# Bookshelf vs Codex Reader Early Access

The clearest difference is chart position: Bookshelf at #189 against Codex Reader Early Access's unranked. Codex Reader Early Access's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookshelf sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Codex Reader Early Access sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bookshelf ships an update fortnightly, Codex Reader Early Access weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | Codex Reader Early Access |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-book-tracker-and-list/id1469372414/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#189** | — |
| Size | 283 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Gerrese](https://appshunter.io/developer/1025357379) | [Cameron Green](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493306411) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-book-tracker-and-list/id1469372414)

**Currently charting:** #189 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Track your reading, build a library, and improve your habits with insightful stats and AI-powered discovery. Remember what you read with notes and quizzes, and set reading goals to stay motivated. Sync across devices and export your library.

**Highlights:** Build and manage your book library, Track reading progress and habits, AI-powered book recommendations, Take notes and create quizzes, Set reading goals and reminders, Import from Goodreads and Kindle, Sync across iOS devices

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bookshelf Gold (Monthly) | $6.99 | per month |
| Bookshelf Gold (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| Tokens Refill (Small) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Refill (Medium) | $4.99 | one-time |
| 250 Tokens | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Refill (Large) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bookshelf Gold (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Excellent book tracking features
- 📚 Unlimited book storage
- 💻 Clean and intuitive interface
- 🔍 Powerful search and discovery
- 📝 Detailed notes and quotes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free features, requires premium subscription
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Sync issues between devices
- 📚 Incomplete book database
- 🔍 Unreliable barcode scanning

**Reported bugs**

- Books disappearing from library after updates
- Reading progress not syncing correctly
- Inconsistent behavior of reading mode and session tracking
- Search function frequently returning incorrect results

**Requested features**

- Add ability to import/export data
- Implement better sorting and filtering options
- Allow customizable book covers and collections
- Add support for audiobook tracking
- Integrate with other reading apps and services


### Codex Reader Early Access

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codex-reader-early-access/id6762022936)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Codex Premium | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Codex Reader Early Access free?

Codex Reader Early Access is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Bookshelf or Codex Reader Early Access have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor Codex Reader Early Access shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or Codex Reader Early Access?

Bookshelf ships an update fortnightly, and Codex Reader Early Access weekly. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on October 17, 2026 and Codex Reader Early Access on October 14, 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.*