# 5 Platforms for Shared Ebook Notes and Group Reading

> Compare five platforms for shared ebook notes, group annotation, and study discussion, with clear limits, pricing, and best-fit recommendations.

- Canonical page: https://brainden.app/blog/best-platforms-shared-ebook-notes
- Published: 2026-09-07
- Author: BrainDen Team
- Category: Study Organization
- Reading time: 10 min read

Platforms that support shared ebook notes include Perusall, Hypothesis, Glose, BookFusion, and BrainDen. They do not support the same workflow. Perusall and Hypothesis place group discussion beside a shared reading. Glose and BookFusion focus on social ebook reading. BrainDen turns permitted PDFs into checked study notes that you can share as a read-only note or folder.

Choose the platform by the action your group needs. Decide whether members must annotate the same passage, compare personal highlights, or receive finished study notes. Also check file support and sharing rights before you upload a book.

> **Quick picks:** Choose Perusall for a managed class or book group. Choose Hypothesis for private web and PDF annotation. Choose Glose for social reading inside an ebook store. Choose BookFusion for your own DRM-free ebook library. Choose BrainDen for checked PDF notes and controlled read-only sharing.

Pricing and product details below were checked on September 7, 2026. Prices can change by country, billing period, institution, and storefront.

## Shared ebook notes can mean three different things

The phrase often describes one of these jobs:

1. **Shared-margin annotation:** Everyone highlights and replies beside the same passage.
2. **Social reading:** Friends see selected highlights, comments, or reading activity inside one ebook service.
3. **Shared study output:** One learner turns a reading into checked notes, then shares the useful result.

These jobs need different permissions. A private annotation group needs member access to the same document. A shared study note may not need to expose the original ebook at all.

This distinction matters for course readings. Access to a book does not automatically permit redistribution. The [U.S. Copyright Office explains that copyright owners control several uses of protected work](https://www.copyright.gov/what-is-copyright/). Check the license, course rules, and local law before uploading or sharing source material.

## The five platforms at a glance

| Platform | Best fit and main limit |
| --- | --- |
| Perusall | Best for managed classes and reading groups. Setup and pricing often need an instructor or institution. |
| Hypothesis | Best for private group comments on web pages and PDFs. It is not a full ebook library. |
| Glose | Best for friends reading books bought in Glose. Purchased books stay inside Glose. |
| BookFusion | Best for personal DRM-free ebook libraries. Its social sharing features remain in beta. |
| BrainDen | Best for sharing checked notes after PDF reading. It does not provide live shared-margin annotation. |

No platform wins every category. The best option matches your source format, group structure, and intended output.

## 1. Perusall: best for managed group reading

Perusall works well when a teacher, facilitator, or book-club organizer manages the reading space. Members can highlight a passage, comment, reply, and discuss the text together. Organizers can create groups so students see comments from the relevant members.

The service supports catalog ebooks and uploaded course materials. Its current product pages also describe PDFs, documents, slides, videos, and other media. The [Perusall reading-groups page](https://www.perusall.com/reading-groups) covers faculty groups, book clubs, and other organized reading events.

**Best for:** A course, seminar, summer reading program, or formal book club.

**Main limitation:** A casual group must accept a course-like setup. Content access can also depend on the catalog, upload rights, or institution.

**Pricing:** Perusall is free for instructors to start. For new courses, an instructor can select a student platform fee from $5 to $25. A course can instead use catalog-book purchases or an institutional license. See [Perusall's current pricing options](https://www.perusall.com/pricing) before inviting the group.

Choose Perusall when discussion inside the reading is the main activity. It provides more group structure than a simple shared-note link.

## 2. Hypothesis: best for private web and PDF annotation

Hypothesis adds an annotation layer to a web page or document. A user can create a private group, invite members, highlight text, and post an annotation to that group. Other members can see and reply to the annotation.

Its [group annotation guide](https://web.hypothes.is/help/annotating-with-groups/) explains private, restricted, and open group types. Private groups are invite-only, and only logged-in members can read their annotations. Anyone can create a private group in the public web app.

**Best for:** A study group that reads open web pages or accessible PDFs together.

**Main limitation:** Hypothesis is not a complete ebook store or personal book library. Document compatibility and stable text anchoring matter.

**Pricing:** The public web app offers core annotation and private groups at no charge. LMS and institutional packages add integration and support. Hypothesis asks institutions to contact its team for paid package details.

Choose Hypothesis when the group already has lawful access to the same web page or PDF. It keeps discussion close to the exact passage.

## 3. Glose: best for friends inside one ebook store

Glose combines an ebook store, reader, annotations, and social features. Readers can highlight passages, add text or audio notes, add friends, and discuss books inside the service. This makes it a close match for friends who want a social reading experience.

Glose works on the web, iOS, and Android. Its [reader documentation](https://help.glose.com/read-on-glose) confirms highlights, notes, friend search, and synced reading progress. However, books bought through Glose stay inside the reader and cannot be downloaded to a computer.

**Best for:** Friends who will buy or select the same book inside Glose.

**Main limitation:** The service ties the reading and discussion to its own library. It offers less formal group management than a classroom platform.

