Comparison

Ember vs Ember

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

Head to head
About

Ember

Read full description

Read real books in your target language β€” with instant translation, audio-assisted reading, vocabulary saving, built-in review, and synced bookmarks. Ember Reader is designed for people who want to learn languages through real reading, not through isolated exercises alone. Import your own EPUB, FB2, and TXT books, tap any word or phrase for instant translation, save vocabulary from real context, and review it later with built-in spaced repetition. Use audio-assisted reading with live highlighting, speed controls, and Read from Here. When you want to stay in flow, Meaning-First Reading gives you paragraph and full-page translation views. Your books, saved items, bookmarks, and reading progress stay in sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Read. Listen. Understand. Remember. ------ What You Can Do β€’ Read real books in your target language β€’ Import your own EPUB, FB2, and TXT books β€’ Tap any word or phrase for instant translation β€’ Get AI-powered explanations when needed β€’ Listen while reading with live sentence and word highlighting β€’ Control playback speed and start from any sentence with Read from Here β€’ Use paragraph and full-page translation views to stay in flow β€’ Save words and phrases directly from real context β€’ Review with built-in spaced repetition (SRS) β€’ Save synced bookmarks and return anytime β€’ Sync your books, saved items, bookmarks, and progress across iPhone, iPad, and Mac β€’ Optionally enable Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) for expanded AI translation ------ Private by Default Translation and AI explanations run locally using Apple’s on-device models whenever available. Your reading stays private. If you want expanded AI capabilities, you can optionally connect your own API provider in Settings. ------ Designed for Focused Language Learning No distractions. No gamification. No streak manipulation. Just deep reading that helps you build vocabulary naturally. ------ Who It’s For β€’ Self-learners β€’ Students β€’ Polyglots β€’ Serious readers building vocabulary through real books ------ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Ember

Features
Read full description

Ember is the friend who's read exactly as far as you have. Add the book you're reading, set your bookmark, and talk about it without fear. Ember knows the story only up to your page. Ask what you missed, untangle who's who, or float a theory. Guesses about the ending get a smile, never a confirmation. Talk to the characters themselves. Chat with Harry, not just about him. Characters speak in their own voice and know only what they've lived so far. Each conversation is its own thread, and it picks up right where you left off. Reading a series? Ember reads along across all of it. On book four, it remembers books one through three the way you do, and it guards everything ahead. Ask about the early chapters of book one; nothing from book five will slip. Weave Threads across your books. Pick one to five and Ember writes a short essay tracing an idea through them, held to your bookmark in each. Flip on whole-books mode when you want everything on the table, endings included. Business books shine here: compare frameworks across titles, or pull the playbook out of a single book and share the whole essay. Non-fiction works differently, and Ember knows it. There's nothing to spoil in a business book, so Ember brings all of it: the definitions, the frameworks, and how to put them to work at your job. Any book, not just a catalog. Add something Ember hasn't read yet and it goes off and reads it, usually within minutes. The shelf grows with every reader. And the one promise underneath all of it: every reply is checked against your bookmark before you ever see it. Spoilers don't get through. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Ember4 screens
Ember4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ember at every 5 days against Ember's fortnightly. Ember also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Ember sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year and Ember sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ember ships an update fortnightly, Ember every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Ember versus Ember: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmberEmber
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.615.1 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size12 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexei VinidiktovAlchemaize

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Ember

Subscriptions1
  • Ember Reader Premium$29.991 Year
6 purchases

Ember

Subscriptions6
  • Ember Starter$2.991 Month
  • Ember Plus$7.991 Month
  • Ember Pro$19.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Ember Plus (Annual)$59.991 Year
  • Ember Premium$99.991 Month
  • Ember Premium+$129.001 Month

Questions

Is Ember free?
Ember is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ember free?
Ember is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ember or Ember have ads?
Neither Ember nor Ember shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ember or Ember?
Ember ships an update fortnightly, and Ember every 5 days. Most recently, Ember was updated on September 12, 2026 and Ember on September 14, 2026.

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