Comparison

Burning Parchment vs Readiary

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

Head to head
About

Burning Parchment

Features
Read full description

The time you have left today burns away right in front of you. Burning Parchment shows your remaining time as a sheet of parchment on fire instead of a number. It is made for anyone tired of watching their evenings simply disappear. DAY, WEEK, MONTH, YEAR From the moment you wake up to bedtime, the parchment slowly burns. See what is left of this week, this month and this year the same way. Add a goal with a deadline and it counts down right alongside. BLOW OUT THE FLAME From 30 minutes before bedtime you can blow on the parchment to put the fire out. Only the strength of your breath is used. Nothing is recorded. The piece that is left is kept for you. Flip it over and write a line on its back whenever you like. WHAT REMAINS AS ASH Look back with a one-line reflection and place it on a two-axis graph of how the time was spent. Reflections gather in urns you name by topic, and you can read them again in the Reflection Book. Ash Flow shows where your time went with a distribution graph and an ember calendar. ALWAYS IN SIGHT Check the time left from Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, the Dynamic Island and a Live Activity. Light and dark themes, suggested bedtimes, and only the tabs you want to see. BURNING PARCHMENT PRO The burning parchment, reflections and the blow-out ritual are all free, along with one deadline. Pro is a one-time lifetime purchase, not a subscription. It adds parchment and flame themes (Moonlit Hanji, Celadon, Dusk), fragment cards and posters to share, a PDF of your Reflection Book, a year of ash at a glance, and unlimited deadlines. Every Pro feature added later is included. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Readiary

Features
Read full description

Every page you read today, and every book you hope to read someday keep them all organized with Readiary. Readiary is a reading journal app that helps you manage the books you’re currently reading, the books you’ve finished, and the books you want to read - all in one place. Add books to your library, organize them by reading status, and keep track of your reading habits through your personal bookshelf and reading activity. Mark the days you finish a book on your reading calendar, and capture your thoughts along the way with notes and photos. You can also see your yearly reading goal, monthly reading progress, and recent reading activity at a glance from the Home screen. Key Features * Manage books by status: Reading, Finished, Want to Read, and Stopped Reading * Search for books or add them manually * Organize your bookshelf with custom categories * Filter your library by reading status, category, and sorting options * Set a yearly reading goal and track your progress * View monthly and yearly reading calendars * See which books you finished on each date * Save reading notes with text and photos * View all reading records for each book * Customize the cards displayed on your Home screen * Sign in with email, Apple, Google, or Kakao Readiary is perfect for readers who want to: * Keep track of books they’ve read and books they want to read * Build a consistent reading journal * See finished and currently reading books at a glance * Set and manage a yearly reading goal * Build a personal bookshelf and develop lasting reading habits Record what you read today, and slowly build a bookshelf that’s uniquely yours. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Burning Parchment4 screens
Readiary4 screens

Verdict

The call

Burning Parchment and Readiary are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Burning Parchment sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Readiary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Burning Parchment ships an update every 5 days, Readiary every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Burning Parchment versus Readiary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBurning ParchmentReadiary
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB77 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerhyunho leeReadiary

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Burning Parchment

One-time1
  • Pro$9.99
2 purchases

Readiary

Subscriptions2
  • Readiary Plus Monthly14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Readiary Plus Yearly14 Days trial$17.991 Year

Questions

Is Burning Parchment free?
Burning Parchment is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Readiary free?
Readiary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Burning Parchment or Readiary have ads?
Neither Burning Parchment nor Readiary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Burning Parchment or Readiary?
Burning Parchment ships an update every 5 days, and Readiary every 3 days. Most recently, Burning Parchment was updated on October 31, 2026 and Readiary on October 29, 2026.

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