Comparison

Magicorium vs Actually Read

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

Head to head
About

Magicorium

Features
Read full description

Magicorium: Your Magical Reading Companion A reading app where you can talk to story characters. 5000 classic stories + chat companions. Read the story, talk to a hero! Every conversation is designed for children. Transform reading into an interactive adventure! Magicorium is a reading app designed for kids, combining classic children's stories with an AI-powered chat companion that makes reading fun and engaging. KEY FEATURES • Interactive Reading Experience Dive into classic children's stories with a beautiful reading interface designed specifically for young readers. Age-appropriate themes make reading enjoyable for kids of all ages. • AI-Powered Chat Companion Chat with story characters and the narrator! Ask questions about the story, talk to your favorite characters, and get help understanding what you're reading. Our AI companion is designed to be spoiler-safe, so conversations only reveal what you've already read. • Age-Appropriate Themes Choose from three reading themes: - Early Readers (ages 3-5) - Kids (ages 6-9) - Youngsters (ages 10+) Each theme is carefully designed to match your child's reading level and interests. • Classic Stories Library Explore a curated collection of timeless children's stories. Discover adventure, fantasy, humor, and more across different genres and age ranges. • Reading Progress Tracking Keep track of where you left off with automatic progress tracking. Your library organizes stories by your most recent activity, making it easy to continue your reading journey. • Personalized Library Build your own digital library of favorite stories. Filter by age, genre, and discover new stories that match your interests. • Safe for Kids Magicorium is designed with children's safety in mind. All content is age-appropriate, and our AI companion provides helpful responses that enhance the reading experience. PERFECT FOR - Parents looking for engaging reading apps for kids - Children learning to read - Kids who love interactive stories - Families wanting to encourage reading habits WHY CHOOSE MAGICORIUM? Unlike traditional e-readers, Magicorium makes reading interactive and conversational. Kids can ask questions, chat with characters, and get help understanding stories in real-time. It's like having a reading companion that makes stories come alive! START YOUR READING ADVENTURE TODAY Download Magicorium and watch your child discover the joy of reading through interactive stories and AI-powered conversations. Perfect for bedtime stories, quiet reading time, or family reading activities. Your magical reading companion. Terms of Use: https://magicorium.com/terms.html (Apple EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/)

About

Actually Read

Enhance your reading experience by tracking books, blocking distractions with Deep Focus, and utilizing an AI companion for deeper comprehension. Import your own files or discover public domain books to build a consistent reading habit.

Highlights
  • Track reading progress
  • Deep Focus distraction blocking
  • Import EPUBs and PDFs
  • AI-powered book companion
  • Summaries and recaps
  • On-device AI processing
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Actually Read helps you track your books, protect your reading time, and actually read—whether you’re reading an EPUB, a PDF, or a physical book. • Focus on the book you chose. Start a reading session, set a timer, and use Deep Focus to block the apps, categories, and websites you choose with Screen Time. • See your reading add up. Track books and focus sessions, create custom reading lists, review your reading history, and return to a calm, customizable reading space built around your current book. • Read your way. Import EPUBs and PDFs, discover free public-domain books, search within books, save bookmarks, highlight passages, and pick up where you left off. • Ask better questions with grounded AI. Actually Read uses retrieval-based AI to help you engage with a book, not replace it with an AI digest. Ask about a theme, scene, or passage, get a Story So Far recap, or request a chapter summary when you’re ready. • Stay grounded in the text. Actually Read retrieves relevant passages from your book and uses them as context for each answer. Responses prioritize cited supporting passages you can open directly in the reader and can respect your reading progress to help avoid spoilers. • Keep your content close. Book indexing, embeddings, and retrieval happen on-device. On devices with Apple Intelligence enabled, on-device AI can answer questions without sending your questions or book content to the cloud. • Choose Advanced AI when you want it. Only your question and the relevant excerpts retrieved to answer it are sent to the cloud—never the full book. Actually Read is for reading with more attention, more context, and fewer distractions. Some features require compatible hardware, Apple Intelligence, Screen Time permission, or an internet connection. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Magicorium4 screens
Actually Read4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Actually Read at every 4 days against Magicorium's fortnightly. Actually Read also leads on chart position (#44 vs unranked). Magicorium's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Magicorium sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Actually Read sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magicorium ships an update fortnightly, Actually Read every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Magicorium versus Actually Read: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagicoriumActually Read
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (21 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—21 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#44 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB47 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAleksandr KichevPrism32 LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Magicorium

Subscriptions2
  • MerlinRead Monthly Premium7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • MerlinRead Annual Premium7 Days trial$39.991 Year
1 purchases

Actually Read

Subscriptions1
  • Actually Read Plus3 Days trial$9.991 Month

Questions

Is Magicorium free?
Magicorium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Actually Read free?
Actually Read is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Magicorium or Actually Read have ads?
Neither Magicorium nor Actually Read shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Magicorium or Actually Read?
Magicorium ships an update fortnightly, and Actually Read every 4 days. Most recently, Magicorium was updated on October 14, 2026 and Actually Read on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons