Libris Reader vs Gloss
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Libris Reader
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Libris Reader is a thinking-first reading app for people who want to understand what they read, not just collect highlights. Import EPUB books into a focused personal library, read with a calm and intentional interface, highlight important passages, and write book-scoped notes that stay tied to the source. When you need help unpacking a difficult section, Libris offers in-context AI explanations inside the book youβre reading, so clarification stays grounded in the text instead of drifting into generic chat. Libris is built for deep reading, re-engagement, and memory by choice. Notes remain user-authored. AI supports understanding, but your ideas stay your own. Features: Import and organize EPUB books in a personal library Read in a clean, distraction-aware reader Highlight passages and revisit them later Write notes scoped to each book Ask for AI explanations in the context of the current book Search your reading and return to important material over time
Gloss
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Gloss turns anything you read into a conversation with its author. Highlight any passage β in a book, a PDF, an article you saved, or your own notes β and a margin note appears, explaining it more deeply in a voice informed by the author's style (or a thoughtful guide when there's no single author). Ask a follow-up and the note answers, staying right beside the text. The AI lives in the margins, never as a chat window β it reads like a thoughtful annotation, beside the text. Read anything: β’ EPUB books (DRM-free) β your files, Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks, author-direct. (Kindle and Apple Books DRM files aren't supported.) β’ PDFs β papers, manuals, anything you've saved. β’ Articles β paste a link and Gloss pulls the readable text to annotate. β’ Your notes β write or paste text and gloss it like a book. β’ Select text β Gloss, Go deeper, Define, or Ask β the note streams into the margin (a side column on iPad, an anchored card on iPhone). β’ Distraction-free reading β three themes (light, sepia, dark), adjustable font, size, spacing, and margins. β’ Your highlights and notes are saved on your device and travel with each document. Reading is free forever. Your first 10 glosses are free; Gloss Unlimited ($5.99/month or $49.99/year) unlocks unlimited notes. Your files stay on your device β only the highlighted passage and a small amount of surrounding text are sent to generate a note. Author "voices" are an AI interpretation, not the real author, and may be inaccurate. Gloss Unlimited is an auto-renewable subscription: $5.99/month or $49.99/year. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at purchase confirmation. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://gloss.nyrai.ai/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://gloss.nyrai.ai/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Libris Reader at none against Gloss's 2. Gloss's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Gloss sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Libris Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Libris Reader | Gloss |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No β better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Vignesh Iyer | NYRAI LLC |
In-app purchases
Libris Reader
No in-app purchases
Gloss
- Gloss Monthly$5.991 Month
- Gloss Yearly$49.991 Year









