Comparison

Focus Reader vs PaperTrail

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

Head to head
About

Focus Reader

Features
Read full description

Read faster and stay focused, on anything you read. Focus Reader highlights the start of each word to guide your eyes across the page. That small visual anchor helps you keep your place, read with less effort and stay focused for longer - a simple reading aid that makes dense text easier to get through. Great for readers who find it hard to focus, and for anyone who just wants to read faster. HOW IT WORKS - Paste or type any text and Focus Reader restyles it instantly - Adjust the intensity to match how much guidance you want - Choose your typeface, size and spacing for a comfortable read - Light and dark mode READ ANYWHERE (PRO) - Import PDFs and documents and read them in focus style - Open any web article in a clean, distraction-free reader - Safari extension: restyle the page you are reading, right in Safari - Share extension: send text or links from any app straight into Focus Reader PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything happens on your device. No account, no tracking, nothing leaves your phone. 37 LANGUAGES Fully localized, with right-to-left support. FOCUS READER PRO Unlock document import, the web reader and both extensions: - Weekly and yearly plans, plus a one-time Lifetime unlock Prices are shown in the app and vary by region. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://tupungatostudios.com/privacy/focus-reader

About

PaperTrail

Features
Read full description

Give your paperwork a place. PaperTrail brings receipts, warranties, reference documents and the details behind them into a private workspace for iPhone and iPad. Build a Trail around a purchase, a project or a part of your life, then keep its documents, notes and next actions together. CAPTURE AND FIND Scan multiple pages with your camera, choose photos, import files or use Save to PaperTrail from another app. Keep original PDFs and images intact, then search their text with on-device text recognition. REVIEW THE DETAILS Check suggested merchants, dates, totals and currencies against the original. Suggestions stay unconfirmed until you review them, and extracted dates never create reminders automatically. CONNECT YOUR PAPERWORK Organize Trails into collections, add tags and notes, and link one document to several Trails without duplicating its original. Use Inbox to find documents that need attention and Upcoming to see your next actions. REMEMBER WHAT COMES NEXT Add your own deadlines and enable optional local reminders. Notification details are private by default. Actions remain available in the app if you decline notification permission. MAKE A USEFUL PDF PACKET Select documents, arrange their order and add an optional cover and summary. Preview the finished PDF, then share it when you need to send a repair history, purchase record or project packet. KEEP CONTROL OF YOUR LIBRARY Use optional Face ID, Touch ID or device-passcode authentication. PaperTrail hides document content when inactive and preserves deleted documents in Trash until you choose permanent deletion. Your library is stored on this device, with no PaperTrail account, advertising, analytics SDK or cloud AI. PaperTrail is free, with no subscriptions or in-app purchases. BACK UP AND MOVE DELIBERATELY Export a manual backup to keep a recovery copy or transfer your library to another device. Library files are excluded from automatic device backups, including iCloud Backup, so keep a manual backup somewhere safe. There is no automatic sync between iPhone and iPad. Manual backups are not password-protected. Shared files and copies saved to cloud providers are outside PaperTrail's app lock. Restore validates a backup before replacing the current library; it does not merge libraries. Start with your own documents or explore the optional, clearly labeled sample library in Settings. Requires iOS or iPadOS 18 or later. Camera scanning requires a supported device. Supports PDF, JPEG, PNG, HEIC/HEIF and TIFF originals up to 100 MB each. Manual backups support libraries up to 1 GB.

Screenshots

Focus Reader3 screens
PaperTrail4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PaperTrail at none against Focus Reader's 3. 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. Focus Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. PaperTrail asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 4 level
Focus Reader versus PaperTrail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFocus ReaderPaperTrail
PriceFreeFree
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size15 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBASTIAN VIDELAChristopher Kirkland

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Focus Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Yearly$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$29.99
None

PaperTrail

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Focus Reader free?
Focus Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PaperTrail free?
PaperTrail is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Focus Reader or PaperTrail have ads?
Neither Focus Reader nor PaperTrail shows ads.

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