Comparison

Lu Reader vs Hardcover

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

Head to head
About

Lu Reader

This application offers a streamlined reading experience for various document and e-book formats, including EPUB and PDF. It features customizable reading settings, text-to-speech functionality, and smart library management. Users can back up their data to Google Drive.

Highlights
  • Supports EPUB, PDF, TXT, DOC, FB2, HWP, ZIP, CBZ
  • 11 customizable color themes
  • Adjustable font size, line spacing, and margins
  • In-app brightness control
  • Text-to-speech with adjustable speed
  • Automatic table of contents generation
  • Smart library with sorting and search
Features
Read full description

Lu Reader is a fast, clean, all-in-one reader for your documents and e-books - with no clutter and no sign-up required. SUPPORTED FORMATS - Text and e-books: TXT, EPUB, PDF, FB2, DOC, DOCX, HWP, HWPX - Archives containing text files: ZIP, CBZ COMFORTABLE READING - 11 color themes (cream, sepia, mint, black, navy and more) - Fine-tune font size, line spacing and margins - In-app brightness control for reading in the dark - Keep-screen-on, screen rotation and immersive full-screen mode VOICE READING (TTS) - Listen to any text with the current sentence highlighted - Adjustable speed from 0.6x to 2.0x - Choose from voices installed on your device - Sleep timer to stop automatically AUTOMATIC TABLE OF CONTENTS - Builds a chapter list even for plain TXT files - Detects multilingual chapter patterns - Jumps to and highlights the current chapter SMART LIBRARY - Add files from the Files app or the in-app file browser - Reading progress percentage and progress bar - Sort by name, date or progress, and search by filename - Bookmark your position; select a word for dictionary and translation - Auto-scroll and in-text search BACKUP & RESTORE - Safely back up your books, reading positions, bookmarks and settings to your own Google Drive - Restore everything on a new device Lu Reader keeps the focus on reading. Download it and enjoy your library, your way.

About

Hardcover

Manage your personal comic and ebook library locally on your device. Organize titles into collections, track reading progress, and enjoy seamless navigation between chapters. Supports various file formats and offers offline reading for authorized content.

Highlights
  • Local-first library management
  • Organize titles into collections
  • Continuous vertical and paged reading
  • Seamless chapter navigation
  • CBZ, PDF, EPUB import
  • Offline reading support
  • Reading history and bookmarks
Read full description

Hardcover - Reader is a private, local-first reader built for a library you control. Import supported comic and ebook files, organize titles into collections, and continue reading across long chapters. Download authorized material for offline reading where supported. The app starts with no content catalog or repository. Advanced users may manually connect a compatible HTTPS repository they choose. Before installing a plug-in, the app displays its developer, content rating, and requested network hosts. Repositories are never bundled, recommended, or installed automatically. Automatic updates for already-installed extensions can be managed in Settings; updates requesting new permissions require review. Features include: • A fast library with collections, search, sorting, and unread counts • Continuous vertical and paged comic reading, with pinch and double-tap zoom • A dedicated text-novel reader with adjustable typography and spacing • Passage highlights and notes • Foreground read-aloud with adjustable speed and a sleep timer • Previous- and next-chapter navigation and Continue Reading • Save titles and choose collections directly from the reader • CBZ, PDF, DRM-free comic and text EPUB, and supported backup import • Manual backup and restore • Optional iCloud Sync for your library, collections, reading progress, history, highlights, and notes • Source troubleshooting with manual checks and preview-first diagnostic sharing • Optional app lock and Spotlight integration • A one-time Remove Ads purchase No Hardcover account is required. Your library is stored locally unless you choose to enable iCloud Sync, which uses your private iCloud database and requires the same Apple Account on your devices. Downloaded chapters, imported files, extension code, and logins do not sync. Only import or access material you own or are authorized to use.

Screenshots

Lu Reader4 screens
Hardcover1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lu Reader at none against Hardcover's 1. Lu Reader also leads on iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Hardcover sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Lu Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lu Reader ships an update every 4 days, Hardcover every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 7, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lu Reader versus Hardcover: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLu ReaderHardcover
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—8 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.5 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB22 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developersanghun jeongSteas Software

Customer experience

Lu Reader

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Hardcover

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Lu Reader

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Hardcover

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$4.99

Questions

Is Lu Reader free?
Lu Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hardcover free?
Hardcover is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Lu Reader or Hardcover have ads?
Both Lu Reader and Hardcover show ads.
Which is updated more often, Lu Reader or Hardcover?
Lu Reader ships an update every 4 days, and Hardcover every 3 days. Most recently, Lu Reader was updated on October 7, 2026 and Hardcover on October 7, 2026.

Other comparisons