# Bookshelf vs Bookworm Reads

The clearest difference is ads: Bookworm Reads at none against Bookshelf's shown. Bookshelf's advantage is review sentiment (94% vs 77%) and chart position (#169 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookshelf sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Bookworm Reads sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Bookshelf against 4.8 for Bookworm Reads. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.1K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 77% of Bookworm Reads's.

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, Bookworm Reads every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | Bookworm Reads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-your-virtual-library/id1464032274/reviews)** | [4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookworm-reads/id1574582016/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.1K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | **93.7% of reviews** | 77.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#169** | — |
| Size | 80 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SquidBit d.o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464032273) | [Bookworm Reads CLUB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1574582018) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

**Currently charting:** #169 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


### Bookworm Reads

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookworm-reads/id1574582016)

Track your reading, connect with friends, and join a vibrant community of book lovers. Organize your library, discover new titles, and participate in reading challenges. Customize your unique worm avatar and share your literary journey.

**Highlights:** Track and categorize books, Create custom bookshelves, See friends' reading activity, Rate, review, and discuss books, Create and join book clubs, Participate in reading challenges, Customize worm avatar

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💕 Cute and fun design
- 🤗 Welcoming and supportive community
- 🌈 Vibrant and colorful interface
- 🌟 Inspiring and motivating
- 📚 Great for discovering new books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Limited search functionality
- 💰 Paywall for certain features
- 🙈 Lack of privacy/customization options
- 📚 Missing books and inaccurate library

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to permanently delete user profiles
- Signup process issues with 'Accept' button not working
- Inconsistent display of book covers and information
- Frequent crashes and app freezes
- Syncing issues with imported book data

**Requested features**

- Add ability to track reading progress
- Improve accessibility for visually impaired users
- Introduce more customization options for user profiles
- Expand search capabilities to include more book details
- Integrate with other popular book platforms


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Bookworm Reads free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or Bookworm Reads?

Bookshelf is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.1K ratings, while Bookworm Reads averages 4.8 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or Bookworm Reads have ads?

Bookshelf shows ads; Bookworm Reads does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or Bookworm Reads?

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, and Bookworm Reads every 3 weeks. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on October 21, 2026 and Bookworm Reads on October 16, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*