Comparison

MagicReader vs Compendium Audiobooks

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

Head to head
About

MagicReader

Features
Read full description

Read without touching the screen. MagicReader is a hands-free reader for EPUB, PDF and comics: turn your head, wave a hand, wink, or just say "next page" — and the page turns. Or sit back and let a natural voice read to you. Whether your hands are busy, wet, full, or simply resting — or touching the screen is difficult for you — MagicReader keeps the story going. NEW: OPENS LIKE A REAL BOOK • Ready for iPhone Duo — unfold it and your book becomes a two-page spread, with the spine right on the fold • Landscape reading — two pages side by side on iPad and most iPhones, for EPUB, PDF and comics, including vertical Japanese books • Flip page turns — pages turn over like paper and follow your finger • Split View on iPad and iPhone Duo TOUCH-FREE READING • Head control — turn your head left or right to flip pages; look up to open or close a book • Wink control — wink your right eye to go forward, your left to go back (Face ID devices) • Hand control — a cursor follows your hand; close your hand to grab a book, swipe from the screen edge to flip • Voice control — say "next", "back", "open", "read aloud" and more, in English, Japanese, Spanish, French or German • A guided tour teaches every gesture with live practice NATURAL READ-ALOUD • Natural, expressive voices read your EPUB books aloud — in English and Japanese • The sentence being spoken is highlighted, and pages turn in step with the narration • English narration powered by Kokoro; Japanese voices powered by VOICEVOX (VOICEVOX:No.7, VOICEVOX:四国めたん, VOICEVOX:青山龍星, VOICEVOX Nemo) • Books in Spanish, French and German are read by your device's system voice for that language, with nothing to download • Natural voices are downloaded once, then work fully offline — all speech is generated on your device YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR WAY • EPUB and PDF books, plus CBZ/CBR comics and manga • Beautiful animated bookshelf themes — drifting watercolour clouds, a starry cosmos, and story worlds that come alive behind special books • Japanese vertical text (縦書き) done right, with optional automatic furigana (ふりがな) above kanji • Comfortable reading themes, adjustable fonts (including OpenDyslexic for dyslexia-friendly reading), and remembered positions THOUSANDS OF FREE CLASSICS • Browse and download public-domain classics from Project Gutenberg and Aozora Bunko (青空文庫) — from Alice in Wonderland to 銀河鉄道の夜 — right inside the app PRIVATE BY DESIGN • The camera and microphone are used only to recognize your gestures and commands, entirely on your device • Nothing is recorded, nothing is uploaded, and there are no accounts, no ads, and no tracking — ever MagicReader began in 2012 as one of the first face-controlled book readers on the App Store. It has been rebuilt from the ground up for today's devices — same magic, new tricks. Reading is best when nothing comes between you and the story. Not even your hands.

About

Compendium Audiobooks

Access a vast library of classic literature and philosophy as audiobooks. Enjoy chapter-by-chapter playback with adjustable speed and background listening. Start with free first chapters and unlock more content with an account.

Highlights
  • 690+ audiobooks library
  • Chapter-by-chapter playback
  • Adjustable playback speed
  • Background audio playback
  • Save progress across sessions
  • No sign-up required for free chapters
Features
Read full description

The great books. Beautifully read. Compendium is a library of 1,100+ classic audiobooks, from Plato and Marcus Aurelius to Austen, Dostoevsky, Shelley, Nietzsche and Poe. The text of every book is on screen while you listen. The first chapter of every book plays free, with no account needed. LISTEN AND READ - Switch between Listen and Read at any time. The sentence being read is highlighted as it plays. - Two narrators on selected titles, Nathaniel and Amelia. Switch mid-chapter without losing your place. THE LIBRARY - 1,100+ titles in philosophy, classic and literary fiction, gothic and horror, adventure, mystery, poetry, drama and history - Over 10,000 hours of listening, with new books added regularly THE PLAYER - Playback speed, 30-second skips, sleep timer and a chapter list - Background audio with lock-screen and Control Center controls - Download whole books to listen offline (subscribers) - Your place syncs across iPhone, Android and the web - Listening hours, books finished and your streak on the home screen - Share the line you're hearing as an Instagram Stories card - Add friends by username to see what they're reading ACCOUNTS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS A free account lets you keep one full book and saves your progress across devices. Full-library listening, account and subscription management happen on compendium.audio. Questions: support@compendium.audio

Screenshots

MagicReader2 screens
Compendium Audiobooks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Compendium Audiobooks at weekly against MagicReader's monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MagicReader ships an update monthly, Compendium Audiobooks weekly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
MagicReader versus Compendium Audiobooks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagicReaderCompendium Audiobooks
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLeo Rivas-MicoudCompendium LLC

In-app purchases

None

MagicReader

No in-app purchases

None

Compendium Audiobooks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MagicReader free?
MagicReader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Compendium Audiobooks free?
Compendium Audiobooks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MagicReader or Compendium Audiobooks have ads?
Neither MagicReader nor Compendium Audiobooks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MagicReader or Compendium Audiobooks?
MagicReader ships an update monthly, and Compendium Audiobooks weekly. Most recently, MagicReader was updated on October 29, 2026 and Compendium Audiobooks on October 29, 2026.

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