Comparison

Cinder Reader vs Prose Reader

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

Head to head
About

Cinder Reader

A modern, ad-free app for reading ebooks, comics, manga, and PDFs. Organize your personal library, import files from various sources, and customize your reading experience with flexible tools and appearance settings.

Highlights
  • Read ebooks, comics, manga, and PDFs
  • Import and manage personal library
  • Connect to content sources
  • Customize reader appearance
  • Track reading progress
  • Create highlights and notes
  • Organize with folders and filters
Features
Read full description

Cinder is a modern, ad-free reading app for ebooks, comics, manga, PDFs, web novels, and more. Build a library that fits the way you read. Import your own files, connect your preferred catalogs and personal content sources, organize everything in one place, and enjoy a clean, customizable reading experience across multiple formats. Features Read ebooks, comics, manga, and PDFs in one app Import your own files and manage your personal library Add and browse compatible catalogs and personal content sources Customize fonts, themes, spacing, alignment, and reader appearance Track reading progress and pick up where you left off Create highlights and notes Organize books with folders, filters, and library tools Discover new titles with built-in discovery features Sync with your Hardcover account to track reading progress and discover new books Designed for phones, tablets, and larger screens Built for readers Cinder focuses on a polished, distraction-light reading experience with flexible library management and deep reader customization. Whether you’re reading novels, graphic novels, manga, or documents, Cinder gives you one place to keep everything organized. Privacy-first by design Your library and reading setup stay centered around your own content, your own sources, and your own reading workflow.

About

Prose Reader

Features
Read full description

Prose is a clean, local-first reader for ePub and PDF books. Designed with a focus on speed, privacy, and simplicity, Prose works completely offline to keep your personal library secure on your device. Key Features: - Multi-format support: Read ePub 2, ePub 3, and PDF files. - Offline library: View your books in a custom cover grid or detail list. Search, filter, and sort by title, author, last read, or reading progress. - Tailored reading experience: Customize fonts, font size, margins, and line spacing for reflowable ePub books. Zoom and fit controls are available for PDF files. - Reading themes: Switch between light, dark, and sepia themes to match your environment. Themes apply across the entire application interface. - Local-first sync: Connect your own WebDAV server to sync books, reading positions, bookmarks, highlights, and settings. Sync runs in the background and resolves conflicts by keeping your furthest reading position. - Annotation and reference: Create bookmarks, highlight text, and look up definitions using the built-in offline dictionary. - Privacy and security: Your data is never sent to third-party services. WebDAV credentials are saved securely in your operating system keychain. There is no telemetry, analytics, or tracking.

Screenshots

Cinder Reader4 screens
Prose Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Prose Reader at none against Cinder Reader's 1. Cinder Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Cinder Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Prose Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cinder Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, Prose Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Cinder Reader versus Prose Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCinder ReaderProse Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB125 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperJESSE LAMAR MARTINElia Salerno

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cinder Reader

One-time1
  • Cinder Pro Lifetime$8.99
None

Prose Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cinder Reader free?
Cinder Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Prose Reader free?
Prose Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cinder Reader or Prose Reader have ads?
Neither Cinder Reader nor Prose Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cinder Reader or Prose Reader?
Cinder Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, and Prose Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Cinder Reader was updated on September 21, 2026 and Prose Reader on September 22, 2026.

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