ToRead vs Papyrus EPUB Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ToRead
This app helps you focus on reading by providing a distraction-free environment. It quietly tracks your reading time, offers ambient sounds for relaxation, and displays your progress on your lock screen and home screen.
- Distraction-free reading sessions
- Ambient soundscapes
- Live Activity and Dynamic Island support
- Session history and editing
- Home Screen widget
- Minimalist interface
- Optional one-time tips
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ToRead is free to use, with no ads. The timer, your reading history and weekly reflection are free for everyone. It’s designed to help you spend more time reading, without pressure, goals, or distractions. Start a reading session, put your phone down, and just read. ToRead quietly tracks your reading time, so you can build awareness of your habits without gamification, streaks, or competition. Designed for calm focus • One tap to start reading • Ambient sounds to help you relax: rain and ocean waves, with more in ToRead Plus • Your reading time on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island (ToRead Plus) • Auto-end sessions, in case you forget • Session history with editing and manual entries • A Books page to rename, finish, archive or bring back a book • A weekly widget for the Home and Lock Screen (ToRead Plus) • Minimal interface that stays out of the way Your reading time, simply recorded ToRead focuses on time, not speed or performance. Whether you read for 2 minutes or 2 hours, every session counts. Your reading history helps you reflect on how reading fits into your life — without judging it. Built with intention • Designed for iPhone • Light and dark themes designed for comfort • iCloud sync (when enabled) to keep your data across devices • Privacy-friendly: your data stays yours For readers who just want to read ToRead is for anyone who wants a quieter relationship with reading: • No social feeds • No challenges • No productivity pressure Just reading, at your own pace. Read when you want. Stop when you want. ToRead. ToRead Plus ToRead Plus adds a few comforts: your reading time on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, the weekly Home Screen widget, every ambient sound, and each new sound pack as it arrives. Pay once, keep it forever. If you used ToRead before Plus existed, everything it had then stays yours, with nothing to do. Legal • Privacy Policy: https://horchatastudio.com/toread/privacy/ • Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Papyrus EPUB Reader
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Papyrus is a quiet EPUB and TXT reader for people who want the book to take over the screen, not the app. Import EPUB and TXT files Read in a calm full-screen interface Listen aloud with built-in speech Adjust theme, font, text size, and speech rate Track progress, notes, and reading stats Keep a local library of books you own
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: ToRead at 18.0 against Papyrus EPUB Reader's 26.0. 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
Both are free to download. ToRead sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Papyrus EPUB Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | ToRead | Papyrus EPUB Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (10 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Francisco Martinez | Serendipity Labs (OPC) Private Ltd |
In-app purchases
ToRead
- Small tip$0.99
- Medium tip$2.99
- Large tip$4.99
Papyrus EPUB Reader
- Papyrus Pro Lifetime Access$9.99









