Comparison

Folio vs Blurbl

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

Head to head
About

Folio

Features
Read full description

Meet Ollie, your reading companion — 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 — without ever guilt-tripping you. FOLIO PREMIUM — $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

Blurbl

This app transforms classic literature into engaging, color-coded text message conversations. It breaks down dense text into easily digestible chat threads, making reading effortless and enjoyable. Follow dialogue seamlessly with distinct character bubbles and colors.

Highlights
  • Classic literature as chat threads
  • Color-coded characters for easy dialogue
  • Adjustable text size
  • Light/dark reading themes
  • Tap to continue reading
Features
Read full description

Blurbl converts books into chat message format. Our goal is to make reading fun and engaging. Instead of reading through a dense text page, you'll read through a chat thread. Each character has their own chat bubble, so it's easy to follow and stay engaged. With Blurbl, you gain the same benefit as reading with a normal e-reader but at 2x the speed. You'll read faster and process words faster than you would with the typical e-reader. You'll also be able to: * Look up unfamiliar vocabulary words and add them to your vocabulary list * Download books for offline reading * Adjust text size and theme for nighttime reading Terms of Use: https://joshuayoungg.github.io/blurbl-legal/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://joshuayoungg.github.io/blurbl-legal/privacy.html

Screenshots

Folio4 screens
Blurbl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Blurbl at none against Folio's 1. On price, ads, 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. Folio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Blurbl asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Folio versus Blurbl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFolioBlurbl
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLaxman ShahJoshua Young

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Folio

One-time1
  • Folio Plus Lifetime$4.99
None

Blurbl

No in-app purchases

Questions

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

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