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
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

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 reading feel calm and personal. No account is required, there are no ads, and your books are not uploaded to the developer's servers. Your books, reading position, bookmarks, notes, and reading history stay on your device by default, so you can read offline. MAKE IT YOUR READING SPACE • Choose light, dark, or system appearance, accent colors, and an app icon • Pick a reading palette, adjust page brightness, or use your own background image • Fine-tune fonts, text size, character and line spacing, paragraph spacing, and margins • Create custom book covers from your photos, with your choice of title position, size, and alignment READ YOUR WAY • Read horizontally or vertically • Turn pages, scroll continuously, use a lifelike page curl, or let pages advance automatically • Enjoy multilingual typesetting with ruby text, footnotes, and EPUB illustrations • Read two pages side by side in landscape on iPad and the inner display of iPhone Duo • Navigate with chapter lists, bookmarks, reading progress, and full-book search KEEP THE WORDS THAT MATTER • Underline a favorite passage or add a note with a photo • Revisit bookmarks, underlines, and notes in your Notebook • Turn notes into images to share • Translate selected passages on your device using Apple's system translation; language resources may need downloading first LISTEN WHEN YOUR EYES NEED A BREAK • Read aloud with system voices on iPhone and iPad • Use downloaded voices offline • Choose a voice, adjust playback speed, and set a sleep timer • Follow along with text highlighting and return to where you left off SEE YOUR READING GROW • Personalize the Me page with your name, avatar, and Reef or Aurora theme • Unlock reading levels and choose a level icon to display as your reading time grows • Look back at your weekly Reading Log and share a reading poster • Add Home Screen widgets for your current books and daily reading time • Invite friends to earn additional library capacity 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 • Redetect EPUB chapters from headings when the book's contents are too broad • Favorite or archive books, and track your reading time and progress • Protect the Vault entrance with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode • Keep original imported files and check the library for incomplete books • Use the interface in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, or Japanese PillowBook does not provide or sell ebooks and does not support DRM-protected EPUB files. Please import only files you have the right to use. The free version holds up to five books. A one-time purchase unlocks Unlimited Library permanently. Additional capacity may also be available through friend invitations or promotional offer codes. No auto-renewing subscription.

Screenshots

Common Reader4 screens
PillowBook Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Common Reader at every 3 days against PillowBook Reader's monthly. PillowBook Reader's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 83%) and 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. Common Reader sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and PillowBook Reader sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Common Reader ships an update every 3 days, PillowBook Reader monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Common Reader versus PillowBook Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCommon ReaderPillowBook Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB131 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer天宇 高HAO GONG

Customer experience

Common Reader

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

PillowBook Reader

Written reviews3 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
4 purchases

PillowBook Reader

One-time4
  • Campaign: 10 Extra Books$1.99
  • Coffee Tip$2.99
  • Campaign: 60-Day Library Pass$5.99
Show 1 more
  • Unlimited Library$9.99

Questions

Is Common Reader free?
Common Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PillowBook Reader free?
PillowBook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Common Reader or PillowBook Reader have ads?
Neither Common Reader nor PillowBook Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Common Reader or PillowBook Reader?
Common Reader ships an update every 3 days, and PillowBook Reader monthly. Most recently, Common Reader was updated on November 5, 2026 and PillowBook Reader on November 6, 2026.

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