PocketBook Reader vs Watch Reader
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.
Watch Reader
This app allows you to view text files on your smartwatch. It supports various customization options for text display and offers TTS playback. A companion phone app is required to import files.
- View TXT and EPUB files
- Customizable font, spacing, and colors
- Text-to-Speech (TTS) playback
- iCloud sync for reading progress
- File management via companion phone app
- Support for external font files
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Watch Reader (Watch Reader) is a watch-only text viewer app. You can view the txt file you have by sending it to the watch. First check if you have a watch. (Supported from devices with WatchOS 9.0 or higher installed) It is possible to run the watch app alone, but The phone app is required to import files to the watch app. The steps to import the file are as follows. 1. The phone app checks some text contents in advance and waits to send the file to the watch app. 2. Launch the watch app and import the file to the watch app through “Import File”. 3. iPhone/iPad and Watch must be in close proximity when transferring files using the watch app. ** Watch App Features ** - Supported from devices with WatchOS 9.0 or higher installed (WatchOS 9.0+) - txt file - ePub: Display only text (not supported: image, audio, style (css), chapter) - Font: Watch default font - External font file: Transfer and apply font files in otf and ttf formats to the watch app - font size - letter spacing - line spacing - indent - Alignment (left, right, center, and justification are not supported) - Text color & recommended text color - Background color & recommended background color - Top information: Select one of non-display, progress, and battery - TTS: Background playback after Bluetooth connection - iCloud sync: sync last read location - App lock: If a password is set for the watch app - Clear all caches - Reset settings - Remove continuous blank lines from original file (automatic) - Remove blank lines - Remove a file from the watch app: Swipe left in the file list - App language: Auto / English / Japanese / Korean - Search (Location: Settings - Search) - Designate long-click operation: Unused/TTS/Search - App brightness - Internal speaker playback (background playback is not possible when the internal speaker is set) ** Phone App Features ** - Send files to the watch app - file management - Webdav, SMB, FTP, Synology NAS - If you experience significant noise or stuttering during TTS playback while using AirPods or Bluetooth headsets/earphones, please disconnect them from any other iPhone, iPad, or Bluetooth device and connect them exclusively to your Apple Watch. ** Search for "Watch Reader" on YouTube for a demonstration video
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: PocketBook Reader at Free against Watch Reader's $3.99. PocketBook Reader also leads on ratings volume (10K vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Watch Reader's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). On update cadence, ads, chart position 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
PocketBook Reader is free to download; Watch Reader costs $3.99 up front. PocketBook Reader sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Watch Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.
Watch Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PocketBook Reader has 10K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of PocketBook Reader's written reviews are positive against 71% of Watch Reader's.
PocketBook Reader ships an update every 2 months, Watch Reader every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PocketBook Reader | Watch Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (10K ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | 70.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 10K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #141 | #61 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 106 MB | 69 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pocketbook International SA | kim juyoung |
Customer experience
PocketBook Reader
Watch Reader
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
Watch Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PocketBook Reader
- eBook$0.99
- eBook (class A)$0.99
- eBook (class B)$1.99
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- eBook$2.99
- eBook (class D)$3.99
- eBook: type 7.09$5.99
- eBook$6.99
- eBook: type 10.9$9.90
- eBook$9.99
- eBook: type 12.99$11.99
Watch Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PocketBook Reader free?
Is Watch Reader free?
Which has better reviews, PocketBook Reader or Watch Reader?
Do PocketBook Reader or Watch Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, PocketBook Reader or Watch Reader?
Which is more popular, PocketBook Reader or Watch Reader?
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