Comparison

Calibre View vs CrossPort

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

Head to head
About

Calibre View

Browse and manage your Calibre ebook library on iOS devices. Connect to cloud storage or local files for fast searching, sorting, and filtering. Optimized for large collections and works offline once downloaded.

Highlights
  • Connect to cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, WebDAV)
  • Browse library with metadata only
  • Optimized for large libraries (15,000+ books)
  • Customizable book list columns and sorting
  • Fast search and filtering by tags, authors, series
  • Download books locally for offline reading
  • Supports multiple libraries and quick switching
Features
Read full description

Calibre View lets you browse and search your Calibre ebook library on iPhone and iPad, using cloud storage or local files on your device. Connect your existing Calibre library and explore your entire collection with fast searching, flexible sorting, and powerful filtering, all in a clean, native iOS and iPadOS interface designed for libraries large and small. (Tested with a 16,000-book library!) Whether you want to quickly find a specific book or explore your collection by tags, authors, or series, Calibre View is built to stay responsive and organized, even with very large libraries. Key Features • Connect to Calibre libraries stored in Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, WebDAV, iCloud, or the Files app • Optionally upload only your metadata.db file to browse your library without downloading covers or books • Fast loading, even for huge libraries (a 16,000-book library opens in about 4 seconds) • Advanced search with AND, OR, NOT, exact phrases, and column searches like authors:austen or tags:"science fiction" • Customize which columns appear in the book list, similar to Calibre's desktop view, saved separately for each library • Sort by any Calibre column, including custom columns • Filter books instantly using tags, authors, series, and other metadata fields • View detailed book information and customize what appears on the book details screen • Tap a tag or author in detail view to see every matching book, sorted just like your library • Long-press to copy titles, authors, tags, and summaries • Choose a column for Quick Filter to refine search results, authors, or tags • Covers are downloaded on demand only when viewing book details, saving bandwidth and storage • Download books locally and share or open them in other reading apps in any available format • Support for multiple libraries, with quick switching between them, even across different cloud services • Optimized layouts for both iPhone and iPad, including optional horizontal scrolling for portrait phone use • Works fully offline once a library is downloaded (covers and book downloads require connectivity) • Supports both light mode and dark mode Calibre View is free, with an optional tip jar for anyone who'd like to support development. Calibre View is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Calibre or its developers.

About

CrossPort

Manage your e-ink reader's library, wallpapers, and files wirelessly. Browse books with cover art, track reading progress, and read EPUBs on your phone. Customize sleep screens and organize device files efficiently.

Highlights
  • Browse book library with cover art
  • Track reading progress sync
  • Built-in EPUB reader
  • Download books for offline reading
  • Add custom sleep screen wallpapers
  • Manage device files wirelessly
  • Automatic device discovery
Features
Read full description

CrossPort is an EPUB reader built for long books: real two-page spreads, a page curl you can feel, natural voices that read to you, and a recap of the story so far when you come back. It also pairs with e-ink readers running CrossPoint, so your place follows you between phone and reader. READING • Paginated pages with page curl or slide, and two-page spreads in landscape • Themes, fonts, and layout settings to make every book comfortable • Bookmarks, contents, and a scrubber that shows the chapter as you drag, with undo for jumps • Show progress as a percentage or as pages • Import EPUBs from Files, AirDrop, or Share READ ALOUD • Listen to any book, with every word highlighted as it's spoken and pages that turn on their own • Natural neural voices, including 17 PocketTTS voices, or make your own from a short recording • Play from Here: select any sentence to start there • Pronounce As: fix how a name or word is said, for one book or all of them • Keeps playing in the background, with lock screen controls, and picks up where you stopped PREVIOUSLY • Coming back after a break? CrossPort recaps the story up to your place, using Apple Intelligence • Only what you've already read is used, so recaps never spoil what's ahead FIND BOOKS • Browse Project Gutenberg, Calibre content servers, and other OPDS catalogs • Book details with synopses, ratings, and page counts PAIRS WITH YOUR E-INK READER • Works with Xteink X4, X3, and other readers running CrossPoint or compatible firmware • Reading position and bookmarks sync both ways between your phone and your reader • Send books to your reader over WiFi, optimized for e-ink • Make sleep screen wallpapers from your photos, previewed as they'll look on e-ink • Browse, upload, rename, move, and delete files on your reader MORE • Home screen widget with your current book • Siri and Shortcuts: continue reading, check your progress, or send a book to your reader No e-ink reader needed. CrossPort works on its own as a reader on your iPhone. Recaps need an iPhone with Apple Intelligence. Some neural voices need iPhone 13 or later.

Screenshots

Calibre View4 screens
CrossPort4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Calibre View at Free against CrossPort's $2.99. Calibre View also leads on ratings volume (6 vs 2). CrossPort's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 weeks). On rating, 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

Calibre View is free to download; CrossPort costs $2.99 up front. Calibre View sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. CrossPort asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Calibre View against 5.0 for CrossPort. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Calibre View's written reviews are positive against 100% of CrossPort's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Calibre View ships an update every 6 weeks, CrossPort every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Calibre View versus CrossPort: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalibre ViewCrossPort
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating5.0 (6 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.118.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDANIEL EDWARD LAMSONSnacks After Midnight

Customer experience

Calibre View

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

CrossPort

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Calibre View

One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99
None

CrossPort

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Calibre View free?
Calibre View is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CrossPort free?
CrossPort costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Calibre View or CrossPort?
Calibre View and CrossPort are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Calibre View or CrossPort have ads?
Neither Calibre View nor CrossPort shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Calibre View or CrossPort?
Calibre View ships an update every 6 weeks, and CrossPort every 3 days. Most recently, Calibre View was updated on October 30, 2026 and CrossPort on October 31, 2026.

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