unQbd vs Rishi Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
unQbd
Access a vast library of classics, fiction, technical, and children's books, with options to read or listen. Features include cross-device syncing, note-taking, and guided learning paths for all ages. Earn badges and discover new authors.
- Extensive book library (classics, fiction, kids, technical)
- Read-along books with synchronized narration
- Guided Learning Journeys (phonics, coding)
- Collectible stickers and badges for kids
- Audiobook and ebook integration
- Cross-device synchronization
- Note-taking and highlighting
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Read. Listen. Watch. Connect. unQbd brings your favorite books to life. Read them, listen to them, and now watch select stories become animated shows, all in one library synced across your devices. One subscription for the whole family. Tech books and classics for you, story time for the kids, animated shows you can watch together. All of it for US$49 a year. What's inside: - Ebooks: fiction, classics, technical, and kids' titles, all in one library - Audiobooks paired with the books you're reading - unQbd Watch: animated shows that bring stories to the screen - For your kids: read-along books that read every word aloud, phonics Learning Journeys, and stickers and badges they collect as they go - Kids Mode: lock the app to kid-safe content behind a PIN you set - Learning Journeys for grown-ups too: guided coding trails with certificates - Connect: follow the indie authors you love and join the conversation - Cross-device sync, ratings and reviews, and new titles added every month Bring a book home, too. Eligible first-time annual Premium members can choose a complimentary paperback or five-book Kids starter set where available. The starter set ships within the U.S.; paperback availability and supported shipping countries vary. One welcome gift per eligible member after a qualifying payment. Pick up where you left off. Rate what you read. Back the authors you love. For readers who want range. For families who want more than words on a page. For authors who want a real home. Read. Listen. Watch. Connect. unQbd is an annual auto-renewing subscription (US$49/year). Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically for another year unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID account settings. Terms of Use: https://unqbd.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://unqbd.com/privacy
Rishi Reader
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Rishi turns the books on your devices into conversations. Read your EPUB and PDF library on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, then ask questions, get summaries, or talk through a passage out loud — all without leaving the page. Bring your own books. Drop EPUB or PDF files into Rishi and they live in a fast, searchable library with covers, progress, and a Reading Now shelf. Highlights and notes follow you across devices. Read the way you like. A focused, customizable reader handles fixed-layout and reflowable EPUBs, scanned PDFs with a real text layer, and table-of-contents jumps. Pick light, dark, or sepia. Adjust font size and spacing. Search every page. Pick up where you left off. Open a book on your Mac, keep reading on iPhone on the train, finish on iPad in bed — Rishi syncs your position, highlights, and notes in the background using silent push. Chat with any book. Ask "what does this chapter argue?" or "summarize this scene," and Rishi answers grounded in the book you're reading. Conversations are saved per-book and per-session, so you can come back to the thread later. Talk it through. Real-time voice chat lets you have a natural spoken conversation about what you’re reading — ideal for studying, language practice, or thinking out loud on a walk. Voice chat and premium narration require an active Apple subscription. Read aloud. Start foreground narration from the open book with a configurable voice and sentence-level highlighting. Follow along on the page while Rishi is open. Made for Apple silicon. Optimized for Mac Catalyst with a real sidebar, full keyboard navigation, native menus, and scene restoration. Universal Links open books straight from Safari, Mail, or Messages. Accessible by default. VoiceOver labels across the reader, library, and chat. Full Dynamic Type support. AA contrast on every surface. Reduce Motion and Increase Contrast respected. Private by design. Sign in with Apple — no password to manage, no email required. Your reading data lives in your account, not in an ad network. Anonymous diagnostics can be turned off in Settings. Pro features (subscription). Voice chat, unlimited chat conversations, and premium narration voices are available through an Apple subscription purchased in Rishi. Use the in-app purchase sheet to subscribe, Restore Purchases to recover an existing subscription, or Settings to open Apple's subscription management sheet. Terms of Use: https://rishi.fidexa.org/terms. Subscription Terms: https://rishi.fidexa.org/legal/subscription-terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: unQbd at 15.0 against Rishi Reader's 18.4. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. unQbd sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.00 per year and Rishi Reader sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
unQbd ships an update every 5 days, Rishi Reader every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | unQbd | Rishi Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 170 MB | 131 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | unQbd | Farid Matovu |
In-app purchases
unQbd
- unQbd Premium$49.001 Year
Rishi Reader
- Reader Monthly$7.991 Month
- Rishi Reader Monthly$7.991 Month
- Voice Monthly$14.991 Month
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- Rishi Voice Monthly$14.991 Month
- Reader Annual$76.991 Year
- Rishi Reader Annual$79.991 Year
- Rishi Voice Annual$99.991 Year
- Voice Annual$143.991 Year









