Comparison

Readstead vs Bookstore Companion

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

Head to head
About

Readstead

Features
Read full description

Readstead is the reading tracker built for people who want to read more and actually stick with it. Whether you're chasing an annual goal, exploring a new genre, or just logging your progress, Readstead gives you the tools to build a real reading habit and keep your entire library in one place. TRACK YOUR READING Log pages as you go and watch your progress in real time. Add books by searching or by scanning the barcode on the back cover. Organize everything into Currently Reading, Finished, Want to Read, and Did Not Finish. BUILD A READING STREAK Your home screen shows your reading streak, a daily heatmap, and all the books you're actively reading. Everything you need to stay motivated and pick up where you left off. READING CHALLENGES Join curated challenges across genre, author, era, and award winners - from Stephen King's complete works to the BookTok essentials to the 2025 Hugo winners. Or create your own challenge and share it with friends. Track your progress book by book and earn a badge when you finish. MONTHLY RECAPS Create a beautiful, shareable reading recap any time of year. Choose from multiple themes and layouts to highlight your books read, pages logged, and stats. Save to your camera roll or share directly. BADGES & ACHIEVEMENTS Earn badges as you hit milestones - streaks, books finished, genres explored, and more. MORE - Import your Goodreads library to get started in minutes - Rate every book you finish - Full reading activity history at a glance Readstead is built for people who take their reading seriously. Start your first streak today.

About

Bookstore Companion

Discover highly-rated books directly in the bookstore aisle using augmented reality and instant scan verdicts. Save your finds to a private wishlist without needing an account or sign-up. This app helps you find quality reads in physical stores.

Highlights
  • AR book highlighting
  • Instant scan verdicts
  • Private wishlist
  • No account required
  • Works in physical stores
Features
Read full description

Standing in a bookstore, surrounded by hundreds of spines — which ones are actually worth reading? Bookstore Companion answers that, right there in the aisle, without ever sending you to Amazon. • Point at a shelf → the well-regarded books light up, in place, through your camera (AR). • Scan any book → a one-line verdict on whether it's acclaimed, solid, or niche. • Save what catches your eye to a private wishlist for later. It's built for the reader who loves an indie or used bookstore and wants a knowledgeable friend at their elbow — not an infinite warehouse. No account, no sign-up, no tracking. Bookstore Companion is free. No account, no subscription, no ads. Pairs with our cataloging app, Home Library Companion, for organizing the books you bring home. Terms of Use: https://callnumber.app/terms

Screenshots

Readstead4 screens
Bookstore Companion4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Readstead at weekly against Bookstore Companion's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Readstead ships an update weekly, Bookstore Companion every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Readstead versus Bookstore Companion: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadsteadBookstore Companion
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid SchulerCreative Sonar, LLC

In-app purchases

None

Readstead

No in-app purchases

None

Bookstore Companion

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Readstead free?
Readstead is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bookstore Companion free?
Bookstore Companion is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Readstead or Bookstore Companion have ads?
Neither Readstead nor Bookstore Companion shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Readstead or Bookstore Companion?
Readstead ships an update weekly, and Bookstore Companion every 3 weeks. Most recently, Readstead was updated on October 31, 2026 and Bookstore Companion on November 5, 2026.

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