# iLibrary! vs Bookshelf

The clearest difference is rating: Bookshelf at 4.8 against iLibrary!'s 4.0. Bookshelf also leads on ratings volume (3.1K vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). iLibrary!'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iLibrary! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Bookshelf sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 3.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of iLibrary!'s written reviews are positive against 94% of Bookshelf's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

iLibrary! ships an update every 3 months, Bookshelf every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iLibrary! | Bookshelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ilibrary/id1441247117/reviews) | **[4.8 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-your-virtual-library/id1464032274/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **3.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 93.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#147** |
| Size | 59 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Guido Fanfani](https://appshunter.io/developer/594361200) | [SquidBit d.o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464032273) |

## What reviewers say

### iLibrary!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ilibrary/id1441247117)

Easily catalog your personal book collection by scanning ISBN barcodes or searching by title. Access detailed book information and manage your library on the go. Features a unique web version for extended access.

**Highlights:** Personal library database, Barcode (ISBN) scanning, Search Google Books by name, Web version available, Book information retrieval

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iLibrary! Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


### Bookshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-your-virtual-library/id1464032274)

**Currently charting:** #147 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Organize your book collection with virtual shelves and tags. Track reading progress, set goals, and manage your TBR list. Discover new books, share recommendations, and connect with friends' reading journeys.

**Highlights:** Virtual bookshelves and tags, ISBN barcode scanner, Reading progress tracking, TBR wishlist management, Social reading profiles, Book statistics and insights, OCR text scanning for quotes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bookshelf (1 Month) | $2.99 | per month |
| Bookshelf (1 Year) | $19.99 | per year |
| Bookshelf (Lifetime) | $59.99 | one-time |
| Bookshelf (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Batch scanning feature
- 📚 Excellent for organizing book collections
- 💰 Free app with no limits
- 🔍 Helpful for avoiding book duplicates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Search function could be improved
- 🔢 Inability to add multiple copies of the same book
- 📷 Limited cover image options for some books

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional issues with scanning barcodes
- Trouble accessing app after account creation

**Requested features**

- Ability to organize books by author and series
- Option to filter statistics by bookshelf
- Manual page count entry
- Borrowing/lending tracking system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iLibrary! free?

iLibrary! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bookshelf free?

Bookshelf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, iLibrary! or Bookshelf?

Bookshelf is rated higher. iLibrary! averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Bookshelf averages 4.8 from 3.1K ratings.

### Do iLibrary! or Bookshelf have ads?

Bookshelf shows ads; iLibrary! does not.

### Which is updated more often, iLibrary! or Bookshelf?

iLibrary! ships an update every 3 months, and Bookshelf every 2 weeks. Most recently, iLibrary! was updated on October 7, 2026 and Bookshelf on October 26, 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.*