Comparison

BookBound vs Reading Log XL

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

Head to head
About

BookBound

Features
Read full description

BookBound is a reading tracker for people who love books. Keep your entire reading life in one calm, beautifully designed app โ€” from the titles on your wish list to the page you finished last night. THREE SMART SHELVES Sort every book into Want to Read, Reading, and Finished. Moving a book between shelves is a single tap, and BookBound records the dates you start and finish each title so your reading history builds itself. PAGE-BY-PAGE PROGRESS Log your current page whenever you pick up a book. A visual progress bar shows exactly how far you've come, and BookBound automatically moves a book to Finished the moment you reach the last page. SET AND CRUSH YOUR READING GOAL Choose a yearly reading goal and track your pace all year. Your stats dashboard shows books read, books in progress, and how your year is shaping up โ€” so every finish feels like a milestone. RATE, REVIEW & REFLECT Give every book a star rating and write a personal review you can revisit anytime. Your reviews stay with you, building a private journal of everything you've read. DISCOVER MILLIONS OF BOOKS Search the full Google Books catalog right inside the app. Browse cover art, read descriptions, check page counts, and add any title to your shelves in seconds. KNOW YOUR READING TASTE Take a quick taste quiz and BookBound builds a personal reading profile from the genres you love โ€” a simple way to decide what to read next. BEAUTIFUL LITERARY DESIGN Warm serif typography, a burgundy-and-cream palette, and carefully considered spacing give BookBound the feeling of a well-typeset book. TRUE DARK MODE Every screen adapts to your system appearance, with a genuine dark theme that's easy on the eyes at any hour. BUILT FOR EVERYONE Full VoiceOver support, Dynamic Type scaling, and clear navigation make BookBound comfortable for every reader. BookBound is made for readers who love keeping track of what they read โ€” and dreaming up what to read next. Download it today and turn every book into a chapter of your reading story.

About

Reading Log XL

Features
Read full description

A reading log that does one job well: it records how long you read, how many pages, and which book. ONE BUTTON A DAY Tap "I read today", pick the minutes, save. A built-in timer counts a reading session for you if you want it to. YOUR BOOKSHELF Keep three shelves โ€” reading now, finished, want to read. Title, author, page count, a coloured spine instead of a cover. No sign-up, no social feed, no reviews to scroll. A REPORT FOR SCHOOL Make a one-page PDF for a teacher or a parent: days read, minutes, pages and the books behind them. Pick 7 days, 30 days, a year or everything. GOALS AND STREAKS Set a daily goal in minutes and watch the streak build. Weekly and monthly totals show whether the habit is holding. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Everything stays on your iPhone. No account, no cloud, no ads, no analytics. Works on a plane. SIMPLE PRICE The free version always saves everything you log and shows the last 30 days plus three books at a time. One purchase unlocks the full history, unlimited books and PDF reports forever. No subscription.

Screenshots

BookBound3 screens
Reading Log XL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BookBound at none against Reading Log XL's 1. Reading Log XL's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Reading Log XL sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BookBound asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
BookBound versus Reading Log XL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookBoundReading Log XL
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 weeks โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size10 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSteve Scottihor Romanenko

In-app purchases

None

BookBound

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Reading Log XL

One-time1
  • Unlock the whole log$8.99

Questions

Is BookBound free?
BookBound is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reading Log XL free?
Reading Log XL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BookBound or Reading Log XL have ads?
Neither BookBound nor Reading Log XL shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BookBound or Reading Log XL?
BookBound ships an update every 4 months, and Reading Log XL every 2 weeks. Most recently, BookBound was updated on October 13, 2026 and Reading Log XL on October 9, 2026.

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