True Reader vs Sutra
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
True Reader
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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.
Sutra
Access your entire book collection from various sources in one beautiful app. Enjoy a customizable reading experience with synced progress, bookmarks, and highlights across devices. Organize your library with series info, search, and collections.
- Connect Kavita, Calibre, and OPDS servers
- EPUB and PDF reading with page-curl effect
- Rich typography and reading themes
- iCloud sync for progress, bookmarks, and highlights
- Offline downloads
- Highlighting and search functionality
- Series grouping and collections
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Sutra is the ultimate omnibus reading companion. Whether you are managing a massive self-hosted comic library, reading RTL manga, or diving into classic EPUBs, Sutra brings every format into one unified app. Connect your self-hosted Kavita, Komga, or Calibre server, browse any OPDS catalog, or download directly from Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks. THE ULTIMATE COMIC & MANGA EXPERIENCE • Native Panel Navigation: Custom panel isolation logic smoothly guides you through comics frame-by-frame on smaller screens • Full Manga Support: Read right-to-left or top-to-bottom with perfect page ordering • iPad Two-Pane Mode: Enjoy gorgeous two-page spreads perfectly optimized for larger displays • Format Agnostic: Flawless rendering for CBZ, PDF, MOBI, and EPUB files • Free Preview: Sample the first 7 pages of any CBZ comic before unlocking the full experience THE READING EXPERIENCE YOU DESERVE • Authentic page-curl animations that you can tap or drag • Rich typography controls: customize fonts, size, line spacing, and alignment • Four beautifully designed reading themes (including a true Night Mode) • Left-Handed Page Turns for comfortable one-handed reading • Auto-Scroll: Sit back and let the app pace your reading experience • Full-screen reading and progress syncing across all your Apple devices MARK YOUR PASSAGES • Select text to highlight in four color-coded options • Search your highlights across all books or view them in the Bookmarks sheet • Highlights automatically save and sync via iCloud everywhere BUILT FOR SELF-HOSTERS • Connect any OPDS server: Kavita, Komga, Calibre, Grimmory, or your own • Smart Collections: Series metadata automatically groups into browsable collections—perfect for long comic runs • Local Network Support: Works directly with your home servers—no middleman cloud storage required FAIR PRICING. NO SUBSCRIPTIONS. Sutra is built with a commitment to fair, transparent software. Enjoy full EPUB and PDF support, Calibre/Kavita servers, and basic features completely free with zero ads. Unlock unlimited CBZ comic reading, MOBI format, and Komga server integration with a single, one-time $6.99 lifetime purchase. No recurring fees, no monthly costs—pay once and own it forever.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: True Reader at none against Sutra's 4. True Reader also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, 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. Sutra sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. True Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.
True Reader ships an update every 2 days, Sutra every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | True Reader | Sutra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.3 (9 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 83.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | John Chambers | Koustav Dasgupta |
In-app purchases
True Reader
No in-app purchases
Sutra
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$2.99
- Large Tip$4.99
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- Sutra Pro$6.99









