App profile · Literal GmbH
Literal review: free highlights from the page, with no ads
Literal lets you save highlights from a printed page with your camera or by hand, includes public-domain ebooks and audiobooks, and has no in-app purchases on the App Store. It scores 6.20 and ranks 4 of 7. It publishes no progress or place-keeping tools, and Android is still listed as coming soon.
By The Margin Desk · Smart Bookmark Compare · Published 2026-10-08
Desk research from public App Store and Google Play listings and the app makers' own pages. Vendor facts read September 2026, updated 2026-10-11. Editorial assessment; we did not test the apps hands-on.
6.20 / 10
Rank 4 of 7 for picking up where you left off
Change the weights in the pick-up calculatorHow does Literal help you pick a book back up?
A free, ad-free reading app where you save highlights from printed pages by camera or by hand, with public-domain ebooks and audiobooks inside the app.
Where does Literal score well?
Does it work for print, ebooks and audiobooks?
| Print: highlights by camera or typed in | |
| Ebook | Public-domain ebooks in the app |
| Audiobook | Public-domain audiobooks in the app |
What does Literal cost?
- Free, no in-app purchases on the App Store
- Optional membership: Plus $40 a year, Supporter $80 a year
Source: Literal membership page · Read 27 Sep 2026
How does Literal score on each criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact place | 30% | 3 / 10Lowest in set | Highlight capture by camera, but no progress or place-keeping tools published. Source: Literal, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Story recall | 20% | 7 / 10 | Highlights by camera or by hand, plus reviews; no recap or cast list. Source: Literal, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Print, ebook and audiobook | 10% | 7 / 10 | Camera highlights from printed pages, plus public-domain ebooks and audiobooks in the app. Source: Literal, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Works with any book | 10% | 8 / 10 | Barcode scanning and imports from Goodreads and StoryGraph. Source: Literal website · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Phones and platforms | 10% | 6 / 10 | iPhone, iPad and web; Android is listed as coming soon. Source: Literal website · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Price | 10% | 10 / 10Highest in set | Free with no in-app purchases on the App Store; membership is optional. Source: Literal membership page · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Privacy | 10% | 8 / 10Highest in set | States no ads and no selling of data; the App Store label lists no data used to track you. Source: Literal, US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 |
What is it good at, and where does it fall short?
Good at
Highest or tied highest in set on: Price, Privacy
- Free with no ads, and highlight capture from printed pages by camera.
- Public-domain ebooks and audiobooks inside the app.
Falls short
At least one app scores higher on: Exact place, Story recall, Print, ebook and audiobook, Works with any book, Phones and platforms
- No progress or place-keeping tools published beyond highlights.
- No Android app yet; Literal lists it as coming soon.
Key facts
| Highlights | Save highlights with the camera or manually; write reviews. Source: Literal, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| Books in the app | Public-domain ebooks and audiobooks. Source: Literal, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| In its own words | The App Store listing says: "No ads, no selling your data." Source: Literal, US App Store · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Clubs | Literal's changelog says in May 2026 that it is sunsetting the current version of Clubs, while existing clubs still work in the meantime. Source: Literal changelog · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Imports | Goodreads directly from your public profile, and StoryGraph by CSV. Source: Literal import guides · Read 27 Sep 2026 |
| Privacy label | No data used to track you. Data linked to you: contact info, user content, identifiers and usage data. Source: Literal, US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 |
| Goals | "Set a yearly goal and watch your stats." Source: Literal, US App Store (October 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026 |
How does Literal compare head to head?
- Basmo 6.10, Literal 6.20Basmo or Literal?
- Bookly 6.90, Literal 6.20Bookly or Literal?
- Fable 5.60, Literal 6.20Fable or Literal?
- Goodreads 5.40, Literal 6.20Goodreads or Literal?
- Literal 6.20, Magic Bookmark 7.10Literal or Magic Bookmark?
- Literal 6.20, The StoryGraph 6.40Literal or The StoryGraph?
Frequently asked questions
How much does Literal cost?
Free, no in-app purchases on the App Store; Optional membership: Plus $40 a year, Supporter $80 a year.
Does Literal work on Android?
Not yet. Platforms: iPhone, iPad and web; Android listed as coming soon.
Can Literal find my place in an audiobook?
Audiobooks: public-domain audiobooks in the app.