# Glose vs Bookshop.org

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bookshop.org at 57% against Glose's 27%. Bookshop.org also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Glose's advantage is ratings volume (8.1K vs 2.1K) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Bookshop.org holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8.1K and 2.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Glose's written reviews are positive against 57% of Bookshop.org's.

Glose ships an update every 3 weeks, Bookshop.org every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Glose | Bookshop.org |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (8.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glose/id896681871/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8.1K** | 2.1K |
| Positive reviews | 26.7% of reviews | **56.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#163** |
| Size | 65 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Readwise, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476885527) | [Bookshop, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706515971) |

## What reviewers say

### Glose

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glose/id896681871)

This reading app enhances the experience with social features, allowing users to connect with others, share notes, and join online book clubs. Explore a vast ebookstore, read excerpts for free, and import your own EPUBs for offline access.

**Highlights:** Social reading and annotation sharing, Access to 1 million ebooks, Read up to 10% of any book for free, Import your own EPUBs, Offline reading capabilities, Create and join online book clubs, Generate and share quote cards

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth reading experience
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Social features for sharing highlights

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Lack of offline access to downloaded books
- 👎 Difficult to navigate and find your place
- 💤 Sluggish performance
- 📚 Inability to export or transfer purchased books

**Reported bugs**

- Pages skipping or jumping unexpectedly
- Highlighting and note-taking features not working as expected
- Audiobook playback issues like skipping and glitching
- Login and account management problems

**Requested features**

- Bookmark and annotation management
- Customizable reading settings
- Seamless sync across devices
- Improved search and organization of library


### Bookshop.org

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096)

**Currently charting:** #163 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Read your ebooks and discover new titles while supporting independent bookstores. All ebook purchases made through this platform directly benefit local bookshops, ensuring their continued success in the digital age.

**Highlights:** Read ebooks from your library, Browse millions of ebooks, Add titles to wishlist, Support local bookstores with purchases, Connect seamlessly with Bookshop

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Wonderful app
- 👍 Great alternative to Amazon
- 👍 Supports local bookstores
- 👍 Clean and pleasing interface
- 👍 Solid app for a new release

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Formatting issues (lack of italics, poor paragraph spacing, etc.)
- 🐛 Buggy page turning and navigation
- 🔧 Limited customization options (fonts, themes, brightness, etc.)
- 🔧 Missing essential features (highlighting, note-taking, search, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to remember last page read
- Scrolling issues and unexpected page skipping
- Formatting problems (stripped italics, weird paragraph spacing)
- Settings not persisting between app sessions

**Requested features**

- More font and theme options
- Ability to adjust line spacing, margins, and other formatting
- Implement highlighting, annotation, and note-taking features
- Add search functionality
- Improve page turning and navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Glose free?

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

### Is Bookshop.org free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Glose or Bookshop.org?

Bookshop.org is rated higher. Glose averages 4.5 out of 5 from 8.1K ratings, while Bookshop.org averages 4.8 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do Glose or Bookshop.org have ads?

Neither Glose nor Bookshop.org shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Glose or Bookshop.org?

Glose ships an update every 3 weeks, and Bookshop.org every 5 days. Most recently, Glose was updated on October 22, 2026 and Bookshop.org on October 20, 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.*