Comparison

GemRed Instruments vs SimplyRead

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

Head to head
About

GemRed Instruments

Features
Read full description

Connect with various GemRed measuring instruments and tools. Supports synchronizing and saving measurement data to the APP, generating data tables, enabling rapid data collection, and improving work efficiency. The APP allows parameter distribution to measuring tools, making tool configuration simple and convenient.

About

SimplyRead

This app allows you to read and listen to your own e-books in various formats. Customize typography, scroll through pages, and bookmark your progress. It also offers natural voice narration and library management features.

Highlights
  • Customizable typography and themes
  • Page-by-page or continuous scroll
  • Automatic chapter detection
  • Natural voice narration with highlighting
  • Import from Files app, clipboard, or URL
  • Built-in editor with Find & Replace
  • iCloud Drive backup and restore
Features
Read full description

A book you can read — and listen to. SimplyRead opens TXT, EPUB and Markdown files as real books, with clothbound covers, expressive typography and paper textures. Read at your own pace, or listen with natural iOS voices. READ - Comfortable typography with five paper themes and Light or Dark appearance - Page by page, or one continuous scroll — whichever you prefer - Chapters found automatically, including Chinese numeral titles, with a panel to jump anywhere in the book - Bookmarks, find-in-book with highlighted matches, and a Continue Reading card that puts you back where you stopped - Adjust fonts, text size and line spacing, with layouts for iPhone, iPhone Duo and iPad LISTEN - High-quality iOS system voices, at a speed you set - The sentence being spoken is highlighted, and the page follows along - Sleep timer, plus Lock Screen and Control Center controls — keep listening with the screen off BUILD YOUR LIBRARY - Import from the Files app, create a file straight from your clipboard, or download from a URL and watch it arrive - Discover books from public catalogs and open-license sources, with clear labels for downloadable files, online reading and catalog pages - Book covers, clear author labels, folder sorting and destination folders to keep a long shelf tidy EDIT AND KEEP - A built-in editor with Find & Replace, undo for whole-book replacements, recovery after failed saves, and a Fix New Lines tool - iCloud Drive backup and restore for the whole library, reading positions included FREE AND PRO Your own files, the entire reader, themes, chapters, bookmarks and backup are unlimited and free. Pro lifts the daily listening allowance and the download limit. Download availability depends on the source and its access terms. Only import or download content you are entitled to use.

Screenshots

GemRed Instruments4 screens
SimplyRead4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GemRed Instruments at none against SimplyRead's 1. GemRed Instruments also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). 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. SimplyRead sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GemRed Instruments asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GemRed Instruments ships an update every 10 days, SimplyRead weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
GemRed Instruments versus SimplyRead: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGemRed InstrumentsSimplyRead
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB145 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGemRed阳 张

In-app purchases

None

GemRed Instruments

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

SimplyRead

One-time1
  • Pro User$1.99

Questions

Is GemRed Instruments free?
GemRed Instruments is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SimplyRead free?
SimplyRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GemRed Instruments or SimplyRead have ads?
Neither GemRed Instruments nor SimplyRead shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GemRed Instruments or SimplyRead?
GemRed Instruments ships an update every 10 days, and SimplyRead weekly. Most recently, GemRed Instruments was updated on October 25, 2026 and SimplyRead on October 30, 2026.

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