# Bookshelf vs Own Shelf

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Own Shelf at none against Bookshelf's 4. Own Shelf also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, Own Shelf every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | Own Shelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-your-virtual-library/id1464032274/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 93.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 80 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [SquidBit d.o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464032273) | [DANIELLA TOPPLE](https://appshunter.io/developer/6793436026) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

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


### Own Shelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/own-shelf/id6793436024)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Own Shelf free?

Own Shelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Bookshelf or Own Shelf have ads?

Bookshelf shows ads; Own Shelf does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or Own Shelf?

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, and Own Shelf every 2 days. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on November 8, 2026 and Own Shelf on October 31, 2026.

---

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