# PocketBook Reader vs Apricity

PocketBook Reader and Apricity both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Apricity's written reviews are positive against 55% of PocketBook Reader's. Apricity also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). PocketBook Reader's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 6) and chart position (#165 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PocketBook Reader sells 42 one-off in-app purchases and Apricity sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PocketBook Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PocketBook Reader has 10K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of PocketBook Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of Apricity's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PocketBook Reader ships an update every 2 months, Apricity daily. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PocketBook Reader | Apricity |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketbook-reader/id805488884/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apricity-read-write-focus/id6821031964/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#165** | — |
| Size | 106 MB | 212 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocketbook International SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536135171) | [16697518 Canada Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790928781) |

## What reviewers say

### PocketBook Reader

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

**Currently charting:** #165 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 (42)**

| 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: type 10.9 | $9.90 | 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


### Apricity

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apricity-read-write-focus/id6821031964)

This app offers a comprehensive reading and note-taking experience, allowing users to import various document types, listen to books with customizable voices, and annotate PDFs. It also includes a digital notebook with handwriting recognition and audio recording features.

**Highlights:** Read aloud with customizable voices, Import PDF, EPUB, Word, MOBI, FB2, Markdown, text files, Annotate PDFs and documents, Digital notebook with handwriting recognition, Audio recording synchronized with notes, Focus timer with soundscapes, iCloud sync for notes and highlights

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Apricity Premium | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PocketBook Reader free?

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

### Is Apricity free?

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

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

PocketBook Reader is rated higher. PocketBook Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Apricity averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do PocketBook Reader or Apricity have ads?

Neither PocketBook Reader nor Apricity shows ads.

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

PocketBook Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Apricity daily. Most recently, PocketBook Reader was updated on October 28, 2026 and Apricity on October 26, 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.*