Comparison

Leaf vs æstel

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

Head to head
About

Leaf

This app helps you build a consistent reading habit by tracking your progress page by page and setting daily goals. It offers features like reading streaks, dual goal-setting modes, and visual progress indicators. An AI assistant is available for Pro users to interact with their reading data.

Highlights
  • Daily reading streak counter
  • Flexible and fixed date goal setting
  • Visual progress indicator
  • AI assistant for reading queries (Pro)
  • Home screen widgets
  • Barcode scanning for book entry
  • Goodreads library import
Features
Read full description

Stop starting books you never finish. Leaf turns reading into a daily habit. Without the guilt. Track progress page by page, set a daily goal, and build the streak that keeps you reading. Or set a reading challenge: pick a few books, pick a finish date, and Leaf tells you how many pages to read each day. The first reading tracker connected to your AI assistant (Pro). READING STREAKS Build a consistent reading habit: - Daily streak counter with a weekly reading calendar - 3-hour grace period for late-night reading sessions - Missed a day? One tap to backdate yesterday's reading. No guilt, no penalty - Nine milestone levels from Sprout to Ancient, earned permanently even if your streak resets DUAL GOAL-SETTING MODES Choose the approach that fits your style: - Flexible Mode - set pages per day, Leaf calculates your finish date "I want to read 20 pages daily" - Fixed Date Mode - set a target date, Leaf calculates daily pages "I want to finish by March 15" READING CHALLENGES "5 books in 3 months." Leaf does the math. - Pick your books, pick a finish date - Leaf tells you how many pages to read today - Read extra today, and tomorrow's number goes down - Fall behind, and the number just updates. No penalty - Every week, an email and a notification with how you're doing - Finish, and get a recap you can share Reading challenges come with the Challenge Pass (3 months) or Leaf Pro. It's private. Just you and your books, no leaderboard. VISUAL PROGRESS TRACKING See exactly where you are and how far to go: - Circular progress indicator for each book - Quick-adjust buttons (−5, −1, +1, +5, +10) to log pages in seconds - Updates in one tap, not minutes ASK YOUR AI ASSISTANT (PRO) Your reading data is available via an MCP server: - "What am I reading?" Get your current book and progress - "Log 30 pages of my current book" updates without opening the app - "Add Atomic Habits, 320 pages" adds new books by voice or chat - Works with any MCP-compatible AI assistant Requires Leaf Pro. Set up at readwithleaf.app/integrations. HOME SCREEN WIDGETS Your reading at a glance, without opening the app: - Progress ring widget with today's streak and page goal - Book widget showing your current read and progress - Lock screen widget for quick check-ins SMART BOOK MANAGEMENT Add books in seconds: - Scan a barcode for instant lookup - no typing required - Search by title or ISBN - title, author, page count, and cover auto-filled - Import your Goodreads library in one step - bring your reading history with you - Manual entry for any book not in the database - Finish a book in a series? Leaf finds the next volume for you - Share a completion card when you finish a book - Bookshelf organized by currently reading, TBR, finished, and dropped READING JOURNAL Your complete reading history: - Current streak and all-time longest streak - Total pages read and books completed - Full stats for every book you finish: days taken, pages per day, best reading day - Book notes and quotes, saved by page - Export your book list to CSV anytime WHY READERS LOVE LEAF Free to use - tracking, streaks, goals, stats and import, no strings attached Works fully offline - no account required Dark-first design - comfortable for evening reading Available in 16 languages Works on iPhone and iPad LEAF PRO An optional upgrade for readers who want more: - Reading challenges (also sold on their own as a 3-month Challenge Pass) - Cloud sync across all your devices - Automatic backup - never lose your reading data - Ad-free experience - AI assistant integration (MCP server) - Cancel anytime PERFECT FOR - Readers who start more books than they finish - Anyone building a reading habit, one page at a time - Anyone building a reading journal and TBR list - Busy people fitting reading into a packed schedule - Goodreads users looking for a focused, offline-first alternative One page at a time.

About

æstel

Features
Read full description

æstel is a clean, elegant reading tracker that helps you build a consistent reading habit. Key Features: - Bookshelf: Add books by photo, scan, or choose from 25 cover colors - Reading Progress: Track page-by-page progress with a built-in timer - Daily Goals & Streaks: Set page targets and maintain reading streaks - Achievements: Unlock 29 unique badges as you hit reading milestones - Statistics: Visualize your reading habits with charts and insights - Notes & Chapters: Annotate books and organize by chapters - Calendar Integration: Sync reading tasks to your calendar - Apple Watch: Track reading on the go All data stays on your device and syncs via your personal iCloud — we never collect or transmit your information. æstel Pro removes all limits: unlimited books, notes, achievements, and full statistics.

Screenshots

Leaf4 screens
æstel3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: æstel at none against Leaf's 7. æstel also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Leaf sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. æstel asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Leaf ships an update every 3 days, æstel daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Leaf versus æstel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLeafæstel
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (9 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size85 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVincent BallutYuhe Ye

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Leaf

Subscriptions3
  • Leaf Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Leaf Pro Annual1 Year trial$24.991 Year
  • Leaf Pro Annual1 Month trial$24.991 Year
One-time4
  • Small$1.99
  • Medium$4.99
  • 3-Month Challenge Pass$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Large$9.99
None

æstel

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Leaf free?
Leaf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is æstel free?
æstel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Leaf or æstel have ads?
Leaf shows ads; æstel does not.
Which is updated more often, Leaf or æstel?
Leaf ships an update every 3 days, and æstel daily. Most recently, Leaf was updated on October 15, 2026 and æstel on October 5, 2026.

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