Comparison

SimplyRead vs SharkZip

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

Head to head
About

SimplyRead

This app allows you to read and listen to your own e-books in various formats. Customize typography, scroll through pages, and bookmark your progress. It also offers natural voice narration and library management features.

Highlights
  • Customizable typography and themes
  • Page-by-page or continuous scroll
  • Automatic chapter detection
  • Natural voice narration with highlighting
  • Import from Files app, clipboard, or URL
  • Built-in editor with Find & Replace
  • iCloud Drive backup and restore
Features
Read full description

A book you can read — and listen to. SimplyRead opens TXT, EPUB and Markdown files as real books, with clothbound covers, expressive typography and paper textures. Read at your own pace, or listen with natural iOS voices. READ - Comfortable typography with five paper themes and Light or Dark appearance - Page by page, or one continuous scroll — whichever you prefer - Chapters found automatically, including Chinese numeral titles, with a panel to jump anywhere in the book - Bookmarks, find-in-book with highlighted matches, and a Continue Reading card that puts you back where you stopped - Adjust fonts, text size and line spacing, with layouts for iPhone, iPhone Duo and iPad LISTEN - High-quality iOS system voices, at a speed you set - The sentence being spoken is highlighted, and the page follows along - Sleep timer, plus Lock Screen and Control Center controls — keep listening with the screen off BUILD YOUR LIBRARY - Import from the Files app, create a file straight from your clipboard, or download from a URL and watch it arrive - Discover books from public catalogs and open-license sources, with clear labels for downloadable files, online reading and catalog pages - Book covers, clear author labels, folder sorting and destination folders to keep a long shelf tidy EDIT AND KEEP - A built-in editor with Find & Replace, undo for whole-book replacements, recovery after failed saves, and a Fix New Lines tool - iCloud Drive backup and restore for the whole library, reading positions included FREE AND PRO Your own files, the entire reader, themes, chapters, bookmarks and backup are unlimited and free. Pro lifts the daily listening allowance and the download limit. Download availability depends on the source and its access terms. Only import or download content you are entitled to use.

About

SharkZip

Features
Read full description

Protect your files with password-encrypted ZIP compression. SharkZip makes it easy to secure your important files and folders with password protection. Create encrypted ZIP archives in seconds, right from your iPhone or iPad. KEY FEATURES Password Protection – Protect ZIP files with a password Zip Folders & Files – Compress entire folders or individual files Manage Your Archives – View, share, and organize all your zipped files Quick Preview – Preview zip files instantly Share Anywhere – Send protected files via email, Messages, AirDrop, or cloud services Fast Compression – Create zips quickly with real-time progress tracking Privacy First – All files stay on your device, no cloud uploads HOW IT WORKS 1. Select a file or folder from your device 2. Set a password to protect your archive 3. Create your encrypted ZIP file 4. Share or store your protected archive PERFECT FOR - Protecting sensitive documents - Sharing confidential files securely - Compressing large folders for storage - Sending password-protected files to colleagues - Organizing files for archival SECURITY & PRIVACY All compression happens locally on your device. Your files never leave your phone unless you choose to share them.

Screenshots

SimplyRead4 screens
SharkZip4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SimplyRead at Free against SharkZip's $1.99. SimplyRead also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). SharkZip's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

SimplyRead is free to download; SharkZip costs $1.99 up front. SimplyRead sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SharkZip asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SimplyRead ships an update weekly, SharkZip every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
SimplyRead versus SharkZip: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimplyReadSharkZip
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size145 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer阳 张Dinesh Gurung

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SimplyRead

One-time1
  • Pro User$1.99
None

SharkZip

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SimplyRead free?
SimplyRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SharkZip free?
SharkZip costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do SimplyRead or SharkZip have ads?
Neither SimplyRead nor SharkZip shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SimplyRead or SharkZip?
SimplyRead ships an update weekly, and SharkZip every 5 days. Most recently, SimplyRead was updated on November 5, 2026 and SharkZip on November 1, 2026.

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