# PocketBook Reader vs ReadEra

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ReadEra at none against PocketBook Reader's 56. PocketBook Reader's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (9.8K vs 231). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PocketBook Reader sells 41 one-off in-app purchases. ReadEra asks for nothing beyond the download.

PocketBook Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PocketBook Reader has 9.8K ratings behind it against 231, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of PocketBook Reader's written reviews are positive against 60% of ReadEra's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PocketBook Reader | ReadEra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketbook-reader/id805488884/reviews)** | [4.2 (231 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readera-book-reader-pdf-epub/id1669188337/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.8K** | 231 |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **60.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #152 | **#107** |
| Size | 106 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocketbook International SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536135171) | [READERA EOOD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667303380) |

## What reviewers say

### PocketBook Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketbook-reader/id805488884)

**Currently charting:** #152 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Supports 26 book and audio formats, PDF Reflow function, Text-to-speech engine, Cloud synchronization service, Customizable interface and reading settings, Adobe DRM support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (41)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| eBook | $0.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class A) | $0.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $1.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class B) | $1.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $2.95 | one-time |
| eBook | $2.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class C) | $2.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 4.79 | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 4.19 | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class D) | $3.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class Alt5) | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 5.39 | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class F) | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 5.89 | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 5.09 | $4.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class G) | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 7.09 | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 7.19 | $5.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 8.29 | $6.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 7.59 | $6.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $7.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 8.89 | $7.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class J) | $8.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $8.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $9.90 | one-time |
| eBook | $9.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class L) | $10.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 13.9 | $11.90 | one-time |
| eBook | $11.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 12.99 | $11.99 | one-time |
| eBook | $12.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class N) | $12.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class O) | $13.99 | one-time |
| eBook: type 17.9 | $14.90 | one-time |
| eBook | $14.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class R) | $16.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class T) | $18.99 | one-time |
| eBook (class W) | $21.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient reading experience
- 🚀 Smooth scrolling
- 💡 Customizable settings (font, margin, etc.)
- 🔒 Supports DRM-protected content
- 👍 Intuitive user interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Unreliable cloud sync
- 🐛 Inconsistent page rendering
- 🐛 Buggy text highlighting and annotation
- 🐛 Slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### ReadEra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readera-book-reader-pdf-epub/id1669188337)

**Currently charting:** #107 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

This app allows you to read and listen to books and documents in various formats, including PDF and EPUB. It offers text-to-speech functionality, customizable reading settings, and a built-in book manager for your library. Enjoy an ad-free and registration-free reading experience.

**Highlights:** Multi-format ebook support (EPUB, PDF, MOBI, DOCX, etc.), Text-to-Speech (TTS) for listening to books, Ad-free and registration-free experience, Offline reading capabilities, Book manager with grouping and sorting, Customizable reading settings (themes, fonts, margins)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Privacy-respecting
- 👍 Customizable reading experience
- 👍 Offline functionality
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional performance issues
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 👎 Missing key features from Android version
- 👎 Lack of organization tools (collections, folders)
- 👎 No text-to-speech or annotation features

**Reported bugs**

- Unexpected page jumps or scrolling issues
- Compatibility problems with certain file formats
- Inconsistent behavior when minimizing or locking the screen

**Requested features**

- Add text-to-speech functionality
- Implement highlighting, annotation, and lookup features
- Introduce cloud sync and cross-device syncing
- Expand font and theme options
- Add search within documents


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PocketBook Reader free?

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

### Is ReadEra free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PocketBook Reader or ReadEra?

PocketBook Reader is rated higher. PocketBook Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.8K ratings, while ReadEra averages 4.2 from 231 ratings.

### Do PocketBook Reader or ReadEra have ads?

Neither PocketBook Reader nor ReadEra shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PocketBook Reader or ReadEra?

PocketBook Reader ships an update every 2 months, and ReadEra every 2 months. Most recently, PocketBook Reader was updated on September 24, 2026 and ReadEra on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, PocketBook Reader or ReadEra?

PocketBook Reader currently peaks at #152 in the App Store charts, and ReadEra at #107. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*