# Bookshelf vs Willard Library App

The clearest difference is rating: Bookshelf at 4.8 against Willard Library App's 4.2. Bookshelf also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (3K vs 6). Willard Library App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookshelf sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Willard Library App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 3K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 94% of Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 100% of Willard Library App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Bookshelf ships an update fortnightly, Willard Library App every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | Willard Library App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-your-virtual-library/id1464032274/reviews)** | [4.2 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/willard-library-app/id1482159132/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 93.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#153** | — |
| Size | 80 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SquidBit d.o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464032273) | [Willard Public Library](https://appshunter.io/developer/1482159131) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

**Currently charting:** #153 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


### Willard Library App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/willard-library-app/id1482159132)

Manage your library account on the go. Search the catalog, renew borrowed items, and place holds directly from your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Account management, Catalog search, Renew checkouts, Place holds, Mobile access

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Willard Library App free?

Willard Library App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or Willard Library App?

Bookshelf is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while Willard Library App averages 4.2 from 6 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or Willard Library App have ads?

Bookshelf shows ads; Willard Library App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or Willard Library App?

Bookshelf ships an update fortnightly, and Willard Library App every 5 months. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on September 27, 2026 and Willard Library App on June 1, 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.*