Must Read vs ReadTale
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Must Read
Track your reading progress, time sessions with live activities, and discover new books. Access a vast library of classic eBooks and audiobooks with PRO. Organize your library with custom lists and detailed reading statistics.
- Track reading progress
- Live Activity reading timer
- Detailed reading statistics
- Access to 74,000+ classic eBooks
- Access to 18,000+ audiobooks
- Customizable reading lists
- Book discovery and recommendations
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Must Read keeps your whole reading life in one place. Track every book, time your reading, read and listen to classics, and find your next book on shelves picked by our editors. Build a reading habit, clear your TBR pile, or discover your next favorite book. Sign in and your library is with you on all your devices. TRACK YOUR BOOKS - Add books with the barcode scanner, or search by title, author or ISBN - Organize by status: Want to Read, Reading, Completed, Did Not Finish - Track pages, or time for audiobooks, and mark each book as physical, ebook or audiobook - Write notes and reviews, and rate books with quarter-star precision - Make your own lists, with regular books and classics together - Import from Goodreads, StoryGraph, Book Tracker, Reading List or Booklog, or any CSV file with titles and authors, and see a preview first READ YOUR OWN EBOOKS - Bring your own EPUB and PDF files from Files, AirDrop or other apps - They wait in Imported books, kept on this device READING TIMER AND LIVE ACTIVITY - Start a timer when you sit down to read, with a goal of 15, 30 or 60 minutes, or your own - Follow it on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island - See pages per session and your reading speed, and build streaks - Set reading reminders for each day of the week APPLE WATCH - Start a session from your wrist and set your page with the Digital Crown - Your current read and your streak on the watch face ASK MUST READ - Not sure what to read next? Pick a mood, like Short and quick or Finish what you started, and get one pick from your own shelf and our editors' lists WIDGETS - Currently Reading widgets in every Home Screen size, plus the Lock Screen - Streak widget: this week's reading days and today's pages - Choose which books your widgets show, and in what order READING STATS - Reading DNA: your reader archetype, favorite time of day, top genres and pace - Books, pages, hours and reading speed, this year and all time - Reading calendar with daily covers and streaks - Yearly reading goal with weekly progress DISCOVER BOOKS - Shelves picked by our editors, with lists for many countries - Similar books on book pages, drawn from shared authors and genres - Browse 27 genres, or tap a genre or author on any book - Point your camera at a book with Visual Intelligence (on iPhones with Apple Intelligence) CLASSICS LIBRARY - Public domain eBooks from Project Gutenberg and audiobooks from LibriVox - Built-in reader with fonts, themes, bookmarks and a Contents list that marks your chapter SIRI AND SHORTCUTS (iOS 26 and later) - Ask what you're reading, your top-rated books, your stats or your streak - Add, finish and rate books by voice MUST READ CARD AND FRIENDS - Add your Must Read card to Apple Wallet and keep your reading at a glance - Invite friends with your code: you each get 5 more books on the free plan SHARE YOUR READING - My bookshelf: share your library as a picture of a bookcase - Share cards for any book: Colorful, Minimal, Dark, or your own color or photo FIND AND BUY BOOKS - Links to bookshops such as Bookshop.org, Amazon and Apple Books, depending on your country Made for iPhone, iPad, iPhone Duo and Apple Watch. --- Must Read Pro unlocks unlimited books, reading timer on all books, unlimited lists and the full classics library. - Monthly: $4.99/month - Yearly: $29.99/year (7-day free trial) - Lifetime: $79.99 (one-time purchase) - Family Sharing supported Free: 10 books, 1 custom list, timer on 1 book, 1 classic eBook, 1 audiobook, reading reminders, full search and explore. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions in your Apple ID account settings. Privacy Policy: https://mustreadapp.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://mustreadapp.com/terms
ReadTale
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Create beautiful book review cards in seconds—then save, organize, and share your favorite quotes and thoughts as polished images. ReadTale turns your reading into share-ready cards. Pick a style, add your thoughts, and export an image perfect for social feeds and reading communities. What you can create: • Review cards — Star rating (1–5) plus an emotion meter (0–5) to capture how a book made you feel. • Quote cards — Highlight your favorite lines with matching typography. • Recommendation cards — Share your opinion with a clean, card-style layout. Make it yours: • Templates — Styles like Dark Academia and Fantasy to match your vibe. • Optional watermark — Add a subtle signature when sharing. • Your library — Cards stay on your device, editable anytime. Export & share: Save images to your Photos or share anywhere—perfect for BookTok, Bookstagram, or your personal reading journal. Whether it’s a five-star review or a quote you love, ReadTale helps you capture it in one tap. Create your next reading card today.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ReadTale at daily against Must Read's every 6 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Must Read sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and ReadTale sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Must Read ships an update every 6 days, ReadTale daily. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Must Read | ReadTale |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (15 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 48.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 15 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 89 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Stanislav Rastvorov | Hamza Boulahfa |
In-app purchases
Must Read
- Must Read Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- Must Read Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Must Read Pro Lifetime$79.99
ReadTale
- Lifetime$4.99









