Comparison

Folio vs Libris Reader

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

Head to head
About

Folio

Features
Read full description

Meet Ollie, your reading companion β€” and discover 75,000+ free books inside the most beautiful reading app on iOS. Folio makes reading feel like holding a real book. Warm cream pages, elegant serif fonts, realistic page turns, and a cozy reading experience designed for people who love books β€” not just screens. FREE BOOKS, BUILT RIGHT IN Browse 75,000+ public domain classics from Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks. Frankenstein, Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, Romeo and Juliet β€” all free, all beautifully formatted, all yours to keep. - Browse by genre: Fiction, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Romance, Philosophy, History, and more - One-tap download to your personal library - New books added regularly - No subscriptions. No hidden fees. Just great books. READING THAT FEELS REAL Every detail is designed to bring back the joy of physical books: - Warm cream, parchment, night, and midnight themes - Choose your font: Lora, Merriweather, Georgia, Literata, and more - Realistic page curl, smooth slide, or gentle fade transitions - Adjustable font size, spacing, and margins - Import your own EPUB and PDF files HIGHLIGHTS & NOTES YOU'LL ACTUALLY USE Never lose a great passage again: - Color-coded highlights (2 free, 7 with Premium) - Add notes to any highlight - Notes Hub: browse all highlights across all books in one place - Export to Notion, Obsidian, Apple Notes, or Markdown (Premium) SAVE ARTICLES FOR LATER Read web articles in Folio's beautiful reading view: - Save from Safari with the Share Sheet - Articles stripped clean β€” no ads, no clutter - Read offline, highlight, and take notes just like books MEET OLLIE Ollie the owl is your friendly reading companion. He'll help you find your next book, celebrate your milestones, and keep your reading life organized β€” without ever guilt-tripping you. FOLIO PREMIUM β€” $4.99, ONE TIME Unlock everything with a single purchase. No subscription. No recurring charges. - All 7 highlight colors - Smart highlight collections and tags - Export notes - Custom reading themes - Shelf view (wooden bookshelf) - Advanced reading stats and annual report - Custom OPDS catalog support - Unlimited Read It Later articles Download Folio free. Read beautifully. Keep your ideas forever.

About

Libris Reader

Features
Read full description

Libris Reader is a thinking-first reading app for people who want to understand what they read, not just collect highlights. Import EPUB books into a focused personal library, read with a calm and intentional interface, highlight important passages, and write book-scoped notes that stay tied to the source. When you need help unpacking a difficult section, Libris offers in-context AI explanations inside the book you’re reading, so clarification stays grounded in the text instead of drifting into generic chat. Libris is built for deep reading, re-engagement, and memory by choice. Notes remain user-authored. AI supports understanding, but your ideas stay your own. Features: Import and organize EPUB books in a personal library Read in a clean, distraction-aware reader Highlight passages and revisit them later Write notes scoped to each book Ask for AI explanations in the context of the current book Search your reading and return to important material over time

Screenshots

Folio4 screens
Libris Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Libris Reader at none against Folio's 1. Folio's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Folio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Libris Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 3 level
Folio versus Libris Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFolioLibris Reader
PriceFreeFree
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size13 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLaxman ShahVignesh Iyer

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Folio

One-time1
  • Folio Plus Lifetime$4.99
None

Libris Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Folio free?
Folio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Libris Reader free?
Libris Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Folio or Libris Reader have ads?
Neither Folio nor Libris Reader shows ads.

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