# My Bookshelf vs Chicken Scratch

The clearest difference is rating: My Bookshelf at 4.6 against Chicken Scratch's 2.0. My Bookshelf also leads on ratings volume (176 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 17.6). Chicken Scratch's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 57%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. My Bookshelf sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Chicken Scratch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

My Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: My Bookshelf has 176 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of My Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 75% of Chicken Scratch's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

My Bookshelf ships an update fortnightly, Chicken Scratch every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | My Bookshelf | Chicken Scratch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (176 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-bookshelf/id1456194495/reviews)** | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicken-scratch-flock-tracker/id6747099523/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **176** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stewart Lynch](https://appshunter.io/developer/428795637) | [Ctrl Alt Go Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1784576658) |

## What reviewers say

### My Bookshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-bookshelf/id1456194495)

Easily track books you're reading, want to read, or have finished. Add books via search, manual entry, or barcode scanning. Organize, rate, and review your collection, then share recommendations with friends.

**Highlights:** Book search via Google Books, Manual book entry, Barcode scanning for books, Organize by author, category, title, Rate and review books, Share book lists with friends, Multiple theme options, Cross-device syncing (iPhone/iPad)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Books | $3.99 | one-time |


### Chicken Scratch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicken-scratch-flock-tracker/id6747099523)

This app helps you manage your backyard chickens by tracking egg production, health, and daily tasks. It offers detailed statistics and reminders for feeding and cleaning, making flock management easy and fun.

**Highlights:** Add and manage individual chickens, Log daily egg output, Set reminders for care tasks, Track flock health and medical history, View charts and statistics, Local data storage

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coop Club Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Coop Club Yearly | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is My Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Chicken Scratch free?

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

### Which has better reviews, My Bookshelf or Chicken Scratch?

My Bookshelf is rated higher. My Bookshelf averages 4.6 out of 5 from 176 ratings, while Chicken Scratch averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do My Bookshelf or Chicken Scratch have ads?

Neither My Bookshelf nor Chicken Scratch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, My Bookshelf or Chicken Scratch?

My Bookshelf ships an update fortnightly, and Chicken Scratch every 3 weeks. Most recently, My Bookshelf was updated on November 2, 2026 and Chicken Scratch on October 30, 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.*