CW MARS Libraries vs Bookshop.org
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CW MARS Libraries
Access the shared catalog of libraries across Central and Western Massachusetts. Requires a library card and password from a participating CW MARS member library to use.
- Access shared library catalog
- Search for books and materials
- Manage library account
- Find participating libraries
Read full descriptionHide full description
CW MARS Libraries gives you access to the shared library catalog for all CW MARS member libraries in Central and Western Massachusetts. To use this app, you must have a library card from a CW MARS member library, and know your password. If you do not know your password, or need a library card, please contact your local library.
Bookshop.org
Read millions of ebooks and support independent bookstores with every purchase. This app offers a customizable reader, extensive browsing, and tools to organize your reading list and notes.
- Customizable ebook reader
- Browse millions of titles
- Organize TBR into custom shelves
- Highlight in five colors
- Add notes to highlights
- Save titles to wishlist
Read full descriptionHide full description
Bookshop.org’s mission is simple: We help local, independent bookstores thrive by giving more than 80% of our profits back to our network of 3,000+ stores. In our app, you can read millions of ebooks - and every purchase supports an independent bookstore near you! In the Bookshop app you can: - Read your ebooks in our customizable ebook reader. - Browse millions of titles and discover your next favorite read in romance, thrillers, mystery, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, and more. - Organize your TBR into custom shelves. - Highlight in five different colors, and add notes to your highlighted passages. - Sort & filter highlights and notes by date created, book order, and more. - Save titles to your wishlist so you can read them later. - Shop knowing that over 80% of the profit goes directly to local, independent bookstores. We’re a Certified B Corp, and we’ve raised more than $50 million for independent bookstores nationwide since 2020. Download the Bookshop.org app to support bookstores, not billionaires.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Bookshop.org at 4.8 against CW MARS Libraries's 3.8. Bookshop.org also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (2.3K vs 27). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Bookshop.org holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshop.org has 2.3K ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 56% and 57% positive.
CW MARS Libraries ships an update every 4 months, Bookshop.org every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CW MARS Libraries | Bookshop.org |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (27 ratings) | 4.8 (2.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 56.3% of reviews | 56.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 27 | 2.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #177 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 111 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Kenneth Cox | Bookshop, Inc. |
Customer experience
CW MARS Libraries
Bookshop.org
Bugs and requests
CW MARS Libraries
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Bookshop.org
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inability to remember last page read
- Scrolling issues and unexpected page skipping
- Formatting problems (stripped italics, weird paragraph spacing)
- Settings not persisting between app sessions
Requested features
7 requests- More font and theme options
- Ability to adjust line spacing, margins, and other formatting
- Implement highlighting, annotation, and note-taking features
- Add search functionality
- Improve page turning and navigation
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Provide better dark mode/night reading experience
- Sync reading progress across devices
In-app purchases
CW MARS Libraries
No in-app purchases
Bookshop.org
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is CW MARS Libraries free?
Is Bookshop.org free?
Which has better reviews, CW MARS Libraries or Bookshop.org?
Do CW MARS Libraries or Bookshop.org have ads?
Which is updated more often, CW MARS Libraries or Bookshop.org?
Other comparisons
