# Textbooks 101 vs Shelf Scanner.

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Textbooks 101 at 100% against Shelf Scanner.'s 9%. Textbooks 101 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months). Shelf Scanner.'s advantage is rating (4.5 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (263 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shelf Scanner. sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Textbooks 101 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shelf Scanner. holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shelf Scanner. has 263 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Textbooks 101's written reviews are positive against 9% of Shelf Scanner.'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Textbooks 101 ships an update every 3 weeks, Shelf Scanner. every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Textbooks 101 | Shelf Scanner. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textbooks-101/id1084212674/reviews) | **[4.5 (263 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelf-scanner/id6503261472/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **263** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 9.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Friday Software Group Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1084212673) | [Gabe Rogers](https://appshunter.io/developer/1584630702) |

## What reviewers say

### Textbooks 101

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textbooks-101/id1084212674)

This app helps college students save money by comparing prices for buying and selling textbooks. It allows users to scan barcodes, compare offers from multiple retailers, and even connect with other students on campus to buy or sell books directly.

**Highlights:** Compare buyback prices from 10+ retailers, Scan ISBN barcodes for instant price lookup, Sell textbooks to the highest-paying retailer, Buy and sell with students on campus, Built-in messaging for campus transactions, Wait-list notifications for hard-to-find books

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shelf Scanner.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelf-scanner/id6503261472)

Easily discover the value of books by scanning barcodes or taking photos of entire shelves. Get live pricing data from major online sellers to maximize your profit when selling your books.

**Highlights:** Scan book barcodes for value, Photo scan entire bookshelves, Live pricing data, Sell books for profit, Source from major online sellers

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Pro | $15.99 | per month |
| Annual Pro | $48.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Textbooks 101 free?

Textbooks 101 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shelf Scanner. free?

Shelf Scanner. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Textbooks 101 or Shelf Scanner.?

Shelf Scanner. is rated higher. Textbooks 101 averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Shelf Scanner. averages 4.5 from 263 ratings.

### Do Textbooks 101 or Shelf Scanner. have ads?

Neither Textbooks 101 nor Shelf Scanner. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Textbooks 101 or Shelf Scanner.?

Textbooks 101 ships an update every 3 weeks, and Shelf Scanner. every 7 months. Most recently, Textbooks 101 was updated on September 29, 2026 and Shelf Scanner. on October 21, 2026.

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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.*