# Penny vs ReadTale

The clearest difference is update cadence: ReadTale at daily against Penny's every 8 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penny sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and ReadTale sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Penny ships an update every 8 days, ReadTale daily. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penny | ReadTale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penny-book-and-reading-tracker/id6760545686/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 39 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Claudiu Valentin Sararu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884891322) | [Hamza Boulahfa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884960307) |

## What reviewers say

### Penny

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penny-book-and-reading-tracker/id6760545686)

This app helps you build a consistent reading habit by tracking your books, timing your reading sessions, and allowing you to take notes. It offers ambient soundscapes to enhance your reading atmosphere and provides detailed progress statistics. The app prioritizes user privacy and works offline.

**Highlights:** Build and organize your book library, Track reading sessions with a timer, Ambient soundscapes for atmosphere, Take notes and track characters, View detailed reading progress stats, Syncs with iCloud, Offline functionality

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


### ReadTale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readtale/id6761625334)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penny free?

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

### Is ReadTale free?

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

### Do Penny or ReadTale have ads?

Neither Penny nor ReadTale shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penny or ReadTale?

Penny ships an update every 8 days, and ReadTale daily. Most recently, Penny was updated on November 5, 2026 and ReadTale on November 5, 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.*