Comparison

ReadAura vs Papyrus

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

Head to head
About

ReadAura

Features
Read full description

ReadAura helps you build a consistent reading habit. Add books, log the current page in seconds, keep your reading streak alive, and watch your 28-day heatmap fill up as you read. ReadAura is built for readers who want progress without social noise: - private book library; - fast current-page logging; - flexible library search, filters, and sorting; - System, Light, or Dark appearance; - optional ISBNs for your books; - portable export of your books, reading history, and available covers; - current and best reading streaks; - 28-day reading activity heatmap; - simple reading statistics; - local reading reminders; - optional book covers or clean placeholders; - no account required; - offline-first by design; - streak protection for one eligible missed reading day; - possible duplicate-book suggestions before adding another copy; - add books already in progress and decide whether existing pages count toward today; - celebrations for finished books and new personal streak records; - Aura Plus: browse weekly, monthly, and yearly reports, explore long-term reading habits and detailed 28-day activity, see your most-read author, and estimate finish dates from your recent pace; - Free: add up to 10 books. Aura Plus: unlimited books and personal reading insights. ReadAura is not a social network or a heavy book catalog. It is a simple, beautiful reading tracker for people who want to read more often and see their progress.

About

Papyrus

Features
Read full description

Papyrus turns everything you've read into a warm, real bookshelf โ€” right on your iPhone home screen. A cozy private library you actually want to look at. BRING YOUR LIBRARY HOME Every book you've read, standing on a beautiful shelf you can glance at without opening anything. As you finish books, the newest ones slide to the front โ€” so your home screen quietly tells the story of what you've been reading, all year long. Still fully customizable, move the books around how you want, make changes to the shelf and background. THE WIDGET One of our premium paid features is to add the Papyrus widget in small, medium, or large. Your shelf lives on your home screen, gorgeous and glanceable. If you aren't interested in seeing the books then you can see your reading statistics - how many books and pages you've read this year. IMPORT IN SECONDS Bring your reading history over from Goodreads, StoryGraph, or any CSV in a single tap. Your past library fills your shelf instantly. No problem if you don't have any accounts - you can add books individually from our massive library. THREE WAYS TO SEE YOUR SHELF - Spine view with procedurally illustrated, cover-matched spines - Cover view to show off your front covers - A 3/4 perspective "crate" mode that feels like a real shelf Press and scrub to browse, and drag to reorder your books exactly how you like them. STATS THAT FEEL LIKE A FOLIO, NOT A DASHBOARD See how you rate, your fiction vs. nonfiction split, the decades you read across, and your favorite authors and genres โ€” all rendered in big serif numerals with room to breathe. Look back on your year with Reading Wrapped. YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS Export your whole library any time โ€” as a spreadsheet (CSV/XLSX) or a self-contained offline webpage. Free or Pro, your library is always yours to take with you. FREE TO START Try everything with up to 10 books in your collection โ€” a real, full-fidelity trial, not a locked demo. Your wishlist is always unlimited and free. Upgrade to Pro to remove the collection cap and unlock your full library. Upgrade to Pro to unlock the full experience: - Unlimited collection โ€” shelve every book you've ever read, no cap - Your complete library on every widget size and display mode - Full reading stats and Reading Wrapped across your entire history - Export your whole library any time โ€” CSV, XLSX, or a self-contained offline webpage - No ads, no tracking, and your data is never sold โ€” free or Pro Built by one person who wanted their bookshelf on their home screen. No ads. Your data is not sold. Just a beautiful place to keep the books you love. Bring your library home. Terms of Use (EULA): https://papyrus-b03fd.web.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://papyrus-b03fd.web.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

ReadAura4 screens
Papyrus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: ReadAura at 3 against Papyrus's 1. ReadAura also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. ReadAura sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Papyrus sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
ReadAura versus Papyrus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadAuraPapyrus
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size135 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOleh VasylyshynTyler Nam

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ReadAura

Subscriptions2
  • ReadAura Plus Monthly$2.991 Month
  • ReadAura Plus Yearly$24.991 Year
3 purchases

Papyrus

Subscriptions2
  • Papyrus_monthly$1.991 Month
  • papyrus yearly$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • papyrus lifetime$39.99

Questions

Is ReadAura free?
ReadAura is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Papyrus free?
Papyrus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ReadAura or Papyrus have ads?
Neither ReadAura nor Papyrus shows ads.

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