Comparison

Hardcover vs ReadIt

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

Head to head
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.

About

ReadIt

Features
Read full description

Turn the books you already own into audiobooks. Import any EPUB and ReadIt reads it aloud using the voices already on your iPhone. No streaming, no catalog, no account. Your library stays on your device. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Import any EPUB you own — books you bought, downloaded, or wrote yourself • Listen with your phone's built-in voices, offline, with no network needed • Follow along as each line is highlighted while it's spoken • Pick up exactly where you left off, in every book • Adjust speed, voice, type size, margins, and page colour • Read in Paper, Sepia, or Night, whichever suits the room BUILT FOR LONG READING SESSIONS Playback continues with the screen off, and works from the Lock Screen and Control Center. A daily reading goal and a streak calendar keep the habit visible without nagging. STARTS WITH BOOKS INSIDE A handful of public-domain classics come bundled, so there's something to listen to the moment you open the app. YOUR LIBRARY STAYS YOURS Books, progress, and settings live in the app's own storage on your device. There is no account, and no copy of your library on our servers. Deleting the app deletes all of it. READIT PRO Free includes 2 hours of listening a day, up to 40 hours a month. ReadIt Pro removes both limits: • Unlimited listening, with no daily cap • No monthly hour limit • Every book in your library, start to finish Monthly or yearly. Cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://readit.garcade.in/terms Privacy Policy: https://readit.garcade.in/privacy

Screenshots

Hardcover1 screens
ReadIt4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ReadIt at none against Hardcover's shown. Hardcover's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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 and ReadIt sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hardcover ships an update every 3 days, ReadIt every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Hardcover versus ReadIt: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHardcoverReadIt
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB153 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperSteas SoftwareOm Sharma

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hardcover

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$4.99
2 purchases

ReadIt

Subscriptions2
  • ReadIt Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • ReadIt Pro Yearly$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Hardcover free?
Hardcover is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ReadIt free?
ReadIt is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hardcover or ReadIt have ads?
Hardcover shows ads; ReadIt does not.
Which is updated more often, Hardcover or ReadIt?
Hardcover ships an update every 3 days, and ReadIt every 10 days. Most recently, Hardcover was updated on October 7, 2026 and ReadIt on October 4, 2026.

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