# BookBound vs Marcus

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BookBound at none against Marcus's 2. Marcus's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Marcus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. BookBound asks for nothing beyond the download.

BookBound ships an update every 4 months, Marcus every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookBound | Marcus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Size | 10 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Steve Scott](https://appshunter.io/developer/1090707150) | [Vukasin Rancic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886442082) |

## What reviewers say

### BookBound

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbound-reading-tracker/id6758109356)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Marcus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marcus-book-and-reading-tracker/id6792703147)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Marcus Pro Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Marcus Pro Annual | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookBound free?

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

### Is Marcus free?

Marcus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do BookBound or Marcus have ads?

Neither BookBound nor Marcus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookBound or Marcus?

BookBound ships an update every 4 months, and Marcus every 2 months. Most recently, BookBound was updated on October 13, 2026 and Marcus on October 9, 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.*