ReadMe vs ShelfStream
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ReadMe
This app offers a streamlined experience for viewing text files, removing all extraneous features. It allows quick access to documents from cloud storage services and supports compressed files. Users can customize their reading experience with options for line spacing, themes, font size, and paging animation.
- Cloud file downloads (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive)
- iTunes file upload
- Compressed file support (zip)
- Customizable text reading (line spacing, theme, font size)
- Paging animation
- Bookmarks
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A viewer focused on one thing: reading. Enjoy novels and comics in one app with Readme. Less clutter. Just what you need to enjoy your next page. [Supported Formats] Novels — TXT, EPUB, SMI Comics — CBZ, CBR, CB7, PDF, TIF, JPG and PNG images Have your files in a ZIP archive? Add it to Readme, and the app will extract it for you. [An Expanded Remote Library] From NAS to the cloud — Connect to SMB, WebDAV, and OPDS servers, as well as Dropbox, OneDrive, Komga, and Kavita. Start reading while it loads — With supported comic files, you can start reading before the entire download finishes. Readme loads the content you need as you go. Choose a volume inside an archive — If a ZIP contains multiple comic archives, browse the volumes and open the one you want. Save for offline reading — Download books in advance and enjoy them without an internet connection. Downloaded books remain readable even after your Pro access ends. Pick up where you left off — Books you read remotely stay in your library, so you can open them again without searching through folders. Opening books from remote libraries and saving them offline require Pro. Depending on the file format and server, a file may need to be downloaded before it opens. [Comfortable Reading for Novels and Comics] Comic viewer — Scroll vertically, view two pages side by side, automatically trim margins, and enhance image clarity. Cover grid — See your library at a glance, with your reading progress displayed below each cover. Automatic series organization (Pro) — Readme identifies titles and volume numbers in filenames and groups books into series. Reading statistics (Pro) — View daily, weekly, and monthly reading time, along with records for individual books. Face ID lock — Lock the entire app. With Pro, you can also lock individual files and folders. [The Essentials, Refined] Continue reading — Your library remembers your reading position and progress. Make it yours — Choose from eight themes: Light, Paper, Sepia, Sage, Lavender, Dark, Midnight, and Black. Adjust fonts, text size, line spacing, margins, and page-turning or scrolling modes. Large files welcome — Open collections spanning tens of megabytes. For long text files, start reading the first pages while Readme prepares the rest. Automatic encoding detection — Readme recognizes a variety of text encodings, including UTF-8 and EUC-KR. Filename recovery — Recover garbled Korean filenames when extracting archives. iCloud sync — Continue on your iPad from where you stopped on your iPhone. Available with a separate in-app purchase or Pro. Import from the cloud — Bring in files from iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and more. Transfer from your computer — Add files using Finder file sharing and other supported transfer methods. [Readme Pro] Get remote libraries, streaming, offline saving, automatic series organization, reading statistics, and individual file and folder locks. Pro also removes ads and includes iCloud sync while your access is active. Choose a monthly, annual, or lifetime plan. [iCloud Sync] Start a novel on your iPhone and continue from the same place on your iPad. Keep files, reading positions, and bookmarks in sync across your devices. Available as a one-time purchase or included with Readme Pro. [Importing Cloud Files] To import files from a cloud service, install its app on your iPhone and sign in. Supported options include Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. For NAVER MYBOX, use Send → Open in Another App to copy files to Readme. You can also connect Dropbox and OneDrive directly through Readme’s remote library. Something getting in the way of your reading? Let us know through Settings > Contact Us. We’re listening! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://parkgwangbeom.github.io/privacy/
ShelfStream
This app is a powerful comic and manga viewer that supports a wide range of file formats and cloud storage services. It offers a premium reading experience with intelligent prefetching and multiple viewing modes, along with easy library management.
- Cloud storage integration (iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box)
- NAS and server connection (SMB, WebDAV, FTP/SFTP)
- Zero load time prefetching
- Multiple reading modes (single, spread, vertical scroll)
- Support for ZIP, CBZ, RAR, CBR, PDF, 7z
- Library organization and bookmarks
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【The Ultimate Comic & Manga Viewer】 ShelfStream is the next-generation viewer designed for comic enthusiasts who want the best reading experience for their scanned ebook and comic collection. ■ Cloud Storage Support (Premium) • Works with iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box • Read your files where they are, without copying them to your device ■ NAS & Server Connection (Premium) • SMB, WebDAV, FTP/SFTP protocols supported • Open books on your home server without copying them • Handle massive libraries effortlessly ■ Comfortable Reading Experience • ZIP/CBZ files prefetch page by page, so you can start reading without waiting for the whole file (RAR/CBR/7z/PDF are retrieved in full before display) • 7 reading styles (single page, two-page spread, vertical scroll (Webtoon), and more) • Right-to-left and left-to-right reading support • Save display settings per book and series ("Apply to Series" for batch setup) • Set the fit method separately for portrait/landscape, plus a landscape layout option ■ Extensive Format Support • ZIP, CBZ, RAR, CBR, PDF, 7z compatible • Image files (JPEG, PNG, WebP) ■ Easy Library Management • Organize by series • Bookmarks and reading history (reading position is stored on this device) • Intuitive library controls ■ Pricing • Free: local file reading, all 7 reading styles, series management, bookmarks • ShelfStream Premium: cloud and NAS connections with streaming Monthly plan (1 month, auto-renewing) US$0.49 / Yearly plan (1 year, auto-renewing) US$5.99 Both include a 7-day free trial • No ads, including on the free plan Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. The ultimate viewer for digital comic collectors. Start free today. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shelfstream.remosia.biz/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: ShelfStream at none against ReadMe's shown. ShelfStream also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). ReadMe's advantage is ratings volume (38 vs 2). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. ReadMe sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and ShelfStream sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ShelfStream holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ReadMe has 38 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of ReadMe's written reviews are positive against 100% of ShelfStream's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ReadMe | ShelfStream |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (38 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 67.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 38 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 75 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GwangBeom Park | 株式会社リモシア |
Customer experience
ReadMe
ShelfStream
In-app purchases
ReadMe
- Readme Pro$1.991 Month
- Readme Pro7 Days trial$11.991 Year
- A Cup of Coffee$0.99
- Remove Ads$1.99
- iCloud Sync$3.99
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- A Hearty Meal$3.99
- Heartfelt Support$6.99
- Readme Pro$19.99
ShelfStream
- Monthly Plan7 Days trial$0.491 Month
- Yearly Plan7 Days trial$5.991 Year









