Comparison

Common Reader vs Tingwen Reader

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

Head to head
About

Common Reader

This app offers a peaceful reading experience across multiple ebook formats, including EPUB and PDF. It features AI-powered book analysis, cloud synchronization, and a high-performance page-turn engine for a seamless visual experience. Enjoy reading without ads and with advanced library organization tools.

Highlights
  • Supports EPUB, AZW3, MOBI, TXT, PDF
  • AI book analysis and library organization
  • Cloud sync (iCloud, OneDrive, Google Drive)
  • High-performance page-turn engine
  • Built-in text-to-speech
  • Fast full-library search
Features
Read full description

- UI and interactions follow a carefully unified cross-platform logic and are built with native technologies for iOS and iPadOS. - Supports many ebook formats, including epub, azw3, mobi, txt, markdown, and pdf. - Supports nearly every ebook rendering feature, including vertical writing and RTL. - Listen with built-in system voices or AI voice models. - A high-performance, Metal-powered simulated page-turn engine offers an unparalleled visual experience. - Deeply integrates AI features for asking questions about books and automatically organizing your library with generative AI. - Supports cloud sync through iCloud, OneDrive, Google Drive, WebDAV, and more. - Provides fast full-library search across books, authors, tags, notes, highlights, and original text. - The app does not proactively collect any of your information. Your data is only processed by the model and cloud storage providers you trust.

About

Tingwen Reader

Import your own e-books in various formats and have them read aloud with customizable AI voices. Enjoy background playback and synchronized reading/listening progress for a personalized audio-book experience.

Highlights
  • Import various e-book formats (TXT, PDF, EPUB, MOBI, AZW3)
  • Customizable AI voices with emotional tones
  • Synchronized reading and listening progress
  • Background and lock screen playback
  • Local data processing for privacy
  • Free daily advanced model usage
Features
Read full description

[Multi-Format Import·Free Upload] Supports TXT, PDF, EPUB, MOBI, AZW3 and more. One-tap upload turns your personal collection into audiobooks—listen anytime, anywhere! [Subscribe·Unlock All Benefits] Get instant access to all high-quality emotional voices and richer reading styles. Flexible monthly plan (¥9.9/mo), cost-effective quarterly (¥27/quarter), or best-value yearly (¥99/yr)—less than ¥0.30 per day for year-round warm companionship! Tingwen Reader is a local reading tool designed for long-form text reading and listening. Import your own e-books, flip pages while reading, or let the app read aloud continuously. Key Features: Local Import: Supports common e-book and text formats, with content saved locally by default. Synced Progress: Listening updates your reading progress automatically; start listening right from where you left off in reading. Local AI Reading: Choose between Balanced and High-Quality modes, or switch to a power-saving basic model. Custom Voices: Record or import voice samples to create your own local timbre. Background & Lock-Screen Playback: Perfect for commutes, bedtime, and extended reading sessions. Daily Free Usage: Non-subscribers get 30 minutes of advanced model use per day, after which the basic model remains available. Share a book to earn 30 bonus minutes; subscribers enjoy unlimited advanced model time. Tingwen Reader prioritizes local processing and content privacy. Your book texts, reading progress, and custom voice samples stay on your device—no ad tracking, no cloud sync. First-time use requires a one-time online device authorization, but no book content or voice recordings are uploaded. 【Auto-Renewal Subscription Details】 Plans: Monthly (1 mo), Quarterly (3 mo), Yearly (12 mo) auto-renewing subscriptions. Pricing: ¥9.9/mo, ¥27/quarter, ¥99/yr. Auto-Renewal: Your iTunes account will be charged within 24 hours before each renewal date. To cancel, manually turn off auto-renewal in iPhone/iPad "Settings" > "Apple ID" > "Subscriptions" at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://tingwen.kevincai.space/privacy

Screenshots

Common Reader4 screens
Tingwen Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Tingwen Reader at 5.0 against Common Reader's 3.0. Tingwen Reader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (100% vs 83%). Common Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. Common Reader sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Tingwen Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tingwen Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Common Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tingwen Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Common Reader ships an update every 3 days, Tingwen Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Common Reader versus Tingwen Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCommon ReaderTingwen Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size118 MB354 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer天宇 高蕾 王

Customer experience

Common Reader

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Tingwen Reader

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Common Reader

One-time5
  • 1 Cup of Coffee$4.00
  • 2 Cups of Coffee$8.00
  • Lifetime Unlock$9.99
Show 2 more
  • 4 Cups of Coffee$16.00
  • Many coffees$32.00
None

Tingwen Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Common Reader free?
Common Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tingwen Reader free?
Tingwen Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Common Reader or Tingwen Reader?
Tingwen Reader is rated higher. Common Reader averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Tingwen Reader averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Common Reader or Tingwen Reader have ads?
Neither Common Reader nor Tingwen Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Common Reader or Tingwen Reader?
Common Reader ships an update every 3 days, and Tingwen Reader every 2 weeks. Most recently, Common Reader was updated on November 9, 2026 and Tingwen Reader on November 10, 2026.

Other comparisons