# NetGalley Shelf vs Tertulia

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tertulia at 67% against NetGalley Shelf's 20%. Tertulia also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months). NetGalley Shelf's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and chart position (#166 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Tertulia holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tertulia has 509 ratings behind it against 87, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of NetGalley Shelf's written reviews are positive against 67% of Tertulia's.

NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, Tertulia weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NetGalley Shelf | Tertulia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netgalley-shelf/id1499581600/reviews) | **[4.7 (509 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tertulia/id1562334598/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 87 | **509** |
| Positive reviews | 19.9% of reviews | **67.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | **#166** | — |
| Size | 24 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [NetGalley, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499581599) | [Tertulia, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1562334600) |

## What reviewers say

### NetGalley Shelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netgalley-shelf/id1499581600)

**Currently charting:** #166 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access and review digital books and audiobooks provided by publishers and authors. Discover new titles, download them for offline reading, or stream audiobooks directly within the app. This platform is designed for book advocates and industry professionals to provide valuable feedback.

**Highlights:** Access digital review copies, Listen to audiobooks, Download books for offline reading, Stream audiobooks, Discover new titles, Request and review books

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works fine for some users
- 👍 Keeps user logged in
- 👍 Audiobooks work well
- 🚀 Able to read ebooks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Narration speed issues
- 🐛 Confusing interface
- 🔒 Login issues
- 🐛 Bookmarks and positions don't sync
- 🐛 No built-in dictionary

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Downloading issues with audiobooks
- Books disappearing from shelf
- Inability to remove expired books
- Inconsistent behavior when opening books

**Requested features**

- Add ability to write reviews within the app
- Improve audiobook playback controls
- Add font size adjustment
- Implement dark mode
- Sync reading progress across devices


### Tertulia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tertulia/id1562334598)

Discover your next favorite book with curated recommendations from across the web. Organize your reading lists and purchase books seamlessly. Enjoy the best bookstore membership for passionate readers.

**Highlights:** Book recommendations from social media, podcasts, and web, Reading list tracking, Seamless book purchasing (US only), Bookstore membership benefits, Discover trending books

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient app
- 👍 Visually appealing and user-friendly design
- 💡 Excellent book discovery and recommendations
- 👍 Convenient book tracking and management
- 🚀 Quick delivery of purchased books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and slow performance issues
- 🔍 Lack of detailed book descriptions
- 💸 Overly commercial focus on selling books
- 🔍 Inconsistent or missing order tracking/history

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Login and account issues
- Disappearing user book lists
- Inconsistent pricing and shipping information

**Requested features**

- iPad app version
- Ability to rate and review books read
- Improved personalized recommendations
- Smoother scrolling and list management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NetGalley Shelf free?

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

### Is Tertulia free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NetGalley Shelf or Tertulia?

Tertulia is rated higher. NetGalley Shelf averages 2.1 out of 5 from 87 ratings, while Tertulia averages 4.7 from 509 ratings.

### Do NetGalley Shelf or Tertulia have ads?

Neither NetGalley Shelf nor Tertulia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NetGalley Shelf or Tertulia?

NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, and Tertulia weekly. Most recently, NetGalley Shelf was updated on October 29, 2026 and Tertulia 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.*