Comparison

Reader vs Books

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

Head to head
About

Reader

This app helps you track your reading, discover new books, and connect with other readers. Organize your library, set reading goals, and join or host book clubs. Share your reading journey and see your year in review.

Highlights
  • Track reading with shelves, ratings, and reviews
  • Reading timer with widgets
  • Import history from Goodreads/StoryGraph
  • Book discovery and recommendations
  • Join and host book clubs
  • Yearly reading stats and review
Features
Read full description

Reader is a home for everything you read, and the people you read with. TRACK YOUR READING - Shelves, ratings, rereads and reviews, with no limits - A reading timer with a Live Activity, Lock Screen widget and Cover mode - Daily streaks and a yearly reading goal - Import your history from Goodreads or StoryGraph in a minute FIND YOUR NEXT BOOK - Search books, authors, series, readers and clubs in one place - The Stack: swipe through books picked for you - Genre and author pages, series order, and "if you liked" picks - Buy from Bookshop.org to support independent bookstores READ TOGETHER - Post updates, reply, like and @mention other readers - Join book clubs with reading sprints, a Lounge and catch-up chapters - Host your own private club for up to 10 friends - Watch short book videos from creators SEE YOUR YEAR - Rank your 2026 reads in a built-in tier list - Stats for books, pages and streaks - A Year in Review card to share READER+ Reader is free to use. Reader+ adds: - Unlimited Stack swipes, with undo - 2 streak freezes a month - Custom tier lists and reading challenges - Advanced stats: pace, genres, authors, moods and your reading heatmap - Your full Year in Review - Custom covers and TBR priority, with "pick my next read" - Host up to 5 clubs, public or private, with up to 50 members each - Alternate app icons and a Reader+ badge CREATOR For BookTok creators and club hosts. Everything in Reader+, plus: - Host unlimited clubs with unlimited members, public or private - Post your own book videos to the feed - A Creator badge on your profile - Paid clubs, coming soon PRICING Reader+ costs $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year. Creator costs $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year. Prices are in US dollars and vary by country. Payment is charged to your Apple ID when you confirm the purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel them in your App Store account settings. No ads. Terms: https://readerapp-oss.github.io/reader-legal/terms.html Privacy: https://readerapp-oss.github.io/reader-legal/privacy.html

About

Books

Discover, download, and read thousands of books across various genres directly within the app. Save titles to your reading list, track your progress, and receive personalized recommendations. Enjoy unlimited access with a premium subscription.

Highlights
  • Browse curated book library
  • Instant book downloads
  • In-app reading
  • Save books to reading list
  • Track reading progress
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Premium subscription for unlimited access
Features
Read full description

Discover and download your favorite books with Books-Connect — the ultimate digital reading platform. Browse thousands of books across genres including fiction, non-fiction, classics, and more. Download books instantly and read them right in the app. KEY FEATURES: • Browse a curated library of books across multiple genres • Download books instantly with a few taps • Read books directly within the app • Save books to your reading list for later • Track your Download history and reading progress • Get personalized book recommendations • Premium subscription for unlimited reading access Whether you're a casual reader or a bookworm, Books-Connect makes it easy to find, download, and enjoy great books anytime, anywhere. Download Books-Connect today and start your reading journey!

Screenshots

Reader4 screens
Books4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Books at none against Reader's 4. Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Reader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Books asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Reader against 5.0 for Books. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reader ships an update every 3 days, Books every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Reader versus Books: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReaderBooks
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB55 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperMATTHEW ROBERT FRIEDMANJOSHUA FATUYI

Customer experience

Reader

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Books

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Reader

Subscriptions4
  • Reader+$4.991 Month
  • Creator$12.991 Month
  • Reader+ Annual$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Creator Annual$99.991 Year
None

Books

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reader free?
Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Books free?
Books is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Reader or Books?
Reader and Books are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Reader or Books have ads?
Neither Reader nor Books shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reader or Books?
Reader ships an update every 3 days, and Books every 4 weeks. Most recently, Reader was updated on October 20, 2026 and Books on October 8, 2026.

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