# Fireside vs Actually Read

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fireside at none against Actually Read's 1. Fireside also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). Actually Read's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Actually Read sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Fireside asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fireside ships an update fortnightly, Actually Read every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fireside | Actually Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/actually-read-focus-reader/id6796197302/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **9** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 41 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mayer Unterberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1853681015) | [Prism32 LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1591711559) |

## What reviewers say

### Fireside

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fireside-speed-reading/id6756298021)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Actually Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/actually-read-focus-reader/id6796197302)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Actually Read Plus | $9.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fireside free?

Fireside is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Actually Read free?

Actually Read is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Fireside or Actually Read have ads?

Neither Fireside nor Actually Read shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fireside or Actually Read?

Fireside ships an update fortnightly, and Actually Read every 5 days. Most recently, Fireside was updated on October 7, 2026 and Actually Read on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*