Comparison

Novel Manager vs CustomBooks

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

Head to head
About

Novel Manager

Organize, import, and read your personal novels with a private, distraction-free reader. Features smart chapter detection, customizable reading settings, and seamless iCloud sync across devices. Edit and format text with ease, and manage your library with collections and series grouping.

Highlights
  • TXT and EPUB import
  • Smart chapter detection
  • Customizable reading themes
  • In-book search and bookmarks
  • Collections and series grouping
  • Built-in chapter editor
  • Private iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

No Ads, No Account, No Tracking, Collects no data. Novel Manager is a fast, private reader and library for your own novels — built for web novels and classics. IMPORT • TXT and EPUB import with automatic encoding detection (UTF-8, GB18030, Big5 and more) • Smart chapter detection tuned for Chinese novels — 第X章 / 卷 / 节 and other patterns, with a full preview before anything is saved • Re-split, merge, rename, and reorder chapters any time READ • Clean, distraction-free reading in scroll or page-turn mode • Adjustable font, text size, line spacing, and reading themes, including dark mode • Your reading position is remembered per book — and follows you across devices • Fast in-book search and bookmarks with surrounding context ORGANIZE • A shelf with covers, in grid or list • Collections and series grouping with volumes • Image gallery for illustrated books — browse images, set one as the cover, or jump straight to its passage EDIT & FORMAT • Built-in chapter editor • Smart text formatting: punctuation normalization, paragraph spacing, and indentation in one tap SYNC & BACK UP • Private iCloud sync across your iPhones — automatic, no extra account • One-tap full backup to a portable .novelpack file; restore on any device • Export chapters or whole books as TXT PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Local-first: your books live on your device and in your personal iCloud • No ads, no tracking, and no third-party server ever sees your library

About

CustomBooks

Features
Read full description

CustomBookS Take control of your ebook library. A beautiful library shouldn't be ruined by inconsistent covers, incorrect titles, or messy metadata. CustomBookS is designed to help you organize and personalize your EPUB collection with a simple, privacy-focused editing experience. Features Edit EPUB Metadata Change book titles Edit author names Update descriptions Replace book covers Wireless Local Transfer No cables required No cloud uploads Import and export ebooks directly over your local network Build a Cleaner Library Fix incorrect metadata Replace low-quality or inconsistent covers Create a more organized library in Kindle, Apple Books, and other reading apps Simple, Fast, and Private No ads All processing happens locally Designed for ebook lovers and collectors Whether you're a Kindle user, an avid reader, or someone who wants a cleaner and more beautiful ebook collection, CustomBookS gives you full control over your library.

Screenshots

Novel Manager4 screens
CustomBooks3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: CustomBooks at every 2 weeks against Novel Manager's every 2 months. CustomBooks also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Novel Manager ships an update every 2 months, CustomBooks every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Novel Manager versus CustomBooks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNovel ManagerCustomBooks
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLin Xiang永隆 郝

In-app purchases

None

Novel Manager

No in-app purchases

None

CustomBooks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Novel Manager free?
Novel Manager is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CustomBooks free?
CustomBooks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Novel Manager or CustomBooks have ads?
Neither Novel Manager nor CustomBooks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Novel Manager or CustomBooks?
Novel Manager ships an update every 2 months, and CustomBooks every 2 weeks. Most recently, Novel Manager was updated on October 24, 2026 and CustomBooks on October 28, 2026.

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