# NeighborBook — Share Books, Build Community.

> Community-based book sharing and trading app with local book clubs. (iPhone/iPad app by Avery Gonzales.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neighborbook/id6760442968 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Avery Gonzales](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884497557)
- Category: Books, Social Networking
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 5 App Store ratings · 4 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 47 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-06-05
- Data updated: 2026-10-07
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neighborbook/id6760442968/reviews.md

## What is NeighborBook?

You like books. Your neighbors have good books. NeighborBook is how you connect.

List the books you'd gift to a friend. Your neighbors do the same. When you find something you want, message the owner, meet at a cafe or park nearby, and trade it in person. Most Americans can't name five people on their block, and a book is a low-stakes reason to start fixing that. 

HOW IT WORKS

1. Add your books to the app: Scan a barcode, or photograph a whole shelf and let NeighborBook read the spines.
2. Look around: Swipe through books from readers nearby, or explore the map. 
3. Ask for a book: Request it to chat with the owner. Credits keep things even: start with three, lend one to earn one, spend one to borrow.
4. Meet and hand it over: Pick a public spot you like. A QR scan confirms the handoff, and the return if the owner wants it back.

Every swap puts two readers in the same place at the same time, which almost nothing else on your phone does.

AN ECONOMY OF GENEROSITY

Community Credits exist so books keep circulating instead of pooling on one shelf. No money moves through the app and nothing is for sale. You give a book to get a book.

When an owner wants a book back, loans run about three months and you can extend or gift it. Returns run on goodwill, not penalties — how it works when you lend a book to a friend.

FIND YOUR PEOPLE, AND YOUR BOOK CLUB

Real clubs at real places, browsable as a list, on the map, or by the night they meet. The club reading translated fiction on Wednesdays and the one arguing about biographies over beers are not the same club, and you already know which is yours. When a club finishes a book, members can list their copies so the book moves on instead of gathering dust.

BRING YOUR FRIENDS

NeighborBook grows in clusters. One reader is a listing; a dozen on the same few streets is a neighborhood library, and everything improves together. More books in range, more clubs, more reasons to meet a new friend.

So the most useful thing you can do is tell people: the building group chat, your club, the regulars at your coffee shop. For a limited time, if you're bringing NeighborBook to your community, we'll mail you a welcome packet: bookmarks, stickers, and while they last, a free book to pass along. Ask The Librarian in the app.

We're also building partnerships with independent bookstores, coffee shops, and local clubs to keep privately-owned books in circulation and support local business at the same time.

A FEW MORE THINGS

• Keep a Wanted list — we tell you when a copy turns up in range, once a day at most, never a stream of alerts
• Everyone passes an identity check (a quick selfie, run by our partner Persona) before they can message you or ask for a book. Browse first if you like; names and faces stay hidden both ways until you verify
• Your address is never shared. Neighbors see an approximate distance, and you pick where you'll meet
• Search by title, author, or genre; save books for later
• Invite a neighbor, earn a credit when they join

WHY WE BUILT IT

Two friends in Los Angeles started NeighborBook in 2025 to share books with the people around them — friends down the block, and the stranger reading outside the coffee shop.

Only about a quarter of Americans know most of their neighbors, and knowing six of them makes you far less likely to feel lonely. A shared book is a small argument that we have more in common than the feed suggests.

It's for fast readers who need to find their next book, anyone thinning an overloaded shelf, families passing along kids' books and textbooks, people hunting a book club that fits them, and anyone who'd rather borrow than buy.

Free, no slop, forever.

## Key features

- List personal book collections
- Discover books from nearby users
- In-person book trading
- Community credit system for exchanges
- Find and create local book clubs
- Identity verification for messaging
- Wanted list for specific books

## Is NeighborBook safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess NeighborBook.

## Is NeighborBook legit?

NeighborBook has limited verification signals. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for NeighborBook is 58 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## Recent user reviews (4 of 4)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neighborbook/id6760442968/reviews.md

### 5/5 — So cool!

*2026-08-08*

A clever and approachable way to discover new books and connect with neighbors!

