# Bookshelf vs PCL Mobile

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PCL Mobile at none against Bookshelf's 4. PCL Mobile also leads on ads (none vs shown). Bookshelf's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (3.1K vs 2). On price, rating, 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. PCL Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

PCL Mobile holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 3.1K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 100% of PCL Mobile's.

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, PCL Mobile every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | PCL Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-your-virtual-library/id1464032274/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcl-mobile/id1564791636/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.1K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 93.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#160** | — |
| Size | 80 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [SquidBit d.o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464032273) | [Pendleton Community Public Library](https://appshunter.io/developer/1564791638) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

**Currently charting:** #160 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Organize your book collection with virtual shelves and tags. Track reading progress, set goals, and manage your wishlist. Discover new books, share recommendations, and connect with friends through your reading journey.

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

**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


### PCL Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcl-mobile/id1564791636)

Access your library account, search the catalog, and reserve items. Discover digital collections, view event calendars, and make program reservations. Enjoy a comprehensive library experience on your mobile device.

**Highlights:** Catalog search, Item reservation, Account management, Event calendar, Program reservations, Digital collections access

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is PCL Mobile free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or PCL Mobile?

PCL Mobile is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.1K ratings, while PCL Mobile averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or PCL Mobile have ads?

Bookshelf shows ads; PCL Mobile does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or PCL Mobile?

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, and PCL Mobile every 6 months. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on November 6, 2026 and PCL Mobile 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.*