Comparison

BookLight vs Reader AI

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

Head to head
About

BookLight

This app helps language learners build vocabulary by translating words with a single tap while reading EPUB, PDF, or TXT files. It automatically saves new words and uses spaced repetition flashcards to aid memorization, eliminating the need for manual flashcard creation or app switching.

Highlights
  • Tap to translate words instantly
  • Automatic vocabulary saving
  • Spaced-repetition flashcards
  • Import EPUB, PDF, TXT files
  • Offline reading support
  • Customizable reading themes and fonts
  • Pronunciation audio
Features
Read full description

Reading a book in another language? Stop breaking your flow to look words up. BookLight translates any word with a single tap — and remembers it for you. BookLight is a EPUB & PDF & Txt reader built for language learners. Tap a word for an instant translation, and it's saved to your vocabulary automatically. Then spaced-repetition flashcards bring it back right before you'd forget — so every reading session actually builds your vocabulary. No app-switching. No flashcards to make by hand. Perfect for language learners, foreign-book readers, and anyone studying for TOEFL or IELTS. Key Features: Start Reading in Seconds — Free Classics Inside - Download from various free classics (Project Gutenberg) right inside the app — no files to find, no setup. - Or import your own DRM-free EPUB & PDF & TXT files from your device. - Read offline anytime, with your reading progress saved and restored automatically. Tap to Translate — Without Losing Context - Tap any word for an instant translation: meaning by part of speech, phonetics, and an example sentence. - Tap an inflected word and see its base form, too. - Hear the pronunciation read aloud with one tap. - Every word you tap is saved automatically — together with the sentence and the book it came from. - Translate into 9 languages: Korean, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, Vietnamese, and Indonesian. Remember Every Word — Spaced Repetition - Your vocabulary list builds itself as you read — no manual entry. - Review with spaced-repetition (SRS) flashcards that resurface each word right before you forget it. - Tap any saved word to jump straight back to the exact spot in the book. - Keep a daily streak and a smart reminder nudges you only when words are actually waiting. Your Book Becomes an Audiobook — AI Read-Aloud - A natural, human-like on-device AI voice reads your book aloud — choose from 10 voices. - The sentence being read is highlighted, so you can follow along with your eyes and ears. - Playback keeps going with the screen off or while you use other apps. - Playback speed from 0.5x to 2x — faster on the commute, slower before sleep. - Speech is synthesized on your device, so it works without an internet connection. Read Your Way, Day or Night - 7 fonts and 25 reading themes — from Sepia and Night to Rose Quartz, Sage, and Midnight. - Adjust font size and line spacing until the page feels just right. - Choose how you read — page turns or continuous scroll. - Read hands-free with auto-scroll — 10 speed levels, and a single touch pauses instantly. - Full dark mode plus automatic system-theme sync. - Side-by-Side two-page display mode for comfortable reading on tablets. Loved by readers in 10+ countries. Supports 9 translation languages and works with any DRM-free EPUB or TXT file. Download BookLight today — and turn every reading session into a vocabulary lesson! - Privacy Policy: https://pearlismylove.github.io/apps/book-light/privacy-policy.html - Terms And Conditions: https://pearlismylove.github.io/apps/book-light/terms-and-conditions.html - Support: https://pearlismylove.github.io/apps/book-light/support.html

About

Reader AI

This AI-powered reader helps you understand books by providing contextual word definitions, sentence explanations, and passage summaries. You can also chat with AI about the content, convert books to audiobooks, and save new vocabulary.

Highlights
  • Contextual word definitions
  • AI sentence and passage explanations
  • Book chat with AI
  • Convert books to audiobooks
  • Learning notebook for vocabulary
  • Import various book formats
  • PDF annotation
Features
Read full description

Read books and web articles in their original language, with help when you need it. Reader AI brings reading, language learning and listening together. Import your own books or save an article from a link or the Safari share sheet, then read it in a layout you can make your own. READ AND UNDERSTAND Look up words in context and ask AI to explain sentences, expressions and passages. Set your native language and proficiency level for explanations that fit you. Ask questions about a book, follow answers back to cited passages, or get an AI summary of the whole book or what you have read so far. LISTEN AND FOLLOW ALONG Pro includes narration and translated subtitles. Follow the highlighted text while listening, change voices, or switch between the reader and player without losing your place. Free users can preview 45 seconds per book. Supported voices generate speech on your device after you download a voice pack; other available voices use online narration. In mainland China, narration is available only for languages supported on the device. PDFs with selectable text can be narrated too. BUILD YOUR LIBRARY Import EPUB, TXT, MOBI, AZW3, PDF and other supported formats. Keep books and articles together, or filter them separately. Browse your WebDAV library or OPDS catalog, search available titles and import what you want to read. Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, Google Drive imports and the Discover book catalog are available outside mainland China. Add books you come across to Want to Read and find them in your library sources later. Organize articles into folders. MAKE READING YOUR OWN Adjust fonts, spacing and colors, choose a page-turning effect, and use an external keyboard for reading and playback controls. Highlight passages, add notes, annotate PDFs and export them with annotations. Scanned PDFs need selectable text for word lookup. REMEMBER WHAT YOU READ Save words, expressions and sentences in Saved, along with their meanings and the original sentence. Review them, track your progress and return to the original passage. Pro also includes Book Chat, AI Summary and Similar Books. FREE READING AND PRO Reading, highlighting, notes and PDF annotation are free. The free library holds up to 3 books or articles in total. A one-time No bookshelf limit purchase or Pro removes this limit. Free AI credits let you try word lookup and explanations; Pro is required after they run out. Pro includes word lookup, explanations, pronunciation, Book Chat, AI Summary, Similar Books, narration and subtitle translation. Narration and subtitles no longer require separate credit purchases. Available subscription plans and prices are shown in the app. NO APP ACCOUNT REQUIRED Your library, reading progress and study data are primarily stored on your device and in your personal iCloud storage. AI features process the requested text and necessary context. Online narration sends text in segments to generate speech. Article text and images are extracted on your device. AI output may contain errors. Only import content you have the right to use. Requires iOS 18 or later. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm a purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple Account settings and restore purchases in the app. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://reader.lorpaves.com/privacy/ Terms of Service: https://reader.lorpaves.com/terms/

Screenshots

BookLight4 screens
Reader AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BookLight at 100% against Reader AI's 0%. BookLight also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. BookLight sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Reader AI sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
BookLight versus Reader AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookLightReader AI
PriceFreeFree
Rating—2.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB63 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJungjun Lee江 刘

Customer experience

BookLight

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Reader AI

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

BookLight

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Plan$0.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Plan$9.99
7 purchases

Reader AI

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Quarterly$19.993 Months
  • Yearly7 Days trial$69.991 Year
One-time4
  • 100 points$9.99
  • No bookshelf limit$9.99
  • 300 points$29.99
Show 1 more
  • 1000 points$89.99

Questions

Is BookLight free?
BookLight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Reader AI free?
Reader AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BookLight or Reader AI have ads?
Neither BookLight nor Reader AI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BookLight or Reader AI?
BookLight ships an update every 5 days, and Reader AI every 5 days. Most recently, BookLight was updated on October 24, 2026 and Reader AI on October 26, 2026.

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