Comparison

Reading List vs NetGalley Shelf

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

Head to head
About

Reading List

Organize your reading journey by tracking books you've read, are currently reading, or want to read. Log progress, add custom lists, and record notes and ratings. Sync data across devices and export your library.

Highlights
  • Scan barcodes to add books
  • Search online for books
  • Manual book entry
  • Track reading progress (start/finish dates)
  • Create custom book lists
  • Add ratings and notes
  • View reading statistics
  • iCloud data sync
Features
Read full description

Easily track books you’ve read, books you’re reading, and books you want to read. Record your progress by adding the start and finish date of your books. ADD NEW BOOKS • Scan the barcode of a book to quickly add it to your list • Search online to find and add books • Alternatively, add a book manually by typing in its details • Sync your data between all devices via iCloud TRACK YOUR READING • Quickly log the dates you start and finish each book with a tap or swipe • Order the books, to help plan what to read next • Create your own custom lists, like "Wishlist", "Favourites", etc • Record the current page of books you're reading • Add your own rating and notes to each book • View your reading statistics PRIVATE & PERSONAL • No online account or signup needed • All data is private, stored on-device or in your iCloud account • Export and import all your data Some premium features require Reading List Pro, which can be purchased in the app. The app remains fully-featured when used without Reading List Pro. Terms of Use: https://readinglist.app/termsofservice Privacy Policy: https://readinglist.app/privacypolicy

About

NetGalley Shelf

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
Currently charting
Read full description

NetGalley Shelf is a reading and listening app for NetGalley members. NetGalley helps publishers and authors promote digital review copies and audiobooks to book advocates and industry professionals. Publishers make digital review copies and audiobooks available for the NetGalley community to discover, request, read, and review. NetGalley does not sell any content, including books or audiobooks. Each book on NetGalley is provided to specific members by the publisher directly, at no cost to the NetGalley member. Books on the NetGalley site are used for review and promotional purposes only. Users of the NetGalley Shelf app will need to register as NetGalley members on NetGalley.com or NetGalley.co.uk, then all your approved NetGalley books and audiobooks will automatically appear in this app. No need to press Download on the NetGalley website! Reading is easy and convenient using the NetGalley Shelf app. Download approved books for access on the go, or start listening right away with streaming for audiobooks.

Screenshots

Reading List4 screens
NetGalley Shelf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reading List at 93% against NetGalley Shelf's 20%. Reading List also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). NetGalley Shelf's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and chart position (#153 vs unranked). 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. Reading List sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month. NetGalley Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Reading List holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reading List has 30K ratings behind it against 87, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Reading List's written reviews are positive against 20% of NetGalley Shelf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reading List ships an update fortnightly, NetGalley Shelf every 6 months. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Reading List versus NetGalley Shelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReading ListNetGalley Shelf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (30K ratings) — better2.1 (87 ratings)
Positive reviews92.8% of reviews — better19.9% of reviews
Number of ratings30K — better87
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank—#153 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew Bennet LtdNetGalley, LLC

Customer experience

Reading List

All ratings30,064 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews629 reviews
Positive92.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative4.1%

NetGalley Shelf

All ratings83 ratings
Positive15.7%
Neutral16.9%
Negative67.5%
Written reviews301 reviews
Positive19.9%
Neutral17.3%
Negative62.8%

User reviews

Reading List

From 30K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Very user-friendly
  • 🚀 Easy to add and organize books
  • 🔒 Private and non-social
  • 💡 Barcode scanning feature
  • 👍 Clean and simple interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Issues with syncing across devices
  • 💡 Lack of ability to track re-reads or put books 'on hold'
  • 💡 Limited sorting/organizing options for large book collections
  • 💡 No ability to add audiobooks or track reading time

NetGalley Shelf

From 87 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Reading List

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Issues with date/time tracking when adding books
  • Occasional crashes or data loss when using the app

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to track re-reads and 'on hold' books
  • Improve sorting/organizing options for large collections
  • Add support for audiobooks and reading time tracking
  • Implement cloud sync and account features to preserve data
  • Add more customization options for lists and book display

NetGalley Shelf

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add ability to write reviews within the app
  • Improve audiobook playback controls
  • Add font size adjustment
  • Implement dark mode
  • Sync reading progress across devices
Show 2 more
  • Add highlighting and note-taking features
  • Improve organization and sorting of books

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Reading List

Subscriptions4
  • Reading List Pro (Monthly)$2.001 Month
  • Reading List Pro (Monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Reading List Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$14.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Reading List Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time6
  • Small Tip$1.00
  • Medium Tip$2.00
  • Large Tip$3.00
Show 3 more
  • Very Large Tip$5.00
  • Giant Tip$10.00
  • Reading List Pro (Lifetime)$38.00
None

NetGalley Shelf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reading List free?
Reading List is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NetGalley Shelf free?
NetGalley Shelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Reading List or NetGalley Shelf?
Reading List is rated higher. Reading List averages 4.8 out of 5 from 30K ratings, while NetGalley Shelf averages 2.1 from 87 ratings.
Do Reading List or NetGalley Shelf have ads?
Neither Reading List nor NetGalley Shelf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reading List or NetGalley Shelf?
Reading List ships an update fortnightly, and NetGalley Shelf every 6 months. Most recently, Reading List was updated on November 7, 2026 and NetGalley Shelf on November 7, 2026.

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