Comparison

Curl Up vs ChapterPals

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

Head to head
About

Curl Up

Features
Read full description

Curl Up is the warmest corner of the internet for book lovers and their friends. Whether you're in a tight-knit group of two or a sprawling book club of twenty, Curl Up keeps everyone on the same page — literally. Create a cozy club, pick your next read, and turn pages together, one chapter at a time. Clubs & Invites — Start a book club with friends or curl up solo in your own "Party of One." Invite friends by code or DM. Track Progress — Log your chapter and page as you read. See where everyone else is at a glance with live progress bars. Chapter-Aware Chat — Post in chapter-specific threads so readers behind you simply can't see spoilers yet. No accidental reveals, ever. Pick What's Next — Run polls to vote on your club's next read. Anonymous voting, real-time results, and automatic winner queuing. Stay in the Loop — A live activity feed keeps you updated on completions, new messages, poll votes, and more. Direct Messages — Chat privately with your shelf mates outside the club room. Rate & Review — When you finish a book, leave a star rating and a short review. Your club builds a shared history of every story you've read together. FREE TO START Create 1 club + join up to 3 Run 2 active polls per club Personal reading stats & streak All core reading & chat features CURL UP PREMIUM - Unlock the full library with Premium: Unlimited cozy corners (clubs) to run, join, and manage Unlimited active polls Custom themes & avatar frames Club insights & finish stats — finish rate, predicted finish date, avg pace, and more Shelf Awards — earn per-book badges for club performance: Fastest Reader, Most Consistent, Discussion MVP, and Top Reviewer Reading Stamps — unlock lifetime achievements like Bookworm, Club Founder, and Cozy Reader Monthly reading charts & most active reading month Premium badge on your profile Early access to new cozy features Choose Monthly ($2.99), Yearly ($19.99), or Lifetime ($49.99). Curl Up is built for readers who believe the best stories are the ones shared. Let's curl up Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ChapterPals

This app helps you track your reading progress and manage your book club. Organize your reading lists, log progress, and discover new books. It also facilitates book club discussions, voting on the next read, and tracking member progress.

Highlights
  • Track reading progress by page or percent
  • Organize books into custom shelves
  • Set and track reading goals
  • Create and manage book clubs
  • Vote on next book selections
  • Chapter-based discussion threads
  • Daily 'Guess the Book' puzzle
Features
Read full description

Track every book you read, and keep your book club actually running. ChapterPals does both in one calm, friendly place. Most reading apps track books alone. Most club tools are a group text that slowly goes quiet. ChapterPals puts the two together, so the book you are reading and the people you are reading it with live side by side. TRACK YOUR READING Shelves for what you are reading, what you finished, and what you want to read next, plus custom shelves for anything else you want to keep. Log your progress by page or percent, rate books when you finish, and write reviews you will actually want to reread later. Set a reading goal and watch it fill in over the year. Already have a list somewhere else? Import it and pick up where you left off. Point your camera at a real bookshelf and ChapterPals will read the spines and find the titles, or scan a barcode to add a single book fast. Browse by genre, follow an author, or see a whole series in order. RUN YOUR BOOK CLUB Start a club in under a minute, or join one with an invite code from a friend. You can also browse public clubs by city, filter for in person or virtual, and search by the vibes you are after. Pick the next book together with a vote, so nobody has to be the one who decides. Set the night and the place, let everyone RSVP going, maybe or cannot make it, and add it to your calendar in a tap. See how far along everyone is, so nobody arrives half a book behind. Discussion threads stay organized by chapter, so you can talk about what you have read without spoiling what you have not. Stuck for something to say? Starter questions are ready when you need them. Every book your club has read together is kept as a history you can look back on. READ WITH FRIENDS Add pals and see what they are reading right now. Share a shelf, recommend a book straight to someone, and get a nudge when a friend finishes something you have been eyeing. AND A LITTLE FUN Guess the Book is a new puzzle every day. A blurred cover, five tries, and a fresh clue with every guess. Build a streak and compare notes with your club. Tier boards let you rank everything you have read exactly how you want, then share the result. ChapterPals is free to use, works on your phone and in your browser, and never sells your reading history. Reading is better with friends.

Screenshots

Curl Up4 screens
ChapterPals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ChapterPals at none against Curl Up's 3. ChapterPals also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Curl Up sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ChapterPals asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Curl Up ships an update monthly, ChapterPals every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Curl Up versus ChapterPals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCurl UpChapterPals
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB55 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperSophswrld LLCEdward Buchholz

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Curl Up

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Founding Reader Lifetime Offer$49.99
None

ChapterPals

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Curl Up free?
Curl Up is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ChapterPals free?
ChapterPals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Curl Up or ChapterPals have ads?
Neither Curl Up nor ChapterPals shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Curl Up or ChapterPals?
Curl Up ships an update monthly, and ChapterPals every 2 days. Most recently, Curl Up was updated on October 31, 2026 and ChapterPals on October 31, 2026.

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