Comparison

青空文庫Stella vs 文庫

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

Head to head
About

青空文庫Stella

Discover classic Japanese literature through random passages. If a passage resonates, add the book to your personal, customizable digital bookshelf. Enjoy a comfortable reading experience with adjustable settings and offline access.

Highlights
  • Random passage discovery
  • Customizable digital bookshelf
  • Vertical/horizontal text options
  • Adjustable text size and fonts
  • Offline reading
  • Lunar-themed book suggestions
Features
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Aozora Bunko Stella - Find your next book by chance Not sure what to read next? Open the app and a passage from a classic Japanese novel arrives, chosen at random. If it moves you, tap "Sparkle" and the book joins your shelf, ready to read. There are no summaries and no ratings. Just a few lines of text, and whether they move you. Please note: the books are written in Japanese. The app itself is available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. ■ Letters from the stars 550 works from Aozora Bunko, the free library of Japanese literature. Each passage shows only the title and the author. Tap "Sparkle" to keep it, or "Skip" to see the next one. ■ Your own bookshelf Books stand on the shelf by their spines. Place them where you like, turn a book to show its cover, and decorate with dividers and small objects: a star lamp, a moon, a candle, a plant, an hourglass and a telescope. Your favorites are collected in a cover view. ■ Comfortable reading Vertical or horizontal text, adjustable text size and fonts, and four looks: light, warm, cool and dark. Furigana (ruby) has three modes: with ruby, kanji only, or reading only, which helps when you are learning Japanese. Bookmarks are saved automatically. ■ Lunar guide Draw a card and the app suggests a book and a passage. ■ Notifications on your terms Choose the days and times you want a gentle reminder. You can also be notified only on full moons and new moons. ■ Works stay in the app Every work is stored in the app, so you can read without a connection. Stella means "star" in Latin. Like stars joined into a constellation, the passages that moved you connect into a world of your own. This app is not an official app of Aozora Bunko. The free version holds up to 15 books on the shelf. Premium removes the limit. Premium (Stella Premium) - Monthly plan: renews every month - Annual plan: renews every year, about three months cheaper than paying monthly - The monthly plan has a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. After the trial it renews at the monthly price. - Prices are shown in your local currency before you subscribe. - Payment is charged to your Apple ID when you confirm the purchase (nothing is charged during the free trial). - Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. - Manage or cancel any time in your Apple ID settings, under Subscriptions. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://axixa23.github.io/aozorastella/privacy-policy.html

About

文庫

Features
Read full description

パブリックドメイン小説(青空文庫)を、「1文ずつ」 と 「日課(毎日少しだけ)」 の2つの体験で読むアプリです。 【主な機能】 1文ずつ読む(コマ送りリーダー) 毎日少しだけ読む(日課モード / 続きは明日までロック) 進捗・設定は端末内に保存(サーバー不要) ※広告(AdMob)を表示します。

Screenshots

青空文庫Stella4 screens
文庫3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 文庫 at none against 青空文庫Stella's 3. 青空文庫Stella's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. 青空文庫Stella sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. 文庫 asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

青空文庫Stella ships an update every 4 days, 文庫 every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level
青空文庫Stella versus 文庫: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter青空文庫Stella文庫
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size167 MB26 MB
Age rating17+4+
Developerkyohei sugitaMasaki Takahashi

In-app purchases

3 purchases

青空文庫Stella

Subscriptions3
  • Stellaプレミアム7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Stellaプレミアム$0.991 Month
  • Stellaプレミアム(年間)$9.991 Year
None

文庫

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 青空文庫Stella free?
青空文庫Stella is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 文庫 free?
文庫 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do 青空文庫Stella or 文庫 have ads?
Neither 青空文庫Stella nor 文庫 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 青空文庫Stella or 文庫?
青空文庫Stella ships an update every 4 days, and 文庫 every 4 months. Most recently, 青空文庫Stella was updated on November 13, 2026 and 文庫 on October 31, 2026.

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