Comparison

expt vs PageMate

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

Head to head
About

expt

A beautiful, distraction-free reader for all your local files, including EPUBs, PDFs, comics, and text documents. Organize your library, track reading progress, and enjoy a focused reading experience with customizable themes and layouts.

Highlights
  • Read EPUB, PDF, CBZ, CBR, TXT, CSV, code files
  • Customizable reader themes and typography
  • Distraction-free reading mode
  • Library organization with series and tags
  • Reading progress tracking and stats
  • iCloud sync for reading positions
  • 100% local file storage
Features
Read full description

expt is a beautiful, distraction-free reader for all your local files. Import EPUBs, PDFs, comics, text files, and more — everything opens in a clean, focused reading experience designed for deep reading. **Read Everything** • EPUB books with chapter navigation and search • PDF documents with native rendering • CBZ and CBR comic archives with page-turn viewer • Plain text, Markdown, CSV, code files, and HTML • ZIP archives with image grid browser **Designed for Reading** • Six reader themes: Light, Sepia, Dark, Solarized, Nord, Ink • Adjustable font, size, line height, and margins • Distraction-free mode hides all chrome • Reading progress tracked automatically **Organize Your Library** • Create series to group related files in reading order • Label and filter files by type, status, or custom tags • Search across your entire library by title or author • Track reading streaks and daily stats **Built for Apple** • Native iOS design with dark and light mode • iPad support with adaptive layouts • iCloud sync for reading positions across devices • Text-to-speech with language detection **Your Files, Your Device** • 100% local — no cloud storage, no accounts, no tracking • Import via Files app, Share Sheet, or drag and drop • Files stay on your device in the app sandbox

About

PageMate

This app helps you track your reading progress, log pages and time, and save important notes and quotes. It provides insights into your reading habits and offers tools to help you read more consistently.

Highlights
  • Book tracking and shelf management
  • Page and time logging
  • Note-taking with OCR
  • Reading habit insights and stats
  • Shareable reading summaries
  • Reminders and focus tools
Features
Read full description

Page Mate is a reading companion that brings your reading time, pages, and notes into one clear flow. Add books, log your progress, and keep the lines and thoughts you want to return to. As your reading builds over time, so does a clearer picture of your habits, rhythm, and progress. Key features - Search for books or add them manually to build a shelf that fits the way you read. - Log pages and reading time, and see how much to read today based on your target finish date. - Save memorable lines and thoughts as notes, and capture text faster with photos or OCR when needed. - Reflect on your reading rhythm with streaks, stats, and insights built from your sessions, pages, and memos. - Turn each month into a shareable wrap-up with record cards and reading summaries. - Use reminders and focus tools to make it easier to return to your book. When you want to read more consistently, remember more clearly, and see your reading life take shape over time, Page Mate helps keep that momentum going. Page Mate is free to download, with full access available through an auto-renewable subscription. Subscription details, including title, duration, and price, are shown before purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://page-mate.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://page-mate.com/privacy/

Screenshots

expt4 screens
PageMate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: expt at none against PageMate's 3. expt also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support 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. PageMate sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. expt 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 expt against 5.0 for PageMate. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
expt versus PageMate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterexptPageMate
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequency—Every 5 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.1 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB144 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArthur ParkPeaceCode

In-app purchases

None

expt

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

PageMate

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Plan$3.991 Month
  • Annual Plan$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$69.99

Questions

Is expt free?
expt is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PageMate free?
PageMate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, expt or PageMate?
expt and PageMate are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do expt or PageMate have ads?
PageMate shows ads; expt does not.

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