PlotReader vs LightReadr
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PlotReader
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PlotReader is a private ebook reader for macOS. Import TXT, EPUB, PDF, and MOBI books, keep reading progress locally, add bookmarks and notes, and customize your reading experience with themes, font size, line spacing, scroll mode, and system read-aloud voices. When you want a faster overview of a chapter, PlotReader offers optional AI reading tools, including plot summaries and relationship maps. AI features are not enabled by default. You provide your own API key and model service endpoint, and chapter content is sent only when you request generation and allow chapter sharing in Settings. PlotReader also supports optional iCloud backup and restore. Backup data is stored in your private iCloud database. API keys are stored in macOS Keychain and are never included in iCloud backups. Key Features: - Import local TXT, EPUB, PDF, and MOBI books - Local bookshelf, reading progress, bookmarks, notes, and reading statistics - Custom font size, line spacing, themes, and scroll mode - Optional AI plot summaries - Optional AI relationship maps - Read aloud with system voices - Optional on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, with reading progress and your library synced across devices via iCloud. - No app account system
LightReadr
Convert EPUB ebooks into audiobooks with natural-sounding narration. Read normally or switch to listening mid-page. All processing happens locally on your device, ensuring privacy. Import your own books or enjoy preloaded classics.
- Natural voice narration
- Local device processing
- EPUB import
- Customizable reading settings
- iCloud sync for progress
- On-device recap feature
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LightReadr turns your ebooks into audiobooks; with narration you actually want to listen to. Import the books you already have and either read normally or switch to natural-sounding narration mid-page. No robotic text-to-speech voice, no monthly subscription, no account required. NATURAL VOICE NARRATION Choose from several natural-sounding voices. Every word highlights as it's spoken, so you can follow along on the page. Tap any sentence to start narration right there; no need to scrub back to the beginning of the chapter. ENTIRELY ON YOUR DEVICE Narration is generated locally on your iPhone. Your books and the audio LightReadr creates from them never leave your device; there's no server involved in reading to you. BRING YOUR OWN BOOKS Import EPUB files from the Files app. LightReadr comes with five free public-domain classics already in your library, so you've got something to read the moment you install it. MAKE THE PAGE YOURS Adjust font, size, theme, margins, and line height; per book, so one title can look different from the next. Chapter navigation, when the book includes it, gets you around fast. RECAP SO FAR On supported Apple Intelligence devices, LightReadr can generate a short reminder of what's happened in your book so far, based on what you've actually read. YOUR PLACE, EVERYWHERE Reading progress, bookmarks, and highlights sync across your devices through your own iCloud account; never through a LightReadr server. Free. No account. No ads.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: LightReadr at every 4 days against PlotReader's every 2 weeks. PlotReader's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PlotReader ships an update every 2 weeks, LightReadr every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PlotReader | LightReadr |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 289 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 伟 叶 | Cory Borg |
In-app purchases
PlotReader
No in-app purchases
LightReadr
No in-app purchases









