Comparison

Must Read vs Reading Journal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

Reading Journal

Features
Read full description

Sticky tabs tell you where something happened. TabMap helps you remember how the book felt. Mark a page in seconds, choose what kind of moment it was, and watch your reading pulse take shape across twelve spoiler-free sections. No copied passages are needed. BUILT FOR PHYSICAL-BOOK READERS • Add the book beside you or start with a prepared sample • Mark a page as Keep, Felt, Clue, or Discuss • Add intensity and an optional private note • See the emotional shape of the whole book at a glance • Use built-in prompts to compare reactions after everyone finishes • Share a visual discussion card without revealing plot details or private notes PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Your books, page marks, labels, and private notes stay on your device. TabMap has no account, ads, analytics SDK, or remote AI. Sharing happens only when you choose the system share button. FREE AND PRO The free version includes one complete book map and a spoiler-free share preview. TabMap Pro unlocks unlimited books, custom tab legends, clean discussion shares, and local backup and restore. Choose Pro Annual for a renewable plan or Lifetime Pro for a one-time purchase. Both choices unlock the same features. Prices vary by storefront and Apple shows the final price before confirmation. The annual subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple Account settings. Lifetime Pro does not renew. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://briefready-support.dapper-kiwi-8512.chatgpt.site/tabmap#privacy

Screenshots

Must Read4 screens
Reading Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Must Read at every 6 days against Reading Journal's fortnightly. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Must Read sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Reading Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Must Read ships an update every 6 days, Reading Journal fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Must Read versus Reading Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMust ReadReading Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (28 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews48.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings28 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size89 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStanislav Rastvorov程辉 杨

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Must Read

Subscriptions2
  • Must Read Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Must Read Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Must Read Pro Lifetime$49.99
2 purchases

Reading Journal

Subscriptions1
  • TabMap Pro Annual$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • TabMap Lifetime Pro$14.99

Questions

Is Must Read free?
Must Read is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Reading Journal free?
Reading Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Must Read or Reading Journal have ads?
Neither Must Read nor Reading Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Must Read or Reading Journal?
Must Read ships an update every 6 days, and Reading Journal fortnightly. Most recently, Must Read was updated on November 11, 2026 and Reading Journal on November 6, 2026.

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