Pick Yomu if
you want the lowest one-time price, a Mac app, or Mobi and Kindle files. Free Yomu holds 10 documents and shows ads; Pro is $7.99 once.
justRead vs Yomu: a one-time price and a Mac app, or read aloud and audiobooks
Yomu is a simple reader with a one-time $7.99 Pro, a Mac app and Mobi and Kindle files. justRead adds read aloud, audiobooks and goals, and is iPhone and iPad only.
Try the whole app free for 14 days.
justRead.app
Reader for books, comics and audiobooks
Yomu
Independent ebook reader for iPhone, iPad and Mac
Which should you pick?
Pick justRead.app if
you want read aloud, audiobooks, reading goals, PDFs you can highlight, or two-way Calibre sync. It costs more: $79.99 once, after a 14-day trial.
A simple reader, or a reader with audio and goals
Both are iOS ebook readers with folders, widgets and iCloud sync. They differ in price and in how much sits around the book.
Yomu is an independent reader for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It opens Mobi and Kindle files as well as EPUB, PDF and comics. The maker calls it an alternative to Stanza, Marvin and KyBook.
justRead runs on iPhone and iPad only. It reads books aloud, plays audiobooks, tracks goals and streaks, and syncs with Calibre as well as iCloud.
Yomu is free to try. iCloud sync, more than ten books and no ads need the one-time Pro purchase.
What each app costs
Yomu is the cheaper app, and its free version is real but limited.
Yomu Pro: $7.99 once
Yomu Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription, and it works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. A Karma edition costs $12.99 and has exactly the same features.1
What free Yomu limits
Free Yomu keeps every format, theme and setting. It holds 10 documents, shows ads and has no iCloud sync. Pro removes all three.12
justRead: free for 14 days, then paid
justRead costs $4.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $79.99 once, after a 14-day trial. That is more than Yomu Pro's $7.99.134
Both work with Family Sharing
With Family Sharing, up to six family members can use Yomu. justRead's subscription and lifetime purchase support Family Sharing too.14
justRead and Yomu, row by row
A Yes or No always has a source. Click a mark to see it.
| What matters | justRead.app |
Yomu |
|---|---|---|
| Price and plans | ||
| Price after the trialWhat you pay once the trial is over | $79.99 onceA 14-day trial, then $4.99 a month, $29.99 a year or $79.99 once.34 | $7.99 onceYomu Pro is a one-time purchase. A Karma edition costs $12.99 and has the same features.1 |
| Free version | 14-day trialAfter it, a paywall.4 | LimitedFree Yomu has every format, theme and setting, but holds 10 documents, shows ads and has no iCloud sync.1 |
| Family Sharing | YesCovers the subscription and the lifetime purchase.4 | YesUp to six family members can use the app.1 |
| Where it runs | ||
| iPhone and iPad | Yes4 | Yes5 |
| Mac | NoiPhone and iPad only. Mac Catalyst and Designed for iPad on Mac are switched off.4 | YesThe store listing and the Pro FAQ cover iPhone, iPad and Mac.15 |
| Books and formats | ||
| EPUB | Yes4 | Yes6 |
| Mobi and Kindle filesAZW, AZW3 and KF8 | NoThe import list holds no MOBI or AZW3 entry.4 | YesOpens Mobi (.mobi, .prc) and Kindle (.azw, .azw3, .kf8) files without DRM.6 |
| YesOpens through PDFKit, and you can highlight a selection.4 | Basic viewerNo text selection, highlights or search in a PDF.78 | |
| Comics (CBZ and CBR) | YesCBZ opens as a fixed-layout reader. CBR is repacked into CBZ on import.4 | YesThe home page lists .cbz and .cbr.6 |
| Audiobooks | YesPlays m4b, m4a, mp3, aac and flac with a chapter list and speeds from 0.75x to 2x.4 | Not stated by the developerThe store text and the home page list no audiobook player.69 |
| Reading | ||
| Annotations and search | YesHighlights and notes in EPUB and PDF.4 | EPUB, Mobi, KindleText selection, notes and search work for EPUB, Mobi and Kindle files only. Pro does not change that.1 |
| Read aloud | YesApple voices read an EPUB aloud and highlight the sentence. Two sets of downloadable voices run on the device. PDFs are not read aloud.4 | Not stated by the developerThe store text, the home page and the release notes list no read-aloud feature. The accessibility page says the reader uses WebKit, which supports text to speech as far as Apple and the book allow.691011 |
| Goals and streaks | YesA daily goal, a pages goal, a yearly books goal and a streak. A Statistics tab with a goal calendar heatmap.4 | Not stated by the developerThe home page and the release notes list no reading goal, streak or heatmap. A widget from version 2.1.0 shows library statistics.610 |
| Page curl | YesAn Apple Books style page curl for paginated EPUB, switched on in settings.4 | Not stated by the developerThe guide and the release notes name no page curl.10 |
