Comparison

PaperKite Reader vs Paper Mode

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

Head to head
About

PaperKite Reader

Features
Read full description

Ditch the pinch-and-zoom. The traditional PDF is a rigid, outdated relic built for desktop printers, not your phone. It forces you to squint, scroll endlessly, and fight your screen just to read a single chapter or paragraph. PaperKite Reader tears up the rulebook. We transform clunky, frustrating PDFs into fluid, highly readable e-books right in the palm of your hand. Take control of your reading experience and liberate your books, novels, and documents from fixed layoutsβ€”with absolute respect for your privacy and your wallet. CORE CAPABILITIES: Radical Text Reflow: We obliterate fixed document borders. Our engine instantly extracts and wraps PDF text to perfectly fit your mobile screen. No more horizontal scrolling. Perfect for devouring long novels or heavy textbooks on the go. Aesthetic Reading Experience: Reading shouldn't feel sterile. Ditch the glaring white screens. Enjoy a customizable reading environment with signature parchment-style themes, soothing earth tones, and distraction-free typography designed to reduce eye strain during marathon reading sessions. Academic Paper Domination: Dense, double-column research papers are a nightmare on mobile. PaperKite effortlessly untangles complex academic formatting, turning impenetrable journals into clean, linear text. Unrestricted OCR (Optical Character Recognition): Locked-down, scanned books? PaperKite crushes image-based PDFs, turning flat pictures into selectable, interactable text. (Coming Soon) Deep Document Search: Pinpoint exact keywords across massive novels or research papers in milliseconds. UNCOMPROMISING PRIVACY & ZERO-BS PRICING: 100% Free Core Experience: No ads. No forced subscriptions. No arbitrary restrictions on your reading. The core reflow engine is fully unlocked for all users. Zero Data Collection: Your reading habits are your business. We do not track you, harvest your data, or build profiles. Instant Server Wipe: Total peace of mind. The exact second your PDF is converted and the reflowed text is delivered to your device, the original file is permanently and immediately eradicated from our servers. PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION Want ultimate customization? Unlock the full potential of PaperKite. Bionic Reading: Supercharge your reading speed and focus. This advanced mode highlights the concise parts of words, guiding your eyes naturally and letting your brain complete the rest for lightning-fast comprehension. Dark Mode: Protect your eyes during late-night reading sessions. Switch to a sleek, dark-brown interface that makes reading in low-light environments effortless. Adjustable Text Size: Total typography control. Scale your font size up or down to find your absolute perfect, accessible reading sweet spot. Break free from the desktop era. Download PaperKite Reader for a clean, secure, and unrestricted mobile reading experience. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Paper Mode

Features
Read full description

Transform your phone into a paper-like reading experience. Paper Mode is designed for people who love reading but dislike reading on bright digital screens. Instead of staring at harsh white pages and glowing displays, Paper Mode creates a calm, cozy reading environment inspired by the comfort of physical books. Switch instantly between a normal digital reader and an E-Ink style reading mode. Customize everything to match your reading preferences and enjoy long reading sessions with less visual fatigue. Whether you are reading novels, textbooks, research papers, manuals, or study materials, Paper Mode helps you focus on reading, not the screen. WHY PAPER MODE? - Transform your phone into a paper-like reading experience - E-Ink style display mode for comfortable reading - Switch instantly between Normal Mode and Paper Mode - Designed to help reduce eye strain during long reading sessions - Cozy paper-inspired themes - Clean and distraction-free interface - Fully customizable reading experience SUPPORTED FORMATS - PDF - EPUB - TXT More formats are coming soon. READING FEATURES - Continue exactly where you stopped - Automatic reading progress saving - Unlimited bookmarks - Fast document search - Table of contents navigation - Reading progress tracking - Offline reading - Beautiful digital bookshelf - Multiple reading themes ACCESSIBILITY - Dyslexia-friendly reading font support - Adjustable font size - Adjustable line spacing - Adjustable margins - Brightness control - Contrast adjustment - Warm paper color adjustment - Landscape and portrait support CUSTOMIZE EVERYTHING Choose how you want to read. - Normal reading mode - Paper Mode - E-Ink style mode - Dark mode - Sepia mode - Custom paper colors - Custom text colors - Reading animations - Screen orientation lock DESIGNED FOR READERS Paper Mode is not another document viewer. It is built for people who want reading on a phone or tablet to feel calm, natural, cozy, and enjoyable. Future updates will include cloud sync, highlights, notes, AI reading tools, reading statistics, and even more customization.

Screenshots

PaperKite Reader4 screens
Paper Mode4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PaperKite Reader at none against Paper Mode's shown. Paper Mode's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PaperKite Reader ships an update every 3 months, Paper Mode every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
PaperKite Reader versus Paper Mode: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaperKite ReaderPaper Mode
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks β€” better
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size27 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSarp DORUKManoj Shrestha

In-app purchases

None

PaperKite Reader

No in-app purchases

None

Paper Mode

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PaperKite Reader free?
PaperKite Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Paper Mode free?
Paper Mode is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PaperKite Reader or Paper Mode have ads?
Paper Mode shows ads; PaperKite Reader does not.
Which is updated more often, PaperKite Reader or Paper Mode?
PaperKite Reader ships an update every 3 months, and Paper Mode every 3 weeks. Most recently, PaperKite Reader was updated on October 8, 2026 and Paper Mode on October 16, 2026.

Other comparisons