# BookBank vs mekuru

The clearest difference is monetization model: BookBank at free against mekuru's free with in-app purchases. BookBank also leads on review sentiment (96% vs 86%). mekuru's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BookBank sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and mekuru sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BookBank ships an update fortnightly, mekuru every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookBank | mekuru |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mekuru/id6792955764/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| Positive reviews | **96.3% of reviews** | 85.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 63 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MINA YAMAHATA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1876322248) | [8ARMS, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823663836) |

## What reviewers say

### BookBank

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbank-reading-tracker/id6759006906)

Track your reading habits and visualize your savings with this app. Organize books by genre, view reading statistics, and create personalized reading lists. You can also add notes to books and export your data.

**Highlights:** Organize books by account and genre, Graph view of reading savings, Passbook view of reading total, Bookshelf view with book covers, Manual book registration, Monthly log for notes, Create and share reading lists, Export book data as Markdown

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BookBank Unlimited (Lifetime) | $59.99 | one-time |


### mekuru

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mekuru/id6792955764)

Experience the quiet companionship of reading paper books with others. This app creates a shared, silent space where reader avatars turn pages and indicate presence without direct interaction. Track your reading time and collect virtual book covers.

**Highlights:** Guest access, no sign-up needed, Join open or invite-only reading rooms, Silent page-turning indicators, Personal reading time tracking, Customizable reader avatars, Unlockable book cover art

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Owner | $3.99 | per month |
| Owner (Annual) | $39.90 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookBank free?

BookBank is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is mekuru free?

mekuru is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do BookBank or mekuru have ads?

Neither BookBank nor mekuru shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookBank or mekuru?

BookBank ships an update fortnightly, and mekuru every 4 days. Most recently, BookBank was updated on October 31, 2026 and mekuru on November 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*