Comparison

Reader Alive vs 2ndBook

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

Head to head
About

Reader Alive

Features
Read full description

Reader Alive is an AI-powered ebook reader for iPhone and iPad. Import EPUB, PDF, AZW3, and MOBI books from Files, Finder, AirDrop, Wi-Fi transfer, or iCloud Drive. Read in paged or continuous scrolling modes, tune fonts and themes, adjust size and spacing, and keep your library and reading position in sync with iCloud. Reader Alive helps books feel alive: • Translate selected text or full chapters • Listen with natural text-to-speech • Chat with a book and ask questions grounded in its content • Generate chapter summaries • Explore key ideas, characters, timelines, arguments, and action lists • Sync your library and reading progress across devices with iCloud Full translation, listening, and AI chat features require a subscription. Reader Alive is built for deep reading, foreign-language reading, study, research, and faster understanding of long books. Privacy Policy: https://readeralive.pages.dev/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

2ndBook

Features
Read full description

2ndBook is an app about books and about the people who read them. Your personal library, your book club, swapping books with other readers and a comfortable reader all live in one place. YOUR LIBRARY • Add books and documents; by ISBN or a cover photo the fields fill in automatically. • Read offline: local books open with no network and no mandatory sync. • Open books in 2ndBook straight from Files and Telegram via Share — they go right into your library. • EPUB, FB2, MOBI, PRC, DOCX, ODT, RTF, TXT, MD, HTML, PDF and CBZ open in the app’s reader. DJVU, AZW, AZW3, KF8 and CHM are stored and synced, but open in an app on the device. • Listen to audiobooks, book podcasts and video sound with the screen off, with controls in the notification shade and on the lock screen. • Reading progress, bookmarks and favourite quotes sync across your devices. • Select text to save notes and quotes in EPUB, TXT, FB2, DOCX, HTML and Markdown — they gather in one list and open the book right where you made them. • Several accounts on one phone: each keeps its own library, bookmarks and progress. BOOK CLUBS • The club picks its book by vote, and everyone reads it together. • An author or a partner starts a club. • Discussion opens as you read: until you reach a chapter you see only the topic's title — spoilers stay closed. • A club can be open (join in one tap, no request), link-only or invite-only. • Schedule a meeting with an "I'm coming" reply. A coffee break is its own club activity: members split into small groups. • Su-Li-Fa, the club's quick game: the winner names a book first in the next cycle — the vote still happens. • Pass the paper copy to the next member: the club remembers who handed it to whom. • Every club has a chat of its own. BOOKS BETWEEN PEOPLE • Post a book you are ready to sell, gift, swap or lend. • Find other readers' books through search and filters — by genre, from classics to art, photography and design. • Say which format and language you are waiting for — paper, e-book or audio, in Russian, English or Kazakh. • An order takes name, phone and e-mail from your profile and the address from «My addresses». • Give books away: the Gifts section shows what you handed on and what you received, with a clear status for every handover. • Agree the details in the in-app chat. The seller sees the recipient's address and contacts only while handing the book over. • Rate each other after a deal, so the community feels safer. BOOKSHOP PARTNERS • E-books and audiobooks are published by book partners from their storefront. «Become a book partner» is free. • «Read» puts a partner’s book straight into E-BOOK, and it opens offline; if there are several formats, choose one. WHAT ELSE IS HERE • Notifications about what actually matters: a reply in chat, the status of your book, an answer from support. • Support answers inside the app. When it needs more details, the question arrives right in your report, and you answer it in the «Feedback» section. • Dark and light themes; Russian, English and Kazakh. SAFETY AND RESPECT FOR THE READER • Listings pass moderation before publication. Any post can be reported, including for copyright infringement, and any user blocked right from the app; we review every report. • Age ratings on books: restricted editions are unavailable to readers who have not given a date of birth or are below the required age. • We show no ads and do not sell your data. • No paid subscriptions and no in-app purchases: nothing is locked behind a payment. • Readers settle up directly — 2ndBook neither holds nor transfers money. • You delete your account right in the app — immediately, with its files and contacts. • «Delete» on your feedback really erases its text, contacts and screenshots. Legal documents and the privacy policy are in the app and at secondbook.kz. Build your library and give books a second life — with 2ndBook.

Screenshots

Reader Alive4 screens
2ndBook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 2ndBook at none against Reader Alive's 2. 2ndBook also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). On price 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. Reader Alive sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. 2ndBook asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reader Alive ships an update every 5 days, 2ndBook every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
Reader Alive versus 2ndBook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReader Alive2ndBook
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size289 MB70 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperNocoly.comIlnur Stybayev

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Reader Alive

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$59.991 Year
None

2ndBook

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reader Alive free?
Reader Alive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 2ndBook free?
2ndBook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Reader Alive or 2ndBook have ads?
Reader Alive shows ads; 2ndBook does not.
Which is updated more often, Reader Alive or 2ndBook?
Reader Alive ships an update every 5 days, and 2ndBook every 2 days. Most recently, Reader Alive was updated on September 26, 2026 and 2ndBook on October 8, 2026.

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