# ReadingUp vs Common Reader

The clearest difference is price: Common Reader at Free against ReadingUp's $1.99. Common Reader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (100% vs 83%). ReadingUp's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On update cadence, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Common Reader is free to download; ReadingUp costs $1.99 up front. ReadingUp sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Common Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ReadingUp | Common Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-reader/id6770067434/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days | Every 2 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 69 MB | 107 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [乐祥 胡](https://appshunter.io/developer/1572365721) | [天宇 高](https://appshunter.io/developer/1851416147) |

## What reviewers say

### ReadingUp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readingup/id6757276895)

This app offers a distraction-free e-book reading experience with support for multiple file formats. It features iCloud sync for cross-device progress, customizable reading settings, and tools for organizing notes and highlights. Enjoy a pure reading journey without ads.

**Highlights:** Supports EPUB, TXT, MOBI, WORD, PDF, iCloud sync for cross-device reading, Smart highlighting and note organization, Customizable fonts, backgrounds, and page-turning, Immersive mode for focused reading, Export notes as PDF, TXT, Markdown

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ReadingUp  Premium - monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| ReadingUp Premium - yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| ReadingUp Premium- lifetime | $89.99 | one-time |


### Common Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/common-reader/id6770067434)

This app offers a unified reading and AI-powered analysis experience for various ebook formats. It allows users to ask questions about book content, automatically organize their library, and sync across multiple devices. Privacy is a core focus, with no proactive data collection.

**Highlights:** Supports multiple ebook formats (epub, azw3, mobi, txt, md, pdf), AI-powered questions about book content, Automatic library organization with generative AI, Cloud sync (iCloud, OneDrive, WebDAV), Fast full-library search, Unified cross-platform interface

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ReadingUp free?

ReadingUp costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Common Reader free?

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

### Do ReadingUp or Common Reader have ads?

Neither ReadingUp nor Common Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ReadingUp or Common Reader?

ReadingUp ships an update every 2 days, and Common Reader every 2 days. Most recently, ReadingUp was updated on October 1, 2026 and Common Reader on September 29, 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.*