# NetGalley Shelf vs StoryGraph

The clearest difference is review sentiment: StoryGraph at 70% against NetGalley Shelf's 20%. StoryGraph also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). NetGalley Shelf's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. StoryGraph sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. NetGalley Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

StoryGraph holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StoryGraph has 3.6K 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 70% of StoryGraph's.

NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, StoryGraph monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NetGalley Shelf | StoryGraph |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netgalley-shelf/id1499581600/reviews) | **[4.5 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 87 | **3.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 19.9% of reviews | **70.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #184 | **#34** |
| Size | 24 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [NetGalley, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499581599) | [The StoryGraph](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570489926) |

## What reviewers say

### NetGalley Shelf

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

**Currently charting:** #184 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


### StoryGraph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264)

**Currently charting:** #34 Top Free · Book, #107 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Track your reading habits with insightful stats and personalized book recommendations powered by AI. Discover new books based on mood, pace, and genre, and connect with friends for shared reading experiences.

**Highlights:** Import Goodreads data, Personalized book recommendations, Track reading habits with stats, Discover books by mood and pace, Read with friends (buddy reads), Custom reading challenges, Content warnings for books

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The StoryGraph Plus Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| The StoryGraph Plus Annual | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Excellent reading stats and data visualization
- 💡 Innovative features like buddy reads and reading challenges
- 👍 Clean and modern design
- 💡 Independent company, not owned by big tech

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Slow performance and loading times
- 🐛 Issues with importing data from other platforms
- 🐛 Missing some basic features like custom shelves/lists
- 🐛 Confusing navigation and UI in places

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes when trying to update reading progress
- Incorrect book details and page counts
- Login issues where users get logged out frequently

**Requested features**

- Ability to track re-reads and multiple editions of books
- More robust social features like following friends, liking reviews
- Barcode scanning to easily add books
- Customizable reading challenges and goal tracking
- Dark mode option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NetGalley Shelf free?

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

### Is StoryGraph free?

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

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

StoryGraph is rated higher. NetGalley Shelf averages 2.1 out of 5 from 87 ratings, while StoryGraph averages 4.5 from 3.6K ratings.

### Do NetGalley Shelf or StoryGraph have ads?

Neither NetGalley Shelf nor StoryGraph shows ads.

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

NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, and StoryGraph monthly. Most recently, NetGalley Shelf was updated on November 3, 2026 and StoryGraph on November 4, 2026.

### Which is more popular, NetGalley Shelf or StoryGraph?

NetGalley Shelf currently peaks at #184 in the App Store charts, and StoryGraph at #34. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*