# Nous vs Excerpta

The clearest difference is rating: Nous at 5.0 against Excerpta's 3.5. Nous also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.2). Excerpta's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nous sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Excerpta sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Nous holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

Nous ships an update weekly, Excerpta every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nous | Excerpta |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nous-reading-tracker-and-notes/id6761879422/reviews)** | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/excerpta-reading-journal/id6762711085/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 31 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Caelan Mitchell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891915510) | [Trevor Tarakjian](https://appshunter.io/developer/1744446304) |

## What reviewers say

### Nous

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nous-reading-tracker-and-notes/id6761879422)

This app helps you actively track your reading by taking notes, capturing highlights, and organizing your library. It offers features for reflection, goal setting, and seamless integration with other services to enhance your reading experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time reading notes and thoughts, Book library organization, Highlight capture via typing or OCR, Reading session reflection and summary, Goal setting and streak tracking, Sync with Obsidian and Kindle, Homescreen widgets

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nous Plus — Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Nous Plus — Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


### Excerpta

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/excerpta-reading-journal/id6762711085)

Track your reading progress, journal your thoughts, and save favorite quotes from any book. Capture text with your camera, organize your library, and visualize your reading habits over time. Discover new books and sync your progress across devices.

**Highlights:** Capture quotes via camera, photos, or typing, Journal notes, page numbers, and reading moods, Organize books by shelves, authors, and series, Track reading progress and set yearly goals, Analyze reading statistics and visualize habits, Discover new books and import from other platforms, Sync across devices with iCloud

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Excerpta Unbound Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Excerpta Unbound Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Excerpta Unbound Forever | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nous free?

Nous is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Excerpta free?

Excerpta is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Nous or Excerpta?

Nous is rated higher. Nous averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Excerpta averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Nous or Excerpta have ads?

Neither Nous nor Excerpta shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nous or Excerpta?

Nous ships an update weekly, and Excerpta every 6 days. Most recently, Nous was updated on October 31, 2026 and Excerpta on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*