Comparison

Calibre ebook reader vs Broadside Reader

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

Head to head
About

Calibre ebook reader

Seamlessly sync your Calibre ebook library wirelessly to your iPhone. Convert various ebook formats to EPUB directly within the app and customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts, themes, and spacing. Listen to your books with text-to-speech functionality.

Highlights
  • Wireless Calibre library sync
  • Built-in ebook converter (PDF, MOBI, AZW, etc. to EPUB)
  • Customizable reading experience (fonts, themes)
  • Text-to-speech audiobook functionality
  • Import from cloud storage (Files, Dropbox, iCloud)
  • Organize library by author, series, collection
Features
Read full description

Pageo is a Calibre companion app for iPhone and iPad: a Calibre ebook reader that syncs your library over Wi-Fi in both directions, converts any ebook to EPUB and reads your books aloud in 31 languages. It connects directly to the Content Server built into Calibre — no cables, no account, no hassle. ▶ TWO-WAY CALIBRE SYNC Turn on the Content Server in Calibre (Mac, Windows or Linux) and Pageo finds it on your local network, or connect by address. Books come to your iPhone or iPad — and your reading position, finished books, ratings and highlights go back to your computer, into Calibre's own annotations. Download one book or the whole library in a tap. ▶ ALL YOUR CALIBRE LIBRARIES — EVEN WITH YOUR COMPUTER OFF Multiple Calibre libraries: browse one at a time or all at once, with separate progress for every book. Or open a Calibre library folder straight from iCloud, Dropbox or this device — no server needed. ▶ PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF With Pageo Pro, your place, bookmarks and highlights follow you between iPhone and iPad through iCloud — with or without Calibre. Just add the same book on each device. ▶ BUILT FOR CALIBRE POWER USERS Table view puts the columns you built in Calibre into a desktop-style layout — sort by any column, pin titles, jump with the A–Z rail. Search your whole library with Calibre's own search syntax, or search inside every book, even ones you haven't downloaded yet. Series, tags and the author sort you set in Calibre carry over. ▶ CONVERT ANY EBOOK PDF, MOBI, AZW, AZW3, FB2 and CBZ/CBR comics become clean EPUBs right on your device — no desktop, no extra apps. A PDF's footnotes move to the end of the chapter, a tap away from their number. Anything Pageo can't convert itself, it hands to your Calibre server. Share a web page from Safari and it becomes a clean EPUB on your shelf. ▶ READ YOUR WAY Any iOS typeface or reading aids like OpenDyslexic, Atkinson Hyperlegible and Lexend. Focus Text, word spacing and hyphenation in your book's own language. Text up to 400%, six line-spacing and six margin settings. Light, dark and sepia themes, page or scroll mode, page curl or instant turns, right-to-left languages. Tap a picture to see it full screen and zoom in. Highlights, notes and bookmarks — export your annotations to a single file. Pageo remembers your place in every book. ▶ LISTEN TO YOUR BOOKS Turn any ebook into an audiobook with built-in read-aloud: ten lifelike voices, 31 languages, fully offline after a single download. The page follows the voice, and every language gets a natural pace. ▶ FIND ANYTHING FAST Search inside the book you're reading or across your whole library. Your books, chapters, highlights and bookmarks show up in Spotlight, and Siri Shortcuts let you say "Continue reading in Pageo" or "Listen to my book in Pageo". Home Screen widgets keep your current book and reading streak in view. ▶ YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR CONTROL Import from Files, Dropbox, OneDrive or iCloud Drive. Organize by author, series, tags or collection. Nothing to read yet? The Discover tab offers free public-domain classics from Project Gutenberg in many languages. Your books stay on your device — no account, no lock-in. ▶ FREE WITH OPTIONAL PRO UPGRADE Pageo is free to use with ads. Pageo Pro unlocks read-aloud, the converters and iCloud sync, and removes ads. Try Pro free for 3 days. ▶ COMMON QUESTIONS Does Pageo work with Calibre? Yes — with the Content Server built into Calibre on Mac, Windows and Linux. No plugin or connector to install. Does my reading sync between iPhone and iPad? Yes — through iCloud with Pageo Pro, or through Calibre. Does my computer need to be on? For server sync, yes. For a library folder in iCloud or Dropbox, no. Does reading progress sync back to Calibre? Yes — position, finished status, ratings and highlights. Do I need an account? No. Terms of Use (EULA): https://visioncraft.es/pageo-terms Privacy Policy: https://visioncraft.es/pageo-privacy-policy

About

Broadside Reader

Features
Read full description

Broadside Reader Your Readings, the way they were meant to be read. Some reading happens on the bus, some in a waiting room, and some on the sofa with the lights low. Broadside Reader is built for all of it: your PDFs, EPUBs, articles and notes, in your pocket and, when you want them, up on the biggest, calmest screen in the house. Send it anything A novel, a script, a sermon, a stack of research. PDF, EPUB, web page, Markdown, plain text: send it over and it's waiting on your TV and your iPhone, ready to open. Made to disappear Choose your type size, your spacing, your typeface, your colours. Keep a document's original layout, or let the text reflow to fit the room. Atkinson Hyperlegible is built in for anyone who needs it. A reading ruler and typoscope hold your place on a long line, so the only thing you notice is the words. Or don't read at all Read aloud follows along as it speaks. Auto-scroll carries the page at whatever pace feels right, hands free, eyes free. One library, everywhere Folders as deep as you need, tags, search, bookmarks. Start a chapter on the TV, pick it up on your phone on the bus home. Position, bookmarks, settings: all of it follows you, quietly, through your own iCloud. Yours alone Nothing you read is uploaded anywhere. No ads. No tracking. Just your library, synced privately to your own devices. When you need to read to a room A cue line, a countdown, a mirrored view: everything for reading aloud with confidence, whether it's a toast, a sermon or a scene. Broadside is free to try for 7 days. After the trial, continue reading with a subscription: $2.99/month or $24.99/year. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://broadside-reader.vercel.app/privacy

Screenshots

Calibre ebook reader4 screens
Broadside Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Broadside Reader at none against Calibre ebook reader's shown. Broadside Reader also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). On price, in-app purchases, 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. Calibre ebook reader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Broadside Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Calibre ebook reader ships an update every 9 days, Broadside Reader every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Calibre ebook reader versus Broadside Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalibre ebook readerBroadside Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (14 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple TV
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size88 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVISIONCRAFT, SOCIEDAD LIMITADAOswald Gyabaah

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Calibre ebook reader

Subscriptions3
  • Pageo Pro3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Pageo Pro$4.991 Month
  • Pageo Pro3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • 1 Day of Pro$0.99
2 purchases

Broadside Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Calibre ebook reader free?
Calibre ebook reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Broadside Reader free?
Broadside Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Calibre ebook reader or Broadside Reader have ads?
Calibre ebook reader shows ads; Broadside Reader does not.
Which is updated more often, Calibre ebook reader or Broadside Reader?
Calibre ebook reader ships an update every 9 days, and Broadside Reader every 3 days. Most recently, Calibre ebook reader was updated on October 31, 2026 and Broadside Reader on October 24, 2026.

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