# Bookshelf vs Micro Reading

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bookshelf at fortnightly against Micro Reading's monthly. Micro Reading's advantage is device support (5 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookshelf sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Micro Reading sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bookshelf ships an update fortnightly, Micro Reading monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | Micro Reading |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-book-tracker-and-list/id1469372414/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 283 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Gerrese](https://appshunter.io/developer/1025357379) | [Fun Pixel Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1738770855) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

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


### Micro Reading

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/micro-reading/id6792623233)

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Micro Reading Premium Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Micro Reading Premium Annual | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Micro Reading free?

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

### Do Bookshelf or Micro Reading have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor Micro Reading shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or Micro Reading?

Bookshelf ships an update fortnightly, and Micro Reading monthly. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on November 3, 2026 and Micro Reading on October 24, 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.*
