Comparison

Reading Journal vs PALIMPS

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

Head to head
About

Reading Journal

This app helps you remember what you read by tracking your library, reading status, and favorite quotes. Set reading goals, join challenges, and keep your progress organized with personal notes and summaries.

Highlights
  • Track books (want to read, reading, finished)
  • Save quotes, reviews, and summaries
  • Set reading goals and track progress
  • Join reading challenges
  • Sync library with iCloud
  • Export/import data (JSON/CSV)
Features
Read full description

Reading Journal is a warm, quiet home for the books you read and everything they leave behind. Just say what page you're on. Reading Journal keeps the rest: pages read today, your week at a glance, how many sessions are left in the book, and a streak worth keeping. YOUR LIBRARY • Shelves for Reading, To Read, Finished and Did Not Finish • Add books by title, author or ISBN, or scan the barcode on the back • Real covers, and handsome cloth covers for books without one • Series kept in reading order A DIARY FOR EVERY BOOK • Every session with its pages and minutes • The lines you loved, with chapter and page • Stars, a one-line review, a summary and your favorite moment • Notebook pages on lined, dotted, grid or blank paper GOALS AND CHALLENGES • A yearly goal that fills a shelf with your covers • Monthly goals, a page target and a mood board • A–Z, Reading Bingo, 52 Books in 52 Weeks, genres, romance tropes and more • Finish a book and it lands in the right challenge slot Your library syncs through iCloud across iPhone and iPad, looks lovely in light and dark, and backs up to a JSON file or exports your books as CSV whenever you like.

About

PALIMPS

Features
Read full description

Every book you read, in one quiet library. PALIMPS gathers your books, notes and highlights in a single place. Each book has its own page, its own memory. - Photograph a shelf. AI reads the spines, and you confirm what gets added. - Bring your library over from a Goodreads export. - Snap a page, capture highlights, write a note. - Find what you read, years later. No ads, no tracking. Your reading stays yours. Premium keeps your whole library in memory and opens AI features built on your own notes. Privacy Policy: https://palimps.app/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Reading Journal4 screens
PALIMPS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: PALIMPS at 15.1 against Reading Journal's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Reading Journal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and PALIMPS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Reading Journal versus PALIMPS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReading JournalPALIMPS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (35 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings35 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSergii NesterenkoHilal ERDOGAN SUMNU

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Reading Journal

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Access$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Access$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$12.99
2 purchases

PALIMPS

Subscriptions2
  • PALIMPS Premium$4.991 Month
  • PALIMPS Premium$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Reading Journal free?
Reading Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PALIMPS free?
PALIMPS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Reading Journal or PALIMPS have ads?
Neither Reading Journal nor PALIMPS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reading Journal or PALIMPS?
Reading Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, and PALIMPS every 3 weeks. Most recently, Reading Journal was updated on October 28, 2026 and PALIMPS on October 25, 2026.

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