Star Document Reader vs Simply TBR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Star Document Reader
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Star Readers is a smart, modern reading tool for people who want to read documents, e-books and text files with clarity and comfort. Use AI features to summarize texts and understand them even faster. Whether you open PDF, EPUB, MOBI, TXT, CSV, Markdown, JSON or log files, Star Reader brings many useful formats into one clean app and keeps the focus where it belongs: on your content. It turns your mobile device into a versatile, elegant reader for everyday use, study, work and personal reading journeys. Highlights: - Elegant, minimal reader design - EPUB chapter view with navigation - MOBI reading with chapter and section navigation for DRM-free files - PDF viewer with annotations and image export - Share PDF annotations as images - Read text, Markdown, JSON and log files - View CSV files as a table or raw text - Favorites and recently opened files - Automatic reading position saving - Adjustable text size, line height and font style - Light, dark and system theme modes - English and German language options - File explorer for supported local files on your device Star Readers is built for longer reading sessions, with calm colors, clear typography and an interface that stays out of the way. Open local files, return to important documents faster and read e-books, notes, logs or tables in one app. Ideal for: - E-books and long-form reading - PDFs with visual annotations - Local document collections - Markdown notes - CSV files - JSON and log files - Focused reading by day or night Supported file extensions: .txt .csv .md .markdown .json .log .epub .pdf .mobi
Simply TBR
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A NetGalley ARC with an archive date creeping closer. The Libby suspended hold you keep meaning to check on. The Kindle book you bought on sale and forgot about. The paperback sitting third from the top of the nightstand pile. Your books live everywhere, which makes picking the next one strangely hard. Simply TBR gathers them into one calm, cover-forward stack... not a catalog of what you've read, but a clear view of what you could start right now. No ratings. No streaks. No shame about the size of the pile. ------- What it does for you. See your whole reading pile in one place. Bring in NetGalley ARCs (with archive dates, so future you isn't surprised), Libby loans and holds, and your Amazon and Audible libraries. Connect a self-hosted library through any OPDS catalog, like Grimmory or Calibre-Web, or pull books straight from Hardcover. Turn screenshots of other library apps, like Apple Books, into visible books in your stack. Add physical books by barcode scan, manually, or through a list. Canβt decide what to read? Use Lucky Spin to deal you a small hand of covers. Pick one or spin again. Move books through four honest states: Unread, Started, Didn't Finish, and Done. Pause or set one aside while you decide. Putting a book down is a choice, not a failure, and the app treats it that way. Close the loop when you finish. Didn't finish? Let it go, no ceremony needed. Finish? Finish? There's an Exit Ceremony that hands your notes to your clipboard with links to log it on Goodreads, StoryGraph, or Hardcover, plus leave NetGalley feedback or return your loan. Then finish with a small, satisfying animation.β¨β¨Widgets allow quick glances at what youβre reading or give a peek at your stack offering options without needing to open the app. ------- The free version works beautifully for a manual stack: add books by hand or barcode, spin, read, finish, and sync across your Apple devices through iCloud. Connected adds importing from NetGalley, Libby, Amazon, Audible, Hardcover, and your own self-hosted OPDS library, plus turning library app screenshots into books, for when your reading life gets more complicated. Whichever you choose your books stay in your stack. ------- When you import from NetGalley, Libby, Amazon, or Audible, you log in on that service's own website... those credentials never touch the app. Hardcover connects with an API token you paste in, and an OPDS library with an address and login you provide, both kept on your device. Everything is read right on your device. No tracking. No analytics. Simply yours. ------- Simply TBR is built by one indie developer with 633 books on her own TBR who needed a kinder way through it. It sits alongside Simply Remember It and the rest of the SimplyKyra family: soft structure, for real life. Read your way out. ------- Questions or feedback? Email mail@simplykyra.com β¨Learn more: simplykyra.com/simply-tbr β¨ Newsletter: simplykyra.com/simply-tbr/#/portal/account β¨ Terms of Use: simplykyra.com/simply-tbr-terms-and-conditions/ β¨ Privacy Policy: simplykyra.com/simply-tbr-privacy-policy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Star Document Reader at none against Simply TBR's 2. Star Document Reader also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 10 days) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Simply TBR sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Star Document Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.
Star Document Reader ships an update daily, Simply TBR every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Star Document Reader | Simply TBR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Daily β better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No β better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 β better | 17.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Markus Stadi | SimplyKyra LLC |
In-app purchases
Star Document Reader
No in-app purchases
Simply TBR
- Connected Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Connected Annual7 Days trial$14.991 Year
Questions
Is Star Document Reader free?
Is Simply TBR free?
Do Star Document Reader or Simply TBR have ads?
Which is updated more often, Star Document Reader or Simply TBR?
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