Comparison

PIRATES AR vs Bookshelf Diary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PIRATES AR

Features
Read full description

With this app you will be able to reproduce the augmented reality of the Big Book of Pirates and Corsairs. Discover new illustrations and hidden characters, enjoy the music and watch the book getting alive with the augmented reality!

About

Bookshelf Diary

Organize your book collection with ease using barcode scanning, batch entry for series, and progress tracking. Manage wishlists, customize shelf arrangements, and back up your data locally or via the cloud. Supports offline use and offers a dark mode.

Highlights
  • ISBN barcode scanning
  • Batch entry for series
  • Track owned and missing books
  • Wishlist management
  • Customizable shelf sorting
  • Excel export/import
  • Cloud backup
  • Offline functionality
Features
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[Core Features] - ISBN Barcode Scanning: Instantly retrieve book information with the cover and title filled in automatically. - Batch Quick Entry: Designed for series collections, create multiple volumes in one tap. - Collection Progress: Mark books as Owned or Missing to track your collection gaps. - Wishlist: Scan a book now and add it to your list for later. - Custom Sorting: Drag and drop to arrange your shelves your way. - Export & Import: Excel support makes moving and organizing your collection easy. - Cloud Backup: Sign in to back up and restore on a new device. - Dark Mode and Offline Search: Choose your preferred appearance and browse your local data offline. [What's New in 1.3.7] - Added purchase prices and collection spending summaries. - Expanded official and custom category management with improved visibility and ordering. - Added duplicate series and work merging directly from search results, with a choice of the item to keep. - Added a missing-volumes-first sort option to the book list. - Improved sale photo and video storage, sharing, and multi-select actions. - Improved bottom sheets, keyboard handling, backups, sign-in reliability, and data safety. - Settings now links directly to the App Store rating page. [Membership & Privacy] Your book data is primarily stored on your device and remains available for offline search. Google and Apple sign-in and purchase features are optional; membership access is validated against store purchases. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PIRATES AR3 screens
Bookshelf Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PIRATES AR at none against Bookshelf Diary's 3. PIRATES AR also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). Bookshelf Diary's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Bookshelf Diary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. PIRATES AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PIRATES AR ships an update monthly, Bookshelf Diary every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PIRATES AR versus Bookshelf Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPIRATES ARBookshelf Diary
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size378 MB135 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaidotriboWANG MEI TING

In-app purchases

None

PIRATES AR

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Bookshelf Diary

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Pro 訂閱版7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Plus 永久版$7.99

Questions

Is PIRATES AR free?
PIRATES AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bookshelf Diary free?
Bookshelf Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PIRATES AR or Bookshelf Diary have ads?
Neither PIRATES AR nor Bookshelf Diary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PIRATES AR or Bookshelf Diary?
PIRATES AR ships an update monthly, and Bookshelf Diary every 9 days. Most recently, PIRATES AR was updated on November 2, 2026 and Bookshelf Diary on November 1, 2026.

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