| Translate a selection | YesApple's on-device Translation.4 | YesThrough the system translation menu on iOS 18.10 |
| AI help | On the deviceExplain, Who's This and Catch Me Up run with Apple Intelligence. They need iOS 26 and a device where it is switched on.4 | Notes onlyApple Intelligence Writing Tools can proofread and rewrite the text of annotation notes.10 |
| Dictionary and lookup | YesA dictionary sheet with an extra Wikipedia source.4 | YesThe Lookup menu opens Wikipedia, Google Translate, DeepL or any other service.10 |
| Export notes | Markdown, PDF, ReadwiseMarkdown and PDF files, and Readwise, automatically when a book closes.4 | Text, Markdown, JSONBooks and annotations export in text, markdown or JSON. A Shortcuts action uploads highlights to Readwise.512 |
| Library and sync | ||
| iCloud sync | YesPosition, bookmarks, highlights, finished state, covers, settings and fonts.4 | Pro onlyBooks, annotations, folders, tags and reading progress. Off until you switch it on for each device.2 |
| Sync with a server you run | YesSyncs with Calibre, a KOReader sync server, Grimmory and BookOrbit.4 | NoThe only sync Yomu offers is the Pro iCloud library. Other ways to sync books or progress are not supported.13 |
| OPDS catalogs | YesProject Gutenberg is built in, and books download from any OPDS catalog.4 | YesConnects to Calibre, Calibre-Web Automated, Grimmory, Kavita and Komga. Downloaded books are copied into Yomu.14 |
| Dropbox | NoNo Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive connector. They show up only as folders in the Files app.4 | YesDropbox has its own link. Google Drive, OneDrive and Nextcloud come through the Files app.14 |
| On the iPhone | ||
| Widgets | YesFive home-screen widgets and five lock-screen widgets.4 | YesRecent books or highlighted quotes in small, medium and large sizes, and lock-screen widgets.1015 |
| Control Center | YesA control that continues the last book.4 | YesA Control Center and lock-screen control opens the current book on iOS 18.1.10 |
| Shortcuts and Siri | YesExposes App Intents for Shortcuts and Siri.4 | YesSiri shows your reading list. Shortcuts actions include a Readwise upload.1216 |
| Privacy | ||
| Personal data | NoneUses no analytics, and has no analytics framework in the app.4 | Not collectedThe store description says Yomu does not collect or sell personal information.5 |
Every Yomu cell was re-read on 28 October 2026.
What justRead plays and reads aloud
Yomu lists no player and no read-aloud feature. justRead has both.
justRead plays audiobooks from your own files, with a chapter list, speeds from 0.75x to 2x and a Car Mode. It also reads EPUBs aloud with Apple voices or with voices that run on the device.
Where Yomu is the better pick
Five places where Yomu is better.
It costs less
Yomu Pro is $7.99 once, or $12.99 for the Karma edition with the same features. justRead's lifetime price is $79.99.13
A free version that stays free
Free Yomu keeps every format, theme and setting. The limits are 10 documents, ads and no iCloud sync. justRead's free period is a 14-day trial.14
A Mac app
Yomu runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac. justRead is iPhone and iPad only.45
Mobi and Kindle files
Yomu opens Mobi, AZW and AZW3 files. justRead has no import for MOBI or AZW3.46
A Dropbox link
Dropbox has its own link in Yomu. justRead has no Dropbox connector, so Dropbox appears only as a folder in the Files app.414
Where justRead is the better pick
Six places where justRead is better.
Read aloud
Apple voices read an EPUB aloud and highlight the sentence, and two sets of voices run on the device. Yomu's store text, home page and release notes list no read-aloud feature.46910
Audiobooks
m4b, m4a, mp3, aac and flac files play with a chapter list and speeds from 0.75x to 2x. Yomu lists no audiobook player.469
Goals and streaks
A daily goal, a pages goal, a yearly books goal and a streak that forgives one missed day a month. Yomu's home page and release notes list no reading goal or streak.4610
PDFs you can mark up
Highlight a selection in a PDF the way you do in an EPUB. Yomu's PDF support is a basic viewer with no text selection, highlights or search.478
Sync with your own server
Highlights, notes and bookmarks sync both ways with a Calibre server, and KOReader, Grimmory and BookOrbit servers connect too. Yomu's only sync is its Pro iCloud library.413
An assistant that stays on the device
Explain, Who's This and Catch Me Up run with Apple Intelligence, and nothing you read leaves the device. They need iOS 26 and a device where it is on. Yomu's Apple Intelligence support is Writing Tools on annotation notes.410
How to move from Yomu to justRead
Yomu keeps its own copy of every book it imports, so the files you imported from are still where they were.
