PocketBook Reader vs Stanza Redux
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PocketBook Reader
This app is a versatile reader supporting 26 book and audio formats, including EPUB, PDF, and audiobooks. It offers features like PDF reflow, text-to-speech, cloud synchronization, and extensive customization options for a comfortable reading experience.
- Supports 26 book and audio formats
- PDF Reflow function
- Text-to-speech engine
- Cloud synchronization service
- Customizable interface and reading settings
- Adobe DRM support
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PocketBook Reader is a free app for reading all formats (books, magazines, textbooks, comic books, etc.) and listening to audiobooks! The application supports 26 book and audio formats, including mobi, epub, fb2, cbz, cbr. Read without ads and with total comfort! Choose any content - any format! • Support of 19 book formats, including the most popular - EPUB, FB2, MOBI, PDF, DJVU, DOCX, RTF, TXT, HTML; • Comic book formats CBR and CBZ; • Open books protected with Adobe DRM (PDF, EPUB); • PDF Reflow function (reflow text in PDF files). Listen to audiobooks! • You can listen to audiobooks and other audio files in MP3, M4B, and take notes in them; • Built-in TTS (Text-to-speech) engine for the voicing of the text files. Download and sync content easily! • Free PocketBook Cloud service for synchronizing all your books, including audiobooks, as well as reading positions, notes and bookmarks on all your devices; • Your files from Dropbox or Google Books services are easily connected to the app to create one consolidated library. You can even connect multiple accounts at the same time; • Support for OPDS catalogs - get access to network libraries; • ISBN scanner, for quick search of electronic versions of books by barcode; • Opportunity to borrow books and periodicals; • If you have a E Ink e-reader PocketBook, you can easily synchronize all your books and accounts just by scanning a QR code. Ready to switch from another app? No problem! Getting started with PocketBook Reader is easy! With an intuitive interface, the application provides you with unprecedented freedom – lots of options for settings and no restrictions. Choose, change, customize, and personalize! • Intuitive interface, easy navigation, and minimalistic design; • Opportunity to choose one of the seven interface color themes, reassign the buttons and display areas; • Two night-reading modes - for better reading comfort anytime; • Adjust the font style, font size, line spacing, and margin size; • Animation of turning pages; • Opportunity to crop margins – make the page look exactly the way you want. Get fast file access and easy search! • All files are quickly found and instantly opened, even with built-in audio and video fragments; • Your books will never be lost in the device’s memory - thanks to the smart search, scanning files on your tablet or smartphone is a matter of seconds. Any file or document can be found in a few clicks! • The app allows you to sort books, create collections, filter and mark files as you like. Your library - your rules; • Convenient managing of audio files - it is easy to sort and play your audiobooks. Make bookmarks, take notes, add comments! • You can quickly find all your notes and share them with friends via email or messengers; • Collect all your notes, bookmarks, and comments into separate files for even greater convenience. PocketBook Reader was created by avid readers for avid readers, and that’s why it’s probably the best e-book reader app.
Stanza Redux
This open-source ebook reader allows you to import and organize your EPUB library. Customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts, themes, and spacing. Discover free books from public domain catalogs and pick up where you left off.
- Import EPUB files
- Customizable reading experience
- Adjustable fonts and themes
- Browse public domain catalogs
- Organized library with cover art
- Save reading progress and bookmarks
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Stanza Redux is a free, open-source ebook reader that brings your EPUB library to life. Import books from your device, browse and download from public domain catalogs, and enjoy a beautifully customizable reading experience. POWERFUL READER Read EPUB books with smooth animated page turns, adjustable fonts, and multiple reading themes including Light, Dark, and Sepia. Customize line spacing, character spacing, word spacing, margins, and text alignment to create your perfect reading environment. YOUR LIBRARY, ORGANIZED Import EPUB files from your device or download books directly from online catalogs. Your library displays cover art, author names, and reading progress at a glance. Search, sort, and manage your collection with ease. BROWSE PUBLIC DOMAIN CATALOGS Discover thousands of free books from curated sources like Standard Ebooks, Project Gutenberg, and Ebooks Gratuits. Browse by category, search by title or author, and download books directly into your library. Add your own OPDS catalog feeds for even more choices. PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF Stanza Redux remembers your reading position in every book. Bookmark important passages, add notes, and navigate with a full table of contents. Your progress is always saved automatically. READING YOUR WAY Choose from a selection of fonts including serif, sans-serif, and custom typefaces. Adjust font size from 50% to 300%. Fine-tune line height, word spacing, character spacing, and page margins with quick-access controls right in the reader. OPEN AND FREE Stanza Redux is open-source software licensed under the GPL. No ads, no tracking, no subscriptions. Your books are yours.
Screenshots
Verdict
PocketBook Reader and Stanza Redux both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Stanza Redux's written reviews are positive against 55% of PocketBook Reader's. Stanza Redux also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 56) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). PocketBook Reader's advantage is ratings volume (9.8K vs 2) and chart position (#168 vs unranked). On price, rating 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
Both are free to download. PocketBook Reader sells 41 one-off in-app purchases. Stanza Redux asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for PocketBook Reader against 4.5 for Stanza Redux. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PocketBook Reader has 9.8K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of PocketBook Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of Stanza Redux's.
PocketBook Reader ships an update every 2 months, Stanza Redux every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PocketBook Reader | Stanza Redux |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (9.8K ratings) | 4.5 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9.8K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #168 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 106 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pocketbook International SA | The App Fair Project Inc |
Customer experience
PocketBook Reader
Stanza Redux
Bugs and requests
PocketBook Reader
Reported bugs
4 issues- Books disappearing from library after login issues
- Inability to open DRM-protected PDFs
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between portrait and landscape modes
- Text-to-speech voice quality issues
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to organize books into custom folders
- Option to disable quick action zones
- Improved text-to-speech controls (seek, pause, etc.)
- Support for handwritten annotations with Apple Pencil
- Faster page turning and scrolling
Stanza Redux
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PocketBook Reader
- eBook3 variants$0.99
- eBook (class A)$0.99
- eBook2 variants$1.99
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- eBook (class B)$1.99
- eBook$2.95
- eBook2 variants$2.99
- eBook (class C)$2.99
- eBook3 variants$3.99
- eBook: type 4.79$3.99
- eBook: type 4.19$3.99
- eBook (class D)$3.99
- eBook (class Alt5)$4.99
- eBook: type 5.39$4.99
- eBook (class F)$4.99
- eBook: type 5.89$4.99
- eBook$4.99
- eBook: type 5.09$4.99
- eBook (class G)$5.99
- eBook2 variants$5.99
- eBook: type 7.09$5.99
- eBook: type 7.19$5.99
- eBook: type 8.29$6.99
- eBook: type 7.59$6.99
- eBook3 variants$7.99
- eBook: type 8.89$7.99
- eBook (class J)$8.99
- eBook$8.99
- eBook$9.90
- eBook2 variants$9.99
- eBook (class L)$10.99
- eBook: type 13.9$11.90
- eBook$11.99
- eBook: type 12.99$11.99
- eBook$12.99
- eBook (class N)$12.99
- eBook (class O)$13.99
- eBook: type 17.9$14.90
- eBook$14.99
- eBook (class R)$16.99
- eBook (class T)$18.99
- eBook (class W)$21.99
Stanza Redux
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PocketBook Reader free?
Is Stanza Redux free?
Which has better reviews, PocketBook Reader or Stanza Redux?
Do PocketBook Reader or Stanza Redux have ads?
Which is updated more often, PocketBook Reader or Stanza Redux?
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