True Reader vs Novel Reader & Bookmate
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
True Reader
Enjoy your favorite books in a comfortable, minimalist dark interface. This e-reader supports multiple file formats and offers intuitive navigation, adjustable text, and smart progress tracking for a focused reading experience.
- Multiple file format support (PDF, EPUB, TXT, CBZ/ZIP, Images)
- Intuitive tap controls for page navigation
- Adjustable font sizes
- Automatic chapter detection
- Smart reading progress tracking
- Clean, distraction-free interface
- Local storage and privacy focused
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DarkReader - A Minimalist Dark Mode E-Reader for iOS Read your favorite books in a beautiful dark interface designed for comfortable reading. DarkReader is a simple, elegant e-reader that supports multiple file formats and gets out of your way so you can focus on what matters: reading. FEATURES: Multiple Format Support • PDF - Portable Document Format with page-by-page navigation • EPUB - Electronic books with adjustable text • TXT - Plain text files • CBZ/ZIP - Comic book archives • Images - JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP Designed for Reading • Page-by-page navigation with simple tap controls • Tap right side to turn forward, left to go back • Tap center to access controls • Automatic chapter detection and formatting • Adjustable font sizes for comfortable reading Beautiful Dark Theme • Easy on your eyes in any lighting • Black, white, and gray color scheme • Consistent dark interface throughout • Perfect for nighttime reading Smart Progress Tracking • Automatically saves your reading position • Resume exactly where you left off • Visual progress bars in your library • Track multiple books simultaneously Clean & Simple • No ads or distractions • No account required • No data collection or tracking • Fast and lightweight • Intuitive interface PERFECT FOR: • Book lovers who want a clean reading experience • Students reading textbooks and PDFs • Comic book enthusiasts • Anyone who prefers dark mode interfaces • Readers who value simplicity and privacy Import books from Files, iCloud Drive, or any document source on your device. Your books and reading progress are stored locally and privately on your device. Download DarkReader today and rediscover the joy of focused, distraction-free reading.
Novel Reader & Bookmate
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Lore is a quiet EPUB reader that remembers the book for you. Open any book and you always know who's who and what just happened, and never a page further than you've read. WHY LORE Long novels lose people. Forty characters, three names each, two weeks between sittings, and suddenly you are back in chapter nine working out who betrayed whom. Lore keeps that thread for you, without ever getting ahead of you. A SHELF THAT ISN'T EMPTY Lore opens on The Archives: a curated collection of classics you can search by title or author and download without leaving the app. Already have books? Import your own DRM-free EPUB files and they land on the same shelf. THE READING PART, DONE PROPERLY Four themes: Light, Sepia, Dark and an OLED black for reading at night. Four typefaces: serif, sans, mono and cursive. Set font size, line spacing and margins until the page looks right. Automatic hyphenation breaks long words at the syllable, so lines stay even. Portrait or landscape. Page numbers are measured for your type settings, so the count holds still. See the pages left in the chapter, jump straight to a page, or move around from the chapter list. Lore reads EPUB, and it does that one format well: no PDF, no MOBI, no AZW. WHEN YOU LOSE THE THREAD - A character guide: who someone is, what else they are called, and how they are tied to everyone else. - Chapter recaps: the key events and turning points of the stretch you just finished. - Ask a question about the story so far and get an answer from the book. - Talk to a character from the book, one to one. - Illustrated scenes and portraits, collected per book. NOTHING PAST THE PAGE YOU'RE ON All of that is locked to the page you have actually reached. Not a promise, a limit written into the app. Pick a 900-page novel back up after three weeks away, get your bearings, and still not know how it ends. HOW THE GUIDES ARE BUILT Character profiles, recaps and answers are built from the book's own text, using AI that is only ever given the pages you have already read. MADE FOR - Russian novels where everyone has three different names - Doorstop fantasy with a cast list longer than chapter one - Coming back to a book three weeks later LANGUAGES AND ACCOUNT English, Turkish, Spanish, German and French. A free Google or Apple account is required. Your analyses and your spark balance are tied to your account; your library and your reading position stay on your device. You can delete your account in the app at any time. SPARKS AND PREMIUM Reading is free. Importing your own EPUB and downloading from The Archives are free. Sparks are spent when you analyse a book, ask a question, chat with a character or create an illustration. Once a book is analysed, its character guide and chapter recaps are yours to browse as often as you like, at no further cost. Lore Premium is an auto-renewing subscription, sold in three plans: Weekly at $9.99 a week for 1,000 sparks each week, Monthly at $14.99 a month for 2,000 sparks each month, and Yearly at $149.99 a year for 2,000 sparks each month. Prices are in U.S. dollars and vary by region. Each refill sets your balance to the plan amount, so unused sparks do not carry over. Promo codes are accepted. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is switched off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your Apple ID settings. Terms of Use: https://zarathustra.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://zarathustra.app/privacy.html Zarathustra is now Lore. Same books, same page you left off on.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: True Reader at none against Novel Reader & Bookmate'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
Both are free to download. Novel Reader & Bookmate sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. True Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.
True Reader ships an update every 2 days, Novel Reader & Bookmate daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | True Reader | Novel Reader & Bookmate |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 90 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | John Chambers | halit aldemir |
In-app purchases
True Reader
No in-app purchases
Novel Reader & Bookmate
- Zarathustra Pro Weekly$9.997 Days
- Zarathustra Pro Monthly$24.991 Month
- Zarathustra Pro Annual$249.991 Year
Questions
Is True Reader free?
Is Novel Reader & Bookmate free?
Do True Reader or Novel Reader & Bookmate have ads?
Which is updated more often, True Reader or Novel Reader & Bookmate?
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