Comparison

BookWave vs PageTone

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

Head to head
About

BookWave

Features
Read full description

BookWave is a simple, beautiful way to read and listen to EPUBs, PDFs, and scanned book pages—no accounts, no clutter, just your books. IMPORT OR SCAN YOUR BOOKS Add any DRM-free EPUB or PDF to BookWave, and it appears on your shelf in seconds. You can also scan pages from a printed book, turn them into text, and create your own EPUB. Your library is yours: organize books into folders and keep everything in one place. LISTEN TO ANY BOOK BookWave reads your books aloud with natural-sounding voices, entirely on your device. When available, words are highlighted as they’re spoken, so you can follow along or switch between reading and listening anytime. Playback continues in the background, so you can listen while walking, commuting, or with the screen off. EVERYTHING STAYS IN SYNC Your library, reading progress, highlights, and bookmarks sync privately between your iPhone and iPad through iCloud. Start reading a chapter on one device and continue from exactly where you left off on another. No registration, no accounts, no third-party servers. SAVE WHAT MATTERS Save important passages as highlights. Your highlights and bookmarks stay with the book across all your devices. TRACK YOUR READING See how much you read and listen each day, and watch your reading habit grow. 20 CLASSICS INCLUDED Start reading right away with a free built-in library of classic EPUB books—including Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Around the World in Eighty Days, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, and many more. PRIVATE BY DESIGN BookWave has no accounts and no tracking. Your books and reading data live on your device and in your personal iCloud—nowhere else. BOOKWAVE PRO Reading and importing books are free, and you can listen to every built-in classic at no cost. BookWave Pro unlocks listening for your imported EPUB and PDF books, along with detailed reading statistics. Monthly and yearly auto-renewable subscriptions are available. Each includes a one-week free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://minimapps.github.io/bookwave/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use: https://minimapps.github.io/bookwave/terms.html

About

PageTone

Features
Read full description

Every book has a world. PageTone helps you step into it. Create a personalised reading atmosphere inspired by the story, setting, genre, or mood you are exploring. Describe what you are reading, and PageTone prepares a layered soundscape designed to accompany the moment without taking attention away from the page. BUILD YOUR READING ROOM Start with a title or a simple description of the atmosphere you want. A quiet library during a storm. A mysterious forest at night. A warm room beside a fireplace. PageTone transforms that idea into a reading room made from complementary ambient sounds. MIX EVERY LAYER Each atmosphere can combine up to four sound layers, including rain, wind, forest ambience, fireplace, turning pages, and quiet room tone. Inside the mixer, you can: • Adjust the volume of each sound • Mute or restore individual layers • Fine-tune the balance of the room • Reset the original atmosphere • Shape the soundscape while you read READ AT YOUR OWN RHYTHM Set an optional starting page and page goal for your session, or simply read without tracking anything. PageTone keeps reading goals intentionally lightweight. There are no streaks, scores, competitive rankings, or productivity pressure. RETURN TO YOUR LATEST ROOM Your most recent reading room remains available, so you can quickly return to the atmosphere you were using and continue your session. MADE FOR QUIET MOMENTS PageTone combines an editorial interface, paper-inspired visuals, illustrated environments, and subtle animation to create a calm space around your book. The experience is designed for readers who enjoy ambience, focus, ritual, and the feeling of entering a story. FEATURES • Personalised reading atmospheres • Layered ambient soundscapes • Up to four simultaneous sound layers • Individual volume and mute controls • Optional page goals • Resume your latest reading room • Background audio support • App Shortcuts integration • No account required PageTone does not search book catalogues, scan covers, stream music, or require social activity. It is a private reading companion built around your book, your room, and your pace.

Screenshots

BookWave4 screens
PageTone3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PageTone at none against BookWave's 2. BookWave's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. BookWave sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. PageTone asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
BookWave versus PageTone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookWavePageTone
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB20 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperNazarii StefaniukLuisa Cecilia da Silva Pinto

In-app purchases

2 purchases

BookWave

Subscriptions2
  • BookWave Pro Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • BookWave Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
None

PageTone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BookWave free?
BookWave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PageTone free?
PageTone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do BookWave or PageTone have ads?
Neither BookWave nor PageTone shows ads.

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