2ndBook vs Hardcover
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
2ndBook
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2ndBook is an app about books and about the people who read them. Your personal library, your book club, swapping books with other readers and a comfortable reader all live in one place. YOUR LIBRARY • Add books and documents; by ISBN or a cover photo the fields fill in automatically. • Read offline: local books open with no network and no mandatory sync. • Open books in 2ndBook straight from Files and Telegram via Share — they go right into your library. • EPUB, FB2, MOBI, PRC, DOCX, ODT, RTF, TXT, MD, HTML, PDF and CBZ open in the app’s reader. DJVU, AZW, AZW3, KF8 and CHM are stored and synced, but open in an app on the device. • Listen to audiobooks, book podcasts and video sound with the screen off, with controls in the notification shade and on the lock screen. • Reading progress, bookmarks and favourite quotes sync across your devices. • Select text to save notes and quotes in EPUB, TXT, FB2, DOCX, HTML and Markdown — they gather in one list and open the book right where you made them. • Several accounts on one phone: each keeps its own library, bookmarks and progress. BOOK CLUBS • The club picks its book by vote, and everyone reads it together. • An author or a partner starts a club. • Discussion opens as you read: until you reach a chapter you see only the topic's title — spoilers stay closed. • A club can be open (join in one tap, no request), link-only or invite-only. • Schedule a meeting with an "I'm coming" reply. A coffee break is its own club activity: members split into small groups. • Su-Li-Fa, the club's quick game: the winner names a book first in the next cycle — the vote still happens. • Pass the paper copy to the next member: the club remembers who handed it to whom. • Every club has a chat of its own. BOOKS BETWEEN PEOPLE • Post a book you are ready to sell, gift, swap or lend. • Find other readers' books through search and filters — by genre, from classics to art, photography and design. • Say which format and language you are waiting for — paper, e-book or audio, in Russian, English or Kazakh. • An order takes name, phone and e-mail from your profile and the address from «My addresses». • Give books away: the Gifts section shows what you handed on and what you received, with a clear status for every handover. • Agree the details in the in-app chat. The seller sees the recipient's address and contacts only while handing the book over. • Rate each other after a deal, so the community feels safer. BOOKSHOP PARTNERS • E-books and audiobooks are published by book partners from their storefront. «Become a book partner» is free. • «Read» puts a partner’s book straight into E-BOOK, and it opens offline; if there are several formats, choose one. WHAT ELSE IS HERE • Notifications about what actually matters: a reply in chat, the status of your book, an answer from support. • Support answers inside the app. When it needs more details, the question arrives right in your report, and you answer it in the «Feedback» section. • Dark and light themes; Russian, English and Kazakh. SAFETY AND RESPECT FOR THE READER • Listings pass moderation before publication. Any post can be reported, including for copyright infringement, and any user blocked right from the app; we review every report. • Age ratings on books: restricted editions are unavailable to readers who have not given a date of birth or are below the required age. • We show no ads and do not sell your data. • No paid subscriptions and no in-app purchases: nothing is locked behind a payment. • Readers settle up directly — 2ndBook neither holds nor transfers money. • You delete your account right in the app — immediately, with its files and contacts. • «Delete» on your feedback really erases its text, contacts and screenshots. Legal documents and the privacy policy are in the app and at secondbook.kz. Build your library and give books a second life — with 2ndBook.
Hardcover
Manage your personal comic and ebook library locally on your device. Organize titles into collections, track reading progress, and enjoy seamless navigation between chapters. Supports various file formats and offers offline reading for authorized content.
- Local-first library management
- Organize titles into collections
- Continuous vertical and paged reading
- Seamless chapter navigation
- CBZ, PDF, EPUB import
- Offline reading support
- Reading history and bookmarks
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Hardcover - Reader is a private, local-first reader built for a library you control. Import supported comic and ebook files, organize titles into collections, and continue reading across long chapters. Download authorized material for offline reading where supported. The app starts with no content catalog or repository. Advanced users may manually connect a compatible HTTPS repository they choose. Before installing a plug-in, the app displays its developer, content rating, and requested network hosts. Repositories are never bundled, recommended, or installed automatically. Automatic updates for already-installed extensions can be managed in Settings; updates requesting new permissions require review. Features include: • A fast library with collections, search, sorting, and unread counts • Continuous vertical and paged comic reading, with pinch and double-tap zoom • A dedicated text-novel reader with adjustable typography and spacing • Passage highlights and notes • Foreground read-aloud with adjustable speed and a sleep timer • Previous- and next-chapter navigation and Continue Reading • Save titles and choose collections directly from the reader • CBZ, PDF, DRM-free comic and text EPUB, and supported backup import • Manual backup and restore • Optional iCloud Sync for your library, collections, reading progress, history, highlights, and notes • Source troubleshooting with manual checks and preview-first diagnostic sharing • Optional app lock and Spotlight integration • A one-time Remove Ads purchase No Hardcover account is required. Your library is stored locally unless you choose to enable iCloud Sync, which uses your private iCloud database and requires the same Apple Account on your devices. Downloaded chapters, imported files, extension code, and logins do not sync. Only import or access material you own or are authorized to use.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 2ndBook at none against Hardcover's 1. 2ndBook also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Hardcover sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 2ndBook asks for nothing beyond the download.
2ndBook ships an update every 2 days, Hardcover every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | 2ndBook | Hardcover |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 8 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 70 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Ilnur Stybayev | Steas Software |
In-app purchases
2ndBook
No in-app purchases
Hardcover
- Remove Ads$4.99







