# Sutra vs iRead

The clearest difference is rating: iRead at 5.0 against Sutra's 4.3. iRead also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). Sutra's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and ratings volume (17 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sutra sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and iRead sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iRead holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sutra has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Sutra ships an update weekly, iRead every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sutra | iRead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sutra-ebook-and-comic-reader/id6780096864/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iread-read-aloud-epub-reader/id6786994940/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 73.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 42 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Koustav Dasgupta](https://appshunter.io/developer/6772577121) | [Shuhui Sheng](https://appshunter.io/developer/6783579766) |

## What reviewers say

### Sutra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sutra-ebook-and-comic-reader/id6780096864)

Access your entire book collection from various sources in one beautiful app. Enjoy a customizable reading experience with synced progress, bookmarks, and highlights across devices. Organize your library with series info, search, and collections.

**Highlights:** Connect Kavita, Calibre, and OPDS servers, EPUB and PDF reading with page-curl effect, Rich typography and reading themes, iCloud sync for progress, bookmarks, and highlights, Offline downloads, Highlighting and search functionality, Series grouping and collections

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sutra Pro | $6.99 | one-time |


### iRead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iread-read-aloud-epub-reader/id6786994940)

Listen to your EPUB, TXT, and MOBI books with natural-sounding voices, completely offline. Import your existing library and enjoy background playback with lock screen controls. A Pro version unlocks premium voices with a one-time purchase.

**Highlights:** Listen to EPUB, TXT, MOBI aloud, Natural neural voices, Fully offline operation, Background playback, Import from Files/Share Sheet, Light/dark themes, Library management

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iRead Pro | $11.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sutra free?

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

### Is iRead free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sutra or iRead?

iRead is rated higher. Sutra averages 4.3 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while iRead averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Sutra or iRead have ads?

Neither Sutra nor iRead shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sutra or iRead?

Sutra ships an update weekly, and iRead every 3 days. Most recently, Sutra was updated on October 25, 2026 and iRead on October 25, 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.*