# UW vs RedShelf

The clearest difference is rating: RedShelf at 4.5 against UW's 2.4. RedShelf also leads on ratings volume (7.1K vs 8) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). UW's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

RedShelf holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RedShelf has 7.1K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UW ships an update every 4 months, RedShelf every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | UW | RedShelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uw-parkside/id1437422373/reviews) | **[4.5 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/redshelf/id1511013608/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **7.1K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 3.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 82 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University of Wisconsin-Parkside](https://appshunter.io/developer/559789200) | [RedShelf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511013606) |

## What reviewers say

### UW

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uw-parkside/id1437422373)

Navigate campus, stay updated on news and events, and access essential student resources. Find computer labs, manage your accounts, and track wellness information. This app simplifies campus life for students.

**Highlights:** Campus news and events, Outdoor navigation, Computer lab information, Wellness tracking, Account management integration, Health app integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### RedShelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/redshelf/id1511013608)

Access and read your digital textbooks on any device. Highlight text, take notes, create flashcards, and have content read aloud. Your notes and highlights sync across all your devices.

**Highlights:** Access textbooks on any device, Highlight text and take notes, Create flashcards from content, Define unfamiliar words, Text-to-speech functionality, Sync notes and highlights across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient to access textbooks in one place
- 🚀 Decent overall performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 💤 Slow loading and page turning
- 👎 Unreliable highlighting and note-taking features
- 🤖 Poor text-to-speech functionality
- 📵 Inability to access books offline

**Reported bugs**

- Books not loading or showing blank screens
- Highlighting issues (selecting wrong text, unable to edit)
- Sync issues between devices and web version

**Requested features**

- Improve highlighting and annotation tools
- Add support for split-screen mode
- Enhance text-to-speech capabilities
- Allow offline access to downloaded books


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UW free?

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

### Is RedShelf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, UW or RedShelf?

RedShelf is rated higher. UW averages 2.4 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while RedShelf averages 4.5 from 7.1K ratings.

### Do UW or RedShelf have ads?

Neither UW nor RedShelf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, UW or RedShelf?

UW ships an update every 4 months, and RedShelf every 5 weeks. Most recently, UW was updated on November 2, 2026 and RedShelf on November 3, 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.*