Comparison

Pagira vs Folio

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

Head to head
About

Pagira

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Pagira displays your standalone HTML sites, individual HTML pages and your PDFs directly on your iPhone and iPad, even without a connection. Where most readers settle for a rough rendering, Pagira opens a real, complete web folder (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, subfolders) and renders it like a browser, locally. WHO IS IT FOR? Pagira is for anyone who needs to read standalone HTML sites, individual HTML pages or PDFs directly on their device, especially offline. Typical uses: - Students whose courses are exported as HTML (medicine, law and other fields), or delivered as e-learning modules. - Technical documentation shipped as a website: electronics, mechanics, engineering manuals, datasheets and reference guides. - Developers and writers previewing static sites and generated documentation (Doxygen, Sphinx, MkDocs, Docusaurus, Storybook, Javadoc). - Reports and exports such as Jupyter notebooks, R Markdown or test reports saved as HTML. - Web pages and articles you want to keep and read later, offline. If your content is an HTML folder, a single page or a PDF, Pagira is built to open it cleanly. FEATURES - Full HTML rendering: CSS, JavaScript, images and subfolders genuinely work. fetch/XHR, ES modules and even WebAssembly are supported, because the content is served through a real local web origin, not a simple file preview. - Built-in PDF reader: continuous scrolling and automatic scaling, for your local or iCloud PDFs. - 100% offline: once the content is on your device, everything opens without a connection. Perfect on a plane, while travelling or in areas with no network. - Local files and iCloud Drive: open from the Files app, your local storage or iCloud Drive, and also via "Open in Pagira" from other apps. - iCloud on demand: iCloud files are streamed as you go (without downloading everything), or downloaded explicitly for a permanent offline copy, visible in Files. - Reading list: save a page or a PDF for later. Each item is captured as a self-contained snapshot (web archive or PDF copy), so it stays available offline, with read/unread marking. - History: find every page you have viewed, including navigation within a site, grouped by day, and reopen it exactly where you left off. - Recent items: quick access to your most recently opened folders and files. - Auto-reopen: pick up your last reading as soon as you launch the app (can be turned off). - Web archives: open a saved .webarchive file, rendered offline as is. - Universal: built for iPhone and iPad, in both orientations. - Multilingual: available in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Polish and Portuguese. PRIVACY Pagira collects nothing, tracks no one and requires no account. Your files stay on your device and in your iCloud: nothing is sent to a server. No ads, no tracking. TRIAL AND PURCHASE Try Pagira for free with all its features (up to 20 document openings). After that, a single purchase, with no subscription, unlocks the app for good.

About

Folio

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Folio keeps HTML files readable, interactive, and available offline—exactly the way they were made. No developer-operated server. No Folio account. No conversion that breaks the layout. Bring in a single HTML file or a folder-based page with its referenced CSS, JavaScript, images, and data. Folio gives each page its own local origin so modern pages—including ES modules, fetch requests, and local storage—can work the way they should. BUILD YOUR LIBRARY • Import files from Files or another app's Share sheet • Import a folder-based page with its referenced supporting files • Watch a folder for new and updated pages • Optionally add and refresh selected files from Google Drive • Organize with favorites, tags, searchable icons, sorting, grouping, and library search • Update many pages at once with bulk actions READ AND USE YOUR PAGES • Stay offline by default, with network access controlled separately for each page • Navigate page history, find text, reload, inspect source, and see useful diagnostics • Choose a top or bottom toolbar that gets out of the way as you read • Download files generated by a page, print, or save and share a PDF • Use a full three-column workspace on iPad or focus on the page full screen • Open chosen pages from widgets, and favorites or recent pages from Home Screen quick actions PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No Folio account, advertising, analytics, or tracking • Optional iCloud sync uses your private iCloud database • Optional Google Drive access is limited to files you choose for Folio • Lock individual pages with Face ID or your device passcode • Locked pages are shielded in the app switcher and badged in widgets and quick actions Two included interactive samples make it easy to explore Folio immediately. Keep reports, dashboards, exported notes, archived documentation, and other web files useful wherever you go—even when the network doesn't.

Screenshots

Pagira4 screens
Folio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Folio at none against Pagira's 1. Folio also leads on update cadence (daily vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pagira sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Folio asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pagira ships an update monthly, Folio daily. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Pagira versus Folio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPagiraFolio
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJimmy DE BRUYNEBrian Renshaw

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Pagira

One-time1
  • Pagira Pro$4.99
None

Folio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pagira free?
Pagira is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Folio free?
Folio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Pagira or Folio have ads?
Neither Pagira nor Folio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pagira or Folio?
Pagira ships an update monthly, and Folio daily. Most recently, Pagira was updated on October 7, 2026 and Folio on October 10, 2026.

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