Scuba vs Prose Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Scuba
Discover and read classic books with a modern, mobile-first approach. This app breaks down stories into digestible beats, using vertical swipes for natural phone navigation. Story recaps and offline reading features help you maintain your reading habit.
- Story beats for easier reading
- Recaps to remember story progress
- Vertical swiping for phone reading
- Home screen widget for current book
- Offline reading support
- Curated bookstore
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Scuba is a new way to read books on your phone. Browse a curated bookstore, then read with Story Beatsβ’, a new reading experience designed for your phone. Natural vertical swiping, beautifully designed pages and Story So Far recaps make books feel at home on your screen. Your first book is free. Features β’ Story Beatsβ’ designed for reading on your phone β’ Natural vertical swiping β’ Story So Far recaps to help you dive back in β’ Adjustable text size, themes and page design β’ Home Screen widget for your current book β’ Offline reading β’ A curated bookstore of classic books Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Prose Reader
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Prose Reader at none against Scuba's 2. Prose Reader also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Scuba's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). 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. Scuba sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Prose Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.
Scuba ships an update every 2 days, Prose Reader every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Scuba | Prose Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | β |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days β better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No β better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | β |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tim Brown | Elia Salerno |
In-app purchases
Scuba
- Scuba Reading Pass$4.991 Month
- Scuba Reading Pass7 Days trial$24.991 Year
Prose Reader
No in-app purchases









