# PocketBook Reader vs EPUB Reader

The clearest difference is rating: PocketBook Reader at 4.5 against EPUB Reader's 4.2. PocketBook Reader also leads on ratings volume (9.8K vs 809) and chart position (#153 vs unranked). EPUB Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (65% vs 54%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PocketBook Reader sells 41 one-off in-app purchases and EPUB Reader sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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 809, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of PocketBook Reader's written reviews are positive against 65% of EPUB Reader'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, EPUB Reader every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PocketBook Reader | EPUB Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketbook-reader/id805488884/reviews)** | [4.2 (809 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/epub-reader-reader-for-epub-format/id972654880/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.8K** | 809 |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **64.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#153** | — |
| Size | 106 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Pocketbook International SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536135171) | [LTD DevelSoftware](https://appshunter.io/developer/717594986) |

## What reviewers say

### PocketBook Reader

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

**Currently charting:** #153 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


### EPUB Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/epub-reader-reader-for-epub-format/id972654880)

This application provides a seamless reading experience for EPUB files, supporting all formatting features. It offers advanced customization options for text, page turning, and display, along with cloud integration and file management tools. Enjoy your favorite books with enhanced productivity and comfort on mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Full EPUB format support, Extensive customization options, Cloud service integration, Speech synthesizer, Multiple page turning animations, Built-in file manager, Wi-Fi and FTP transfer

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thank the Developer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Appearance Customization | $1.99 | one-time |
| Additional Formats | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great reader with customization options
- 📚 Supports various file formats
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🔊 Good text-to-speech functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 💸 Excessive ads even in paid version
- 🔒 Suspicious app permissions
- 🤖 Outdated and unsupported features

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to open certain EPUB files
- Inability to access local and cloud-stored files
- Inconsistent behavior when using dictionary lookup
- Last page of EPUB files not shown

**Requested features**

- Add highlighting and note-taking capabilities
- Improve file management and organization
- Provide better integration with cloud storage services
- Implement pagination and chapter navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PocketBook Reader free?

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

### Is EPUB Reader free?

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

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

PocketBook Reader is rated higher. PocketBook Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.8K ratings, while EPUB Reader averages 4.2 from 809 ratings.

### Do PocketBook Reader or EPUB Reader have ads?

Neither PocketBook Reader nor EPUB Reader shows ads.

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

PocketBook Reader ships an update every 2 months, and EPUB Reader every 3 weeks. Most recently, PocketBook Reader was updated on September 24, 2026 and EPUB Reader on September 15, 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.*