# BookBub vs NetGalley Shelf

The clearest difference is rating: BookBub at 4.7 against NetGalley Shelf's 2.1. BookBub also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 20%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). NetGalley Shelf's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BookBub holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BookBub has 958 ratings behind it against 82, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of BookBub's written reviews are positive against 20% of NetGalley Shelf's.

BookBub ships an update every 3 weeks, NetGalley Shelf every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookBub | NetGalley Shelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (958 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbub/id1030894438/reviews)** | [2.1 (82 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netgalley-shelf/id1499581600/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **958** | 82 |
| Positive reviews | **54.2% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#55** | #167 |
| Size | 4 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pubmark Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1030894437) | [NetGalley, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499581599) |

## What reviewers say

### BookBub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbub/id1030894438)

**Currently charting:** #55 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Discover daily deals on bestselling and free ebooks across all genres. Track your wishlist and receive price alerts for your favorite titles, ensuring you never miss a sale on books you want to read.

**Highlights:** Daily ebook deals, Hundreds of free ebooks, Personalized recommendations, Wishlist tracking, Price alerts, Genre and price filtering

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Great deals on books
- 📚 Variety of genres and authors
- 💰 Affordable and free books
- 🔍 Personalized recommendations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited to Apple Books only
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 📝 Inability to leave reviews
- 🔁 Repeated email subscriptions

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes during use
- Sign-up and login issues
- Incompatibility with certain devices or operating systems

**Requested features**

- Add support for Kindle and other ebook platforms
- Implement search and filtering options
- Allow users to manage their reading lists and leave reviews
- Improve email subscription management


### NetGalley Shelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netgalley-shelf/id1499581600)

**Currently charting:** #167 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access and review digital books and audiobooks provided by publishers and authors. Discover new titles, download them for offline reading, or stream audiobooks directly within the app. This platform is designed for book advocates and industry professionals to provide valuable feedback.

**Highlights:** Access digital review copies, Listen to audiobooks, Download books for offline reading, Stream audiobooks, Discover new titles, Request and review books

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works fine for some users
- 👍 Keeps user logged in
- 👍 Audiobooks work well
- 🚀 Able to read ebooks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Narration speed issues
- 🐛 Confusing interface
- 🔒 Login issues
- 🐛 Bookmarks and positions don't sync
- 🐛 No built-in dictionary

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Downloading issues with audiobooks
- Books disappearing from shelf
- Inability to remove expired books
- Inconsistent behavior when opening books

**Requested features**

- Add ability to write reviews within the app
- Improve audiobook playback controls
- Add font size adjustment
- Implement dark mode
- Sync reading progress across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookBub free?

BookBub is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NetGalley Shelf free?

NetGalley Shelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BookBub or NetGalley Shelf?

BookBub is rated higher. BookBub averages 4.7 out of 5 from 958 ratings, while NetGalley Shelf averages 2.1 from 82 ratings.

### Do BookBub or NetGalley Shelf have ads?

Neither BookBub nor NetGalley Shelf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookBub or NetGalley Shelf?

BookBub ships an update every 3 weeks, and NetGalley Shelf every 6 months. Most recently, BookBub was updated on September 23, 2026 and NetGalley Shelf on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, BookBub or NetGalley Shelf?

BookBub currently peaks at #55 in the App Store charts, and NetGalley Shelf at #167. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*