# Leanpub vs Bookshop.org

Leanpub and Bookshop.org both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 57% of Bookshop.org's written reviews are positive against 12% of Leanpub's. Bookshop.org also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 25). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Leanpub against 4.8 for Bookshop.org. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshop.org has 2.2K ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 12% of Leanpub's written reviews are positive against 57% of Bookshop.org's.

Leanpub ships an update every 6 weeks, Bookshop.org every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Leanpub | Bookshop.org |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leanpub/id913517110/reviews)** | [4.8 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 25 | **2.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 12.0% of reviews | **56.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#138** |
| Size | 34 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Leanpub](https://appshunter.io/developer/913517113) | [Bookshop, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706515971) |

## What reviewers say

### Leanpub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leanpub/id913517110)

Access your entire ebook library on your mobile device. Discover new titles, take notes, and switch between reading modes. Authors can also write and publish their own books directly through the platform.

**Highlights:** Read Leanpub ebooks, Discover new ebooks, Sync notes across devices, Dark and Light Mode reading, Write and publish books, Read ebook samples

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bookshop.org

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

**Currently charting:** #138 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 Leanpub free?

Leanpub 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, Leanpub or Bookshop.org?

Leanpub is rated higher. Leanpub averages 4.8 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Bookshop.org averages 4.8 from 2.2K ratings.

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

Neither Leanpub nor Bookshop.org shows ads.

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

Leanpub ships an update every 6 weeks, and Bookshop.org every 5 days. Most recently, Leanpub was updated on October 26, 2026 and Bookshop.org on October 27, 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.*