# Bookshelf vs OBC Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Bookshelf at 4.8 against OBC Reader's 2.8. Bookshelf also leads on ratings volume (3K vs 10) and review sentiment (94% vs 78%). OBC Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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. OBC Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 3K ratings behind it against 10, 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 78% of OBC Reader's.

Bookshelf ships an update fortnightly, OBC Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | OBC Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-your-virtual-library/id1464032274/reviews)** | [2.8 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obc-reader/id1592390086/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **93.8% of reviews** | 77.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#199** | — |
| Size | 80 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SquidBit d.o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464032273) | [OnlineBookClub.org LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1592390088) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

**Currently charting:** #199 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


### OBC Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obc-reader/id1592390086)

Access a library of ePub2 books, download free titles from a community collection, and enjoy private books for members. Features include copy-paste, bookmarking, and text search for an enhanced reading experience.

**Highlights:** Read ePub2 books, Download free books, Community library access, Private member books, Copy-paste text, Bookmarks, Text search

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is OBC Reader free?

OBC Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or OBC Reader?

Bookshelf is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3K ratings, while OBC Reader averages 2.8 from 10 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or OBC Reader have ads?

Bookshelf shows ads; OBC Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or OBC Reader?

Bookshelf ships an update fortnightly, and OBC Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on September 25, 2026 and OBC Reader on June 2, 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.*