Comparison

Reader Alive vs Ghostreader AI

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

Ghostreader AI

Features
Read full description

Ghostreader is the e-reader that reads with you. Bring books, papers, and articles into one private reading workspace, then ask questions, follow ideas, and return every answer to its source. READ WITH GHOST • Ask questions grounded in the text in front of you • Highlight a passage to explain it, define it, or ask a follow-up • Chat with one book, a selected set, or your whole library • Check cited source passages instead of taking an answer on faith • Listen with natural read-aloud while the page stays visible KEEP A PRIVATE READING MEMORY • Turn saved highlights, notes, and page-linked questions into inspectable ideas • See meaningful connections across books without turning reading progress into a public profile • Search what you kept and review a human-readable activity history BUILD IN BOOK STUDIO • Create cited comparisons, evidence tables, literature reviews, outlines, maps, briefs, and reading plans • Let Ghostreader find relevant passages automatically, or pin the exact passages you want • Revise artifacts without losing their source snapshot or version history READ WITH FRIENDS • Share one sourced page, note, or question with people you choose • Catch up through a finite Today table instead of an endless ranked feed • Read together in invite-only rooms with quiet, qualitative signals • Reply by branching from a passage in your own copy Friends is optional. Your library, private highlights, reading position, Reading Memory, and Studio work are not shared by default. You confirm the audience for every shared page. BRING YOUR OWN READING Import EPUB books, PDFs, Markdown files, research papers, and web articles. Switch supported originals between paged and continuous reading, and keep downloaded EPUB or PDF originals available for offline reading and search. AI explanations, sync, and newly generated work require a connection. Ghostreader includes a free Normie Reader plan with up to three new reading materials per month. Avid Reader is $6.99 per month and removes the monthly import limit. AI reading features are included on both plans. An account is required. Your library is private and is not used to train public AI models. Privacy Policy: https://ghostreader.ai/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Reader Alive4 screens
Ghostreader AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Ghostreader AI at none against Reader Alive's shown. Reader Alive's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 days). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Reader Alive sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Ghostreader AI sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reader Alive ships an update every 5 days, Ghostreader AI every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Reader Alive versus Ghostreader AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReader AliveGhostreader AI
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size289 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNocoly.comlauren brendle

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Reader Alive

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$59.991 Year
1 purchases

Ghostreader AI

Subscriptions1
  • Avid Reader$6.991 Month

Questions

Is Reader Alive free?
Reader Alive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ghostreader AI free?
Ghostreader AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Reader Alive or Ghostreader AI have ads?
Reader Alive shows ads; Ghostreader AI does not.
Which is updated more often, Reader Alive or Ghostreader AI?
Reader Alive ships an update every 5 days, and Ghostreader AI every 10 days. Most recently, Reader Alive was updated on October 12, 2026 and Ghostreader AI on October 24, 2026.

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