# Issa Reader vs Afterword

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Issa Reader at none against Afterword's 3. Issa Reader also leads on device support (4 vs 2). Afterword's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Afterword sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Issa Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Issa Reader against 5.0 for Afterword. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.

Issa Reader ships an update weekly, Afterword every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Issa Reader | Afterword |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/issa-reader/id6806803431/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afterword-ebook-reader/id6826912945/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 23 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Benjamin Issa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1860745071) | [Abel Garcia](https://appshunter.io/developer/6826913157) |

## What reviewers say

### Issa Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/issa-reader/id6806803431)

This app syncs your ebooks with audiobooks from a self-hosted server, allowing seamless transitions between reading and listening. It offers a native reading experience with customizable text and themes, and advanced audiobook playback features.

**Highlights:** Seamless read-to-listen transition, Native typesetting engine, Customizable reading fonts and themes, Variable speed audiobook playback, CarPlay integration, Offline library access, Home Screen widget

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Afterword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afterword-ebook-reader/id6826912945)

**Features:** Family Sharing, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Afterword Plus Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Afterword Plus Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Afterword Plus Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Issa Reader free?

Issa Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Afterword free?

Afterword is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Issa Reader or Afterword?

Issa Reader and Afterword are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Issa Reader or Afterword have ads?

Neither Issa Reader nor Afterword shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Issa Reader or Afterword?

Issa Reader ships an update weekly, and Afterword every 2 days. Most recently, Issa Reader was updated on November 11, 2026 and Afterword on November 10, 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.*