# CW MARS Libraries vs Bookshop.org

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | CW MARS Libraries | Bookshop.org |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cw-mars-libraries/id1434646418/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 27 | **2.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 56.3% of reviews | **56.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#177** |
| Size | 9 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Kenneth Cox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1400443993) | [Bookshop, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706515971) |

## What reviewers say

### CW MARS Libraries

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cw-mars-libraries/id1434646418)

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.

**Highlights:** Access shared library catalog, Search for books and materials, Manage library account, Find participating libraries

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bookshop.org

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096)

**Currently charting:** #177 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Customizable ebook reader, Browse millions of titles, Organize TBR into custom shelves, Highlight in five colors, Add notes to highlights, Save titles to wishlist

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Wonderful app
- 👍 Great alternative to Amazon
- 👍 Supports local bookstores
- 👍 Clean and pleasing interface
- 👍 Solid app for a new release

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Formatting issues (lack of italics, poor paragraph spacing, etc.)
- 🐛 Buggy page turning and navigation
- 🔧 Limited customization options (fonts, themes, brightness, etc.)
- 🔧 Missing essential features (highlighting, note-taking, search, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CW MARS Libraries free?

CW MARS Libraries is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bookshop.org free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CW MARS Libraries or Bookshop.org?

Bookshop.org is rated higher. CW MARS Libraries averages 3.8 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Bookshop.org averages 4.8 from 2.3K ratings.

### Do CW MARS Libraries or Bookshop.org have ads?

Neither CW MARS Libraries nor Bookshop.org shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CW MARS Libraries or Bookshop.org?

CW MARS Libraries ships an update every 4 months, and Bookshop.org every 5 days. Most recently, CW MARS Libraries was updated on November 2, 2026 and Bookshop.org on November 7, 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.*