Comparison

Common Reader vs PillowBook 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 unified reading and AI-powered analysis experience for various ebook formats. It allows users to ask questions about book content, automatically organize their library, and sync across multiple devices. Privacy is a core focus, with no proactive data collection.

Highlights
  • Supports multiple ebook formats (epub, azw3, mobi, txt, md, pdf)
  • AI-powered questions about book content
  • Automatic library organization with generative AI
  • Cloud sync (iCloud, OneDrive, WebDAV)
  • Fast full-library search
  • Unified cross-platform interface
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

PillowBook Reader

A local-first TXT and EPUB reader designed for comfortable, personalized reading. Enjoy a clean interface, customizable reading settings, and text-to-speech functionality without ads or account requirements. Manage your personal library offline.

Highlights
  • Customizable reading interface
  • Adjustable font, spacing, and themes
  • Horizontal/vertical text support
  • Multiple page-turning options
  • System text-to-speech integration
  • Offline library management
  • Import via Files or Wi-Fi sharing
Features
Read full description

Read your own books, quietly and comfortably PillowBook is a local-first reader for TXT and EPUB, designed to make long reading sessions feel calm and personal. No account is required, there are no ads, and you don’t need to upload your books to the developer’s servers. Your books, reading position, bookmarks, and reading history are stored on your device by default, so you can keep reading offline. MAKE IT YOUR READING SPACE • Enjoy a clean, comfortable interface that keeps the focus on your books • Choose light, dark, or system appearance, change accent colors, and pick an app icon to match your mood • Select a reading palette, adjust page brightness, or use your own image as the reading background • Fine-tune fonts, text size, character spacing, line spacing, paragraph spacing, and margins READ YOUR WAY • Switch between horizontal and vertical text • Turn pages, scroll continuously, use a lifelike page curl, or let pages advance automatically • Thoughtful multilingual typesetting with support for ruby text, footnotes, and EPUB images • Enjoy two-page reading in landscape on iPad, like an open book LISTEN WHEN YOUR EYES NEED A BREAK • Read aloud with system voices on iPhone and iPad • Voices already downloaded to your device can work offline • Choose a voice, adjust the speed, and set a sleep timer • Listening stays in sync with the text, so you return to the same place KEEP YOUR LIBRARY YOURS • Import TXT and EPUB from Files, the share sheet, or a browser on the same Wi-Fi • Automatically detect common text encodings and chapter structure • Track reading progress and time, add bookmarks, and search entire books • Favorite or archive books; protect the Vault entrance with Face ID or your device passcode • Multilingual interface support PillowBook does not provide or sell ebooks, and it does not support DRM-protected EPUB files. Please import only files you have the right to use. The free version can store up to five books in the library. If you need more, a one-time purchase unlocks Unlimited Library. No subscription.

Screenshots

Common Reader4 screens
PillowBook Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PillowBook Reader at 100% against Common Reader's 75%. PillowBook Reader also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Common Reader versus PillowBook Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCommon ReaderPillowBook Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size116 MB111 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer天宇 高HAO GONG

Customer experience

Common Reader

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

PillowBook Reader

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Common Reader

No in-app purchases

None

PillowBook Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Common Reader free?
Common Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PillowBook Reader free?
PillowBook Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Common Reader or PillowBook Reader have ads?
Neither Common Reader nor PillowBook Reader shows ads.

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