CustomBooks vs Bare Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
CustomBooks
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CustomBookS Take control of your ebook library. A beautiful library shouldn't be ruined by inconsistent covers, incorrect titles, or messy metadata. CustomBookS is designed to help you organize and personalize your EPUB collection with a simple, privacy-focused editing experience. Features Edit EPUB Metadata Change book titles Edit author names Update descriptions Replace book covers Wireless Local Transfer No cables required No cloud uploads Import and export ebooks directly over your local network Build a Cleaner Library Fix incorrect metadata Replace low-quality or inconsistent covers Create a more organized library in Kindle, Apple Books, and other reading apps Simple, Fast, and Private No ads All processing happens locally Designed for ebook lovers and collectors Whether you're a Kindle user, an avid reader, or someone who wants a cleaner and more beautiful ebook collection, CustomBookS gives you full control over your library.
Bare Reader
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Bare Reader is a calm, distraction-free way to read your EPUB books on iPhone. No accounts. No ads. No sync nags. No feed pulling you away from the page. Just your library and your books β stored privately on your device. Less than 5MB in size, Bare Reader is as lightweight as it gets. READING, THE WAY IT SHOULD FEEL Open a book and everything else disappears. A clean, paginated reading view lets you move through pages the way that feels natural to you: swipe, tap the edges, or use the on-screen page buttons. PRIVATE BY DESIGN LeafReader works entirely offline. Your books and your reading never leave your device: there's no account to create and no data collected. What you read is nobody's business but yours. Bring your own EPUBs and enjoy a reader that gets out of the way. Bare Reader is completely free to use. If you enjoy the app, you can optionally purchase a one-time license to remove the occasional support reminder. Purchasing doesn't unlock anything or change how the app works; it's simply a way to support ongoing development.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CustomBooks at none against Bare Reader's 1. Bare Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Bare Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CustomBooks asks for nothing beyond the download.
CustomBooks ships an update every 2 weeks, Bare Reader every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CustomBooks | Bare Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 5 days β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No β better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad β better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.6 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ζ°Έι ι | Nathaniel Rayestu Abdulrachman |
In-app purchases
CustomBooks
No in-app purchases
Bare Reader
- Support Development$1.99
Questions
Is CustomBooks free?
Is Bare Reader free?
Do CustomBooks or Bare Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, CustomBooks or Bare Reader?
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