# Lu Reader vs Hardcover

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.

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

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Lu Reader | Hardcover |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardcover-reader/id6802157187/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **8** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 95 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [sanghun jeong](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790818156) | [Steas Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/6788530525) |

## What reviewers say

### Lu Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lu-reader-epub-and-ebook-reader/id6790819342)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hardcover

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardcover-reader/id6802157187)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*