Comparison

SlowRead vs Codex Books

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

Head to head
About

SlowRead

This app helps you build a visually appealing digital bookshelf and encourages focused reading sessions by blocking distracting apps. Track your reading progress, organize your library, and create a personalized reading ritual.

Highlights
  • Customizable 2.5D digital bookshelf
  • Distraction-blocking focus sessions
  • Reading streak tracking
  • TBR and library organization
  • Effortless book addition (scan, search, photo)
  • Import from Goodreads (CSV)
  • Private, local-first library
Features
Read full description

SlowRead is the book tracker with a bookshelf you will want to show off. Every book you read stands on your own shelf, with its real spine and cover. Keep your TBR, your reading journal and your reading log in one place, and share your bookshelf on BookTok and Instagram. YOUR BOOKSHELF • Every book stands on the shelf as a spine or as a cover. • Photograph your own copy to show its real spine, cover and sprayed edges, or use a photo another reader already shared. • Arrange your books by hand, lay them flat in piles and keep a series together. • Decorate with plants, candles, lights and more, and pick a theme for the wall and the wood. • Share a picture of your bookcase to your Stories on TikTok or Instagram. • Get a public profile at slowreadapp.com/@you with the bookcases you choose to show. BOOK CLUBS • Create a club or join one and read the same book together. • Talk in a channel for each part of the book, so nobody spoils what comes next. • Hide the parts of a message that are spoilers. • Vote on the club's next book. YOUR READING YEAR • Monthly and yearly wrap ups: cards to swipe through and share. • Your reader type, worked out from the books you finish. • A yearly reading challenge, and your year next to the last one. • Stats for pages, time and books, your reading speed and your top genres. • A reading streak, with past days you can fill in by hand. TRACKING WITHOUT EFFORT • Search millions of books or scan the barcode to add one in seconds. • Import your library from Goodreads, The StoryGraph, Bookmory, Fable or Libib. • Paperback, ebook and audiobook, even for the same book. • Track library loans with the due date and a reminder the day before. • Series grouped together, with your progress through each one. • Notes, quotes scanned from the page with your camera, and characters with a portrait and their relationships. • Half star ratings, rereads and did not finish. WIDGETS • Your bookshelf, what you are reading, your streak, your challenge and a daily quote on your Home Screen and Lock Screen. READING SESSIONS • Start a timed session from any book and log the page where you stop. • If you want, block the apps that distract you while you read, with Screen Time. All features described above require a subscription. A free trial is included, so you can try everything before paying. TERMS: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Codex Books

Features
Read full description

Codex helps you build and organize a personal book library from the books around you. Scan a book cover with your camera, pick a photo from your library, scan an ISBN barcode, or search by title, author, or ISBN. Codex retrieves book details such as title, author, year, cover, description, and ISBN, then saves them into your library for quick browsing and lookup. Your collection can be sorted by author, year, or category, and books can be grouped into genres and adjusted manually when needed. You can also export your full library as JSON for backup or sharing. Features: - Scan book covers with OCR-based search - Scan ISBN barcodes with the camera - Search manually by title, author, or ISBN - Save title, author, year, category, description, cover, and ISBN - Organize books by author, year, and category - Edit categories and remove books from the library - Export your collection as JSON - Sync your library through iCloud - Codex is designed for readers who want a fast way to catalog physical books without maintaining a spreadsheet by hand.Note:In order to function, the app needs Google API with Books API access which can be configured via the app settings.

Screenshots

SlowRead4 screens
Codex Books4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Codex Books at none against SlowRead's shown. SlowRead's advantage is chart position (#18 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. SlowRead sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $8.39 per 7 days and Codex Books sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SlowRead ships an update every 3 days, Codex Books every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
SlowRead versus Codex Books: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSlowReadCodex Books
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (778 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews25.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings778 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#18 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size117 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdrian Martinez MorenoShinro OU

In-app purchases

4 purchases

SlowRead

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Weekly$8.397 Days
  • Premium Annual Offer$32.991 Year
  • Premium Annual3 Days trial$44.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime access to Slowread$149.99
1 purchases

Codex Books

One-time1
  • Unlimited Library (Lifetime)$5.99

Questions

Is SlowRead free?
SlowRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Codex Books free?
Codex Books is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SlowRead or Codex Books have ads?
SlowRead shows ads; Codex Books does not.
Which is updated more often, SlowRead or Codex Books?
SlowRead ships an update every 3 days, and Codex Books every 5 days. Most recently, SlowRead was updated on October 25, 2026 and Codex Books on October 25, 2026.

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