Comparison

TomoTomo vs Prose Reader

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

Head to head
About

TomoTomo

Seamlessly switch between reading ebooks and listening to audiobooks. Your progress is automatically synced across both formats, ensuring you never lose your place. Enjoy a clean, distraction-free experience with support for standard epub and audiobook files.

Highlights
  • Sync position between epub and audiobook
  • Switch between reading and listening
  • Automatic position carry-over
  • Distraction-free reading
  • Supports standard epub and audiobook formats
Features
Read full description

I read fast and listen slow. Some days it’s the other way around. What never changed was how annoying it felt to lose my place every time I switched between the ebook and audiobook of the same story. So I built TomoTomo. The idea is simple: **your ebook and audiobook should feel like one book**, even if you bought them separately. Bring the files you already own, pair them once, and move between reading and listening without starting your search for the right chapter all over again. You don’t need to buy into another library to make your books work together. The hard part is that a place in text and a time in audio are completely different things. TomoTomo connects them in both directions. Read ahead, then press play from your page. Listen on a walk, then open the ebook near the passage you’re hearing. It keeps track through pauses, chapter changes, switching back and forth, and reopening the app. When reliable narration timing is available, Follow Along can highlight the spoken word or passage. When it isn’t, TomoTomo uses the best available match and lets you adjust it. It won’t pretend an estimate is exact. You can also search for a line you remember and use **Play from here** to get back to that part of the story. What it does: - Reads your EPUB and PDF files in a quiet, adjustable reader - Plays your M4B and MP3 folder audiobooks, with lock screen controls, speed settings, and a sleep timer - Pairs matching books and audiobooks automatically, with manual pairing when needed - Carries your place between reading and listening - Follows narration in real time when you want it to - Saves highlights and notes - Keeps imported books available offline There’s an optional companion for talking through a book, and an optional account if you want your place across devices. Neither is needed to read or listen to the files you already have. No streaks. No badges. No login wall between you and your books. Just the freedom to read when you want to read, listen when you want to listen, and keep going.

About

Prose Reader

Features
Read full description

Prose is a clean, local-first reader for ePub and PDF books. Designed with a focus on speed, privacy, and simplicity, Prose works completely offline to keep your personal library secure on your device. Key Features: - Multi-format support: Read ePub 2, ePub 3, and PDF files. - Offline library: View your books in a custom cover grid or detail list. Search, filter, and sort by title, author, last read, or reading progress. - Tailored reading experience: Customize fonts, font size, margins, and line spacing for reflowable ePub books. Zoom and fit controls are available for PDF files. - Reading themes: Switch between light, dark, and sepia themes to match your environment. Themes apply across the entire application interface. - Local-first sync: Connect your own WebDAV server to sync books, reading positions, bookmarks, highlights, and settings. Sync runs in the background and resolves conflicts by keeping your furthest reading position. - Annotation and reference: Create bookmarks, highlight text, and look up definitions using the built-in offline dictionary. - Privacy and security: Your data is never sent to third-party services. WebDAV credentials are saved securely in your operating system keychain. There is no telemetry, analytics, or tracking.

Screenshots

TomoTomo4 screens
Prose Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: TomoTomo at every 5 days against Prose Reader's every 2 months. Prose Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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

TomoTomo ships an update every 5 days, Prose Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
TomoTomo versus Prose Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTomoTomoProse Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (9 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB125 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTyler MulveyElia Salerno

In-app purchases

None

TomoTomo

No in-app purchases

None

Prose Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TomoTomo free?
TomoTomo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Prose Reader free?
Prose Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TomoTomo or Prose Reader have ads?
Neither TomoTomo nor Prose Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TomoTomo or Prose Reader?
TomoTomo ships an update every 5 days, and Prose Reader every 2 months. Most recently, TomoTomo was updated on October 9, 2026 and Prose Reader on October 8, 2026.

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