your reading. It does not provide ebooks. OPTIONAL PRO SUBSCRIPTION Reading Timer Pro is a 1-month auto-renewable subscription that removes all ads while active. The price is shown before purchase and may vary by store. Manage or cancel your subscription in your store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://hydroponicglass.com/privacy-policy/

About

Reading Journal

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
Read full description

Reading Journal is a warm, quiet home for the books you read and everything they leave behind. Just say what page you're on. Reading Journal keeps the rest: pages read today, your week at a glance, how many sessions are left in the book, and a streak worth keeping. YOUR LIBRARY • Shelves for Reading, To Read, Finished and Did Not Finish • Add books by title, author or ISBN, or scan the barcode on the back • Real covers, and handsome cloth covers for books without one • Series kept in reading order A DIARY FOR EVERY BOOK • Every session with its pages and minutes • The lines you loved, with chapter and page • Stars, a one-line review, a summary and your favorite moment • Notebook pages on lined, dotted, grid or blank paper GOALS AND CHALLENGES • A yearly goal that fills a shelf with your covers • Monthly goals, a page target and a mood board • A–Z, Reading Bingo, 52 Books in 52 Weeks, genres, romance tropes and more • Finish a book and it lands in the right challenge slot Your library syncs through iCloud across iPhone and iPad, looks lovely in light and dark, and backs up to a JSON file or exports your books as CSV whenever you like.

Screenshots

Reading Timer4 screens
Reading Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Reading Journal at none against Reading Timer's shown. Reading Journal also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and review sentiment (100% vs 89%). Reading Timer's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Reading Timer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month and Reading Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Reading Timer against 4.8 for Reading Journal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 35 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Reading Timer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reading Journal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reading Timer ships an update every 2 weeks, Reading Journal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Reading Timer versus Reading Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReading TimerReading Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (21 ratings) — better4.8 (35 ratings)
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2135 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSeulki EomSergii Nesterenko

Customer experience

Reading Timer

All ratings20 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

Reading Journal

All ratings35 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Reading Timer

Subscriptions1
  • Reading Timer Pro$1.991 Month
3 purchases

Reading Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Access$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Access$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$12.99

Questions

Is Reading Timer free?
Reading Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Reading Journal free?
Reading Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Reading Timer or Reading Journal?
Reading Timer is rated higher. Reading Timer averages 4.9 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Reading Journal averages 4.8 from 35 ratings.
Do Reading Timer or Reading Journal have ads?
Reading Timer shows ads; Reading Journal does not.
Which is updated more often, Reading Timer or Reading Journal?
Reading Timer ships an update every 2 weeks, and Reading Journal every 3 weeks. Most recently, Reading Timer was updated on October 30, 2026 and Reading Journal on October 31, 2026.

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