# Reader+ vs RedShelf

The clearest difference is ads: RedShelf at none against Reader+'s shown. RedShelf also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and ratings volume (7.1K vs 1.1K). Reader+'s advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (23% vs 3%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Reader+ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RedShelf has 7.1K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Reader+'s written reviews are positive against 3% of RedShelf's.

Reader+ ships an update every 2 months, RedShelf every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader+ | RedShelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-plus/id1052643016/reviews)** | [4.5 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/redshelf/id1511013608/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K | **7.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **22.7% of reviews** | 3.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 525 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pearson Education, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/386384450) | [RedShelf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511013606) |

## What reviewers say

### Reader+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-plus/id1052643016)

This application allows users to read books, take notes, and save bookmarks with seamless online and offline functionality. It features an updated bookshelf, a new interface for easy navigation, and interactive multimedia to enhance the learning experience.

**Highlights:** Book navigation, Note-taking, Bookmark saving, Offline reading, Integrated multimedia, Interactive activities, Updated bookshelf

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful app for accessing textbooks
- 🚀 Easy to download and access books
- 💡 Helpful for studies and reading

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Issues with login and account management
- 🔋 Books need to be redownloaded frequently
- 👎 Buggy and unreliable performance

**Reported bugs**

- Books not showing up in the app
- Inability to sign in or create an account
- Frequent crashes when opening or using the app

**Requested features**

- Add annotation and note-taking capabilities
- Improve offline access and caching of books
- Enhance user interface and navigation


### RedShelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/redshelf/id1511013608)

Access and read your digital textbooks on any device. Highlight text, take notes, create flashcards, and have content read aloud. Your notes and highlights sync across all your devices.

**Highlights:** Access textbooks on any device, Highlight text and take notes, Create flashcards from content, Define unfamiliar words, Text-to-speech functionality, Sync notes and highlights across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient to access textbooks in one place
- 🚀 Decent overall performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 💤 Slow loading and page turning
- 👎 Unreliable highlighting and note-taking features
- 🤖 Poor text-to-speech functionality
- 📵 Inability to access books offline

**Reported bugs**

- Books not loading or showing blank screens
- Highlighting issues (selecting wrong text, unable to edit)
- Sync issues between devices and web version

**Requested features**

- Improve highlighting and annotation tools
- Add support for split-screen mode
- Enhance text-to-speech capabilities
- Allow offline access to downloaded books


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader+ free?

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

### Is RedShelf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Reader+ or RedShelf?

Reader+ is rated higher. Reader+ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while RedShelf averages 4.5 from 7.1K ratings.

### Do Reader+ or RedShelf have ads?

Reader+ shows ads; RedShelf does not.

### Which is updated more often, Reader+ or RedShelf?

Reader+ ships an update every 2 months, and RedShelf every 5 weeks. Most recently, Reader+ was updated on September 22, 2026 and RedShelf on September 25, 2026.

---

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