Comparison

Softcover vs Reading Tracker

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

Head to head
About

Softcover

Track your reading progress, manage book lists, and connect with a community of readers. Discover new titles, follow friends, and engage in discussions. Features include detailed statistics, release notifications, and home screen widgets.

Highlights
  • Track reading progress (page/percentage/time)
  • Manage reading lists (Currently Reading, Want to Read, Finished)
  • Follow friends and explore trending titles
  • Community book discussions and curated lists
  • Detailed reading statistics and annual goals
  • Release notifications for anticipated books
  • Home screen widgets for reading progress
Features
Read full description

Your favorite book tracking companion is here! Softcover brings the power of Hardcover to your iPhone with a beautifully designed, native iOS experience. Track Everything You Read Manage your Currently Reading, Want to Read, and Finished lists with ease. Update your progress by page, percentage, or time—perfect for both books and audiobooks. Stay Connected Follow friends, explore trending titles, discover curated community lists, and engage with book discussions. Join a vibrant community of passionate readers. Beautiful Home Screen Widgets Keep your reading progress at your fingertips with elegant widgets showing your current books and reading goals. Smart Features • Detailed reading statistics and annual goals • Release notifications for anticipated titles • Comprehensive book search with ratings and reviews • Edition selection Seamlessly Syncs with Hardcover All your reading data stays perfectly in sync with your Hardcover.app account across all your devices. Requires a free Hardcover.app account.

About

Reading Tracker

Features
Read full description

Spine is your reading challenge companion - built to transform "I should read more" into a trackable, motivating year-long adventure. SET YOUR ANNUAL GOAL Choose your reading target for the year - 12, 26, 52, or any number. Spine tracks your weekly pace automatically, telling you exactly if you are ahead or behind, and projecting your year-end total. See your progress build week by week. READING STREAK - BUILD THE HABIT Read any amount - even one page - every day. The streak counter rewards consistency over volume. Tap "Log Reading" to keep the fire alive. One page counts. The habit builds from there. GENRE BINGO CHALLENGE A 5x5 card with 25 genre prompts - from horror to poetry to translated fiction. Push beyond your comfort zone. Complete rows, columns, and diagonals for bingo. Complete all 25 for a blackout. The bingo card turns a year of reading into an adventure. LOG EVERY BOOK Title, author, rating, one-line review, genre, format, pages, start and finish dates. Your reading log becomes a personal literary record of the year. Filter by genre, status, or rating. Search your entire library. READING STATS Genre distribution, rating patterns, monthly pace, average pages per day. See your reading personality in data. Are you a sci-fi reader? Do you rate books generously? How many pages did you read in January vs March? AI READING ADVISOR Tell the AI what you need - a horror entry point for a first-timer, a short read to get back on pace, something to fill your bingo square - and get personalized recommendations based on what you have loved this year. FREE FEATURES - Annual book goal with weekly pace tracking - Daily reading streak (even 1 page counts) - Book log with ratings and one-line reviews (up to 30 books per year) - TBR list (up to 10 books) - DNF tracking SPINE PRO - Unlimited book logging - Genre Bingo Challenge (5x5 card, 25 prompts) - Reading Stats (genre, pace, ratings, format) - AI Reading Advisor (personalized recommendations) - Shareable Year Card - Longer reviews Whether you are attempting 12 books or 52, Spine turns your reading goal into a challenge worth tracking. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Softcover4 screens
Reading Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Softcover at none against Reading Tracker's 3. On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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 Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Softcover asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Softcover versus Reading Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSoftcoverReading Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.518 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB2 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperRobin BolinssonKarol Jaworski

In-app purchases

None

Softcover

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Reading Tracker

Subscriptions3
  • Spine Pro$4.991 Month
  • Spine Pro1 Year trial$39.991 Year
  • Spine Pro$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Softcover free?
Softcover is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reading Tracker free?
Reading Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Softcover or Reading Tracker have ads?
Neither Softcover nor Reading Tracker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Softcover or Reading Tracker?
Softcover ships an update every 2 months, and Reading Tracker every 2 months. Most recently, Softcover was updated on September 20, 2026 and Reading Tracker on September 13, 2026.

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