Comparison

CustomBooks vs Bare Reader

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

Head to head
About

CustomBooks

Features
Read full description

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.

About

Bare Reader

Features
Read full description

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.

Screenshots

CustomBooks3 screens
Bare Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Bare Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CustomBooks asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
CustomBooks versus Bare Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCustomBooksBare Reader
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad β€” better
Requires iOS17.016.6 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size3 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerζ°Έιš† 郝Nathaniel Rayestu Abdulrachman

In-app purchases

None

CustomBooks

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Bare Reader

One-time1
  • Support Development$1.99

Questions

Is CustomBooks free?
CustomBooks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bare Reader free?
Bare Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CustomBooks or Bare Reader have ads?
Neither CustomBooks nor Bare Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CustomBooks or Bare Reader?
CustomBooks ships an update every 2 weeks, and Bare Reader every 5 days. Most recently, CustomBooks was updated on October 1, 2026 and Bare Reader on October 9, 2026.

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