-
Export what you want to keep
Yomu exports books and annotations as text, markdown or JSON. Do that for the books you marked up.514
-
Convert Mobi and Kindle files
justRead does not open MOBI or AZW3 files. Convert them to EPUB first, for example with Calibre.46
-
Add the books to justRead
Open them from the Files app, point justRead at a folder in iCloud Drive, or drop them onto the iPad. justRead can read a book in place from a folder you chose, without copying it.4
-
Reconnect your catalogs
Yomu connects to OPDS catalogs such as Calibre, Kavita and Komga. Add the same catalog in justRead, or connect to Calibre directly to sync highlights both ways.414
-
Try it before you pay
The app starts with a 14-day free trial, so you can test it on your own books first.4
Note the page you are on in each book first, because reading positions stay inside the app that made them.
What Yomu's users say
Five App Store reviews from the US store, quoted as written. Three praise Yomu and two name a limit.
Yomu is that reader. It respects the reader with a clean interface and avoids bloat.
the free version works great, and the one time payment for the paid version is even better
it definitely filled in the hole that Marvin3 left after it stopped getting updates
I do wish there was some ability to select text in OCR enabled PDFs for the sake of word lookup
If you’ve synced to iCloud, those books can only be read in Yomu
Yomu questions
Is Yomu free?
Is Yomu a subscription?
No. Yomu Pro is a one-time purchase, and it works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. A Karma edition costs $12.99 and has the same features.1
Does Yomu sync with iCloud?
Does Yomu have text to speech or read aloud?
Can Yomu highlight text in a PDF?
Does Yomu work on Mac?
Does Yomu have widgets?
Does Yomu work with Calibre?
Is Yomu a Marvin alternative?
The maker positions Yomu as an alternative to Stanza, Marvin and KyBook.18
Other readers worth a look
If neither app fits, these four have a page of their own.
Readest: free sync on desktop and phone
Readest is open source, and its Free plan syncs library, progress, highlights and notes across devices. It runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS and the web. See justRead vs Readest.192021
KyBook 3: DjVu, FB2 and RTF files
KyBook 3 opens DjVu, FB2, RTF and CBT comics as well as EPUB and PDF, and it needs only iOS 11.0 or later. Its newest release is dated 23 February 2019. See justRead vs KyBook 3.222324
Anx Reader: open source with AI on your own key
Anx Reader is MIT licensed, syncs through WebDAV and runs on Android, iOS, macOS and Windows. Its AI assistant needs your own API key. See justRead vs Anx Reader.252627
BookFusion: one library on web, iOS and Android
BookFusion reads on the web, iOS and Android, and has an E Ink mode for Android tablets. Plans start at $1.99 a month and the pricing page shows no one-time purchase. See justRead vs BookFusion.2829
Sources and how we checked
29 sources
justRead.app makes justRead. Every justRead cell comes from the app's source code at the 5.6 release.
Yomu's cells come from the maker's help pages, release notes and pricing FAQ at yomu-reader.com and from its US App Store listing, all re-read on 28 October 2026. The app version is 3.21.0.
"Not stated by the developer" means the store text, the home page and the release notes list nothing on the point. We did not guess.
We did not install Yomu or test it on a device. Its lines describe what the maker says, not how the app behaves for you.
Prices change. Yomu's come from the maker's own pricing page, justRead's from its own site.
The reviews come from the US App Store feed and are quoted as written.
Checked 28 October 2026 against justRead 5.6 and Yomu 3.21.0.
- Yomu help: what the free version and Yomu Pro include, and what they cost. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu help: how the iCloud Cloud Library works and where it can fail. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- justRead pricing and trial, from the justRead site. justread.app accessed 2026-10-28
- justRead 5.6 app behavior, read from the app's source code at the release build (our own review). accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu, App Store listing (US): price line, platforms, library and export features. apps.apple.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu home page: formats, reader and library features. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu help: general questions, including PDF support. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu help: reader questions, including PDF text selection. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu, App Store description text (US lookup data), searched for read-aloud and audiobook features. itunes.apple.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu release notes (current version 3.21.0). yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu help: accessibility. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu help: Shortcuts actions. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu help: library questions, including which sync is offered. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu help: importing books, OPDS catalogs and cloud folders. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu guide: widgets. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu help: Siri. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu, App Store reviews (US storefront), quoted as written. apps.apple.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Yomu about page. yomu-reader.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Readest pricing page: what the Free plan includes. readest.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Readest README at the v0.12.16 tag: platforms. raw.githubusercontent.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Readest licence file at v0.12.16. raw.githubusercontent.com accessed 2026-10-28
- The KyBook maker's site, Internet Archive copy (captured 22 December 2024): formats. web.archive.org accessed 2026-10-28
- KyBook 3, App Store listing (US): minimum iOS. apps.apple.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Apple's lookup record for KyBook 3: release date. itunes.apple.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Anx Reader licence file at the v1.14.0 tag. raw.githubusercontent.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Anx Reader README at the v1.14.0 tag: sync and platforms. raw.githubusercontent.com accessed 2026-10-28
- Apple's lookup record for Anx Reader: the AI key note. itunes.apple.com accessed 2026-10-28
- BookFusion, reading apps page: platforms and E Ink mode. bookfusion.com accessed 2026-10-28
- BookFusion pricing page: plan prices. bookfusion.com accessed 2026-10-28