# Dear Reader vs Readence

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dear Reader at none against Readence's 2. Readence's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 9 days) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Readence sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Dear Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Dear Reader ships an update every 9 days, Readence daily. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dear Reader | Readence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Daily** |
| Size | 51 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Moonsun Yang](https://appshunter.io/developer/6779434903) | [Lajos Gere](https://appshunter.io/developer/6794346836) |

## What reviewers say

### Dear Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-reader-reading-journal/id6779434901)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Readence

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readence-reading-habit/id6794346834)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Readence Plus (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Readence Plus (Annual) | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dear Reader free?

Dear Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Readence free?

Readence is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Dear Reader or Readence have ads?

Both Dear Reader and Readence show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dear Reader or Readence?

Dear Reader ships an update every 9 days, and Readence daily. Most recently, Dear Reader was updated on October 19, 2026 and Readence on October 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*