**Pricing:** The account and mobile apps are free. Readers buy many books individually. Glose also lists about 4,000 free classic titles in its help center. Check each book's current price and regional availability before the group commits.

Choose Glose when social reading matters more than exporting a separate study system. Test one shared book before asking everyone to purchase it.

## 4. BookFusion: best for personal DRM-free ebook files

BookFusion supports PDF, EPUB, AZW, MOBI, and other ebook formats. Readers can sync progress, highlights, and notes across devices. Its social beta lets users make selected highlights or notes visible to friends.

The visibility control works at the highlight level. A reader can keep one highlight private and show another to friends. BookFusion's [visibility guide](https://support.bookfusion.com/hc/en-us/articles/5890539504013-Update-Visibility-for-a-Highlight-or-Note) explains this control. Its pricing page says ebook sharing and related social features remain in beta for paid readers.

**Best for:** Readers who own permitted DRM-free ebook files and want a cross-device library.

**Main limitation:** Social features remain in beta. Friend-visible activity is less structured than a course discussion with managed groups.

**Pricing:** The free plan supports up to 10 books and three devices. BookFusion lists Casual at $2.99 monthly, or $1.99 per month with yearly billing. Higher plans increase storage, device access, and family-sharing limits. Review the [BookFusion pricing page](https://www.bookfusion.com/reading/pricing) for current limits.

Choose BookFusion when file-format support and personal library control come first. Confirm that every group member can legally upload the file.

## 5. BrainDen: best for checked notes after PDF reading

BrainDen solves a different part of the workflow. A learner can import a permitted PDF, keep it connected to a structured note, highlight passages, and add comments. The learner can then share one checked note or a focused folder through a read-only web link.

The sharing controls let the owner choose whether the original source and transcript appear. The owner can disable the public link later. BrainDen does not claim live shared-margin annotation, so it fits groups that need a prepared study output.

**Best for:** A student who wants to share checked reading notes without exposing the whole library or source by default.

**Main limitation:** BrainDen supports PDF reading workflows, not a general EPUB bookstore. Group members read the published note or folder rather than co-annotating one margin.

**Pricing:** BrainDen is free to start, and no payment card is required. The public site does not publish one cross-platform premium price. Paid prices and offers can vary by platform and storefront.

The [note and folder sharing feature](/features/share-notes-and-folders) suits a group that needs a stable revision resource. For live group drafting, use another shared workspace first. Publish the checked study version after the group resolves its comments.

## How to choose the right platform

Use this short decision process before you create accounts or buy a book.

### 1. Name the shared action

Write one sentence that describes the group task.

`Four students will comment on the same chapter before Tuesday's seminar.`

This task points toward Perusall or Hypothesis. A different sentence changes the choice:

`One student will share checked chapter notes for Friday's revision session.`

That task points toward BrainDen or a fixed export.

### 2. Confirm the source format

Check whether the material is a store ebook, EPUB, PDF, web page, or course-platform title. Do not assume that an app supports every format. Also confirm whether DRM prevents uploads or exports.

### 3. Check who can see each layer

Test the member view with one short reading. Check the source, highlights, comments, profile activity, and group list separately. Do not rely on the word `private` without reviewing the actual recipient view.

For a broader sharing checklist, use [how to share class notes without exposing source material](/blog/how-to-share-class-notes-online).

### 4. Agree on an annotation method

Group annotations become noisy without a small shared method. Use three or four labels, such as:

- `question` for an unclear passage
- `evidence` for a claim that supports the topic
- `connection` for a related lecture or reading
- `check` for a detail that needs verification

Ask members to reply inside an existing thread before they create a duplicate comment. The [group study note-taking workflow](/blog/group-study-note-taking) gives the group clear roles for capture, checking, and final review.

### 5. Decide what remains after the discussion

A useful discussion can still become hard to revise. Decide whether the final output is a cleaned annotation set, a shared note, or a focused folder. Keep page references so members can return to the source.

If the group creates one checked output, separate it from the live discussion. This prevents unresolved comments from looking like final course notes.

## A practical recommendation

Choose Perusall for a managed reading group with social annotations and course structure. Choose Hypothesis for a lighter private group over web pages and PDFs. Choose Glose when friends want books, annotations, and social reading in one store. Choose BookFusion when your own DRM-free ebook library is the priority.

Choose BrainDen when the group needs checked study notes after reading. It keeps the PDF connected to the note for verification, while the shared output can stay focused.

Before a full rollout, test one chapter with two people. Confirm access, annotation visibility, mobile readability, notification volume, and export options. Then choose the platform that creates the smallest complete workflow for your group.

When your PDF notes are checked, use the [BrainDen workflow for sharing one study note or focused folder](/tools/share-study-notes-with-classmates). The shared conversion block keeps Web, iPhone & iPad, and Android choices visible.

## Use BrainDen

Apply this workflow to your own material in the [BrainDen web app](https://learn.brainden.app), or install BrainDen for [iPhone and iPad](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brainden-ai-study-companion/id6757434859) or [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brainden.app).