### 5/5 — Finally

*2026-08-02*

Been waiting for an app like this for a long time!! Maybe now I can finally learn how to read :)

### 5/5 — Booklovers dream

*2026-08-01*

Its a relatively new app - started in LA, but really great for discovering new books and book clubs, swapping books, cleaning your shelf, and low key way to meet other readers

### 5/5 — Such a fun app

*2026-08-01*

What a cool way to find the books you're looking for and connect with your community. 10/10!

## Frequently asked questions about NeighborBook

### How does NeighborBook's book sharing work?

You list books you're willing to share, then browse books from neighbors. When you find a book you want, you can request it. Trades are facilitated through a credit system where lending earns credits and borrowing spends them. Meetings are arranged in public places.

### Is NeighborBook free to use?

Yes, NeighborBook is completely free to download and use. There are no monetary transactions within the app, and it does not feature advertisements or in-app purchases.

### What is the credit system in NeighborBook?

The credit system ensures fair exchanges. You start with three credits, earn one by lending a book, and spend one to borrow a book. This encourages a cycle of sharing within the community.

### How does NeighborBook ensure user safety?

All users undergo an identity check via a selfie through their partner Persona before they can message or request books. Names and faces remain hidden until verification, and your address is never shared.

### Can I find or create book clubs with NeighborBook?

Absolutely. NeighborBook allows you to find existing local book clubs or create your own. You can browse clubs by meeting day or genre, making it easy to connect with like-minded readers.

### What happens if a book owner wants their book back?

Loans typically run for about three months, and the owner can request the book back. You can also extend the loan or gift the book. Returns are based on goodwill, similar to lending to a friend.

### What devices does NeighborBook support?

NeighborBook is available on iPhone and iPad devices, as indicated by its supported devices list.

### How often is NeighborBook updated?

The app was last updated on August 5, 2026, with version 2.0.0. This suggests a relatively active development cycle for new features and improvements.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.0.3 — 2026-09-25

Minor bug fixes for better in-person onboarding.

### 2.0.2 — 2026-09-19

New onboarding tour, more clarity around verification, and we now support more than just book clubs...

### 2.0.1 — 2026-08-22

A fresher feed, smarter search, a map worth exploring, and better book clubs.

- Your feed remembers. Books you skip stay out of your pile for a couple of weeks. The deck shuffles between visits, and newly added books from neighbors show up immediately. Reset your deck once you're out of books nearby.
- The feed learns what's hot. Books your neighbors are liking float higher in everyone's feed, and books nobody wants slowly sink so the good stuff surfaces first.
- Shake to undo. Swiped the wrong way? Shake your phone to bring the book back (and no, it's not paywalled).
- Search finds the real book, fast.
- Book clubs grew up. Clubs can meet on a schedule ("third Saturdays"), past meetings no longer linger, and club managers can update their club right from the Book Clubs page.
- Everything loads faster. Book covers throughout the app (your library, likes, clubs, chats, the map) now load lightweight images, saving data and time.
- Quality of life updates

### 2.0.0 — 2026-08-05

Major update alert!!! Discover book clubs in your area, upload a whole shelf of books to swap in one image, and enjoy a pleasant map experience. Plus, a whole rebrand!

### 1.2.7 — 2026-07-17

Fix for password-less signin

## Apps similar to NeighborBook

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Passage - Capture Book Notes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/passage-capture-book-notes/id6757682745) | — | Free | Books |
| [SwapBook: Trade Books](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swapbook-trade-books/id6778896338) | — | Free | Books |
| [ShelfSwap: Book Trading Nearby](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfswap-book-trading-nearby/id6757448098) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Books |
| [Meditations: Daily Stoic](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meditations-daily-stoic/id6476818053) | — | Free | Books |
| [Alexandria: Craft a Worldview](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alexandria-craft-a-worldview/id6748355104) | 5.0 (11) | Free | Books |
| [Bookist: Book Tracker & Recs](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookist-book-tracker-and-recs/id6469034196) | 4.8 (46) | Free | Books |

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-07.*
