Calibre View vs Leaf
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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Calibre View lets you browse and manage 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 15k 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 • Smooth performance with very large libraries, tested with collections of 15,000+ books (slightly longer load times for larger libraries, ~1 second per 1000 books) • Customize which columns appear in the book list, similar to Calibre’s desktop view • 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 immediately narrow results • 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 • Fast, full-library search with instant results • 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
Leaf
Organize and read your DRM-free EPUB books with customizable reading settings and smart library management. Sync your progress across devices using iCloud and discover new titles through integrated sources.
- Customizable reading experience
- Smart library organization
- iCloud sync for progress and settings
- Offline reading support
- Import from various sources
- Public domain classics included
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Give your books a home of their own. Leaf brings beautiful EPUB reading and thoughtful library management together on iPhone and iPad. Import the DRM-free books you already own, organize them your way, and keep everything in sync with iCloud. READ YOUR WAY Make every book comfortable to read. Choose from carefully selected fonts—including accessibility-friendly options—and fine-tune the font size, line height, margins, letter spacing, word spacing, and alignment. Choose from a collection of color themes, follow your device’s appearance automatically, or give individual books their own settings. A configurable reader footer can show page count, percentage, chapter progress, chapter title, or book title. A LIBRARY THAT FEELS LIKE YOURS Create custom shelves and let Smart Shelves automatically gather books that are In Progress, Unread, Completed, Did Not Finish, or downloaded to your device. Browse by author, series, and genre; search and sort your collection; and edit titles, authors, covers, descriptions, publication details, and more. Rate books, mark the ones you loved, and write down your thoughts when you finish. Leaf remembers reading time, completion dates, and the books you have finished this year—then helps you choose what comes next. PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF Optional iCloud sync keeps your books, library details, settings, and reading progress available across your iPhone and iPad. No separate Leaf account is required. Download books for offline reading, remove local copies when you need space, and return to your current book from the Home Screen widget. FIND YOUR NEXT BOOK Connect to a self-hosted Grimmory library, browse Project Gutenberg through the built-in Source, add other compatible OPDS sources, or import EPUB files from Files. Leaf also includes a small collection of beautifully produced public-domain classics, so you can begin reading immediately. For readers who also use KOReader on e-ink devices, Leaf can sync reading progress with a compatible KOReader sync server. BUILT FOR IPHONE AND IPAD Leaf is designed for every screen it runs on: a focused reading experience on iPhone and a spacious library on iPad. Your books feel at home wherever you read. Leaf currently supports DRM-free EPUB books. TERMS OF USE https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Calibre View at none against Leaf's 1. Leaf's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Leaf sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. Calibre View asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Calibre View against 5.0 for Leaf. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 4 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Calibre View's written reviews are positive against 100% of Leaf's.
Calibre View ships an update every 6 weeks, Leaf weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Calibre View | Leaf |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | 26.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | DANIEL EDWARD LAMSON | Deadpan, LLC |
Customer experience
Calibre View
Leaf
In-app purchases
Calibre View
No in-app purchases
Leaf
- Leaf Pro Annual7 Days trial$4.991 Year









