NetGalley Shelf vs Build A Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NetGalley Shelf
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.
- Access digital review copies
- Listen to audiobooks
- Download books for offline reading
- Stream audiobooks
- Discover new titles
- Request and review books
Read full descriptionHide full description
NetGalley Shelf is a reading and listening app for NetGalley members. NetGalley helps publishers and authors promote digital review copies and audiobooks to book advocates and industry professionals. Publishers make digital review copies and audiobooks available for the NetGalley community to discover, request, read, and review. NetGalley does not sell any content, including books or audiobooks. Each book on NetGalley is provided to specific members by the publisher directly, at no cost to the NetGalley member. Books on the NetGalley site are used for review and promotional purposes only. Users of the NetGalley Shelf app will need to register as NetGalley members on NetGalley.com or NetGalley.co.uk, then all your approved NetGalley books and audiobooks will automatically appear in this app. No need to press Download on the NetGalley website! Reading is easy and convenient using the NetGalley Shelf app. Download approved books for access on the go, or start listening right away with streaming for audiobooks.
Build A Reader
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Build A Reader app from Tulsa City-County Library is a free tool that can help parents develop early literacy skills in children from birth to pre-K in order to grow and sustain a love of reading. The app offers short, bite-sized videos led by professional library staff demonstrating songs, finger plays, and great book recommendations in thematic categories such as Animals and Feelings to prepare young children for a lifetime of reading joy. Plus, when you can’t make it to the library for story time, you can still get a story time… in your pocket!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: NetGalley Shelf at every 6 months against Build A Reader's every 14 months. NetGalley Shelf also leads on chart position (#164 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, Build A Reader every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NetGalley Shelf | Build A Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (82 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 82 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months — better | Every 14 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | #164 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 204 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NetGalley, LLC | Tulsa City-County Library |
Bugs and requests
NetGalley Shelf
Reported bugs
5 issues- Login issues
- Downloading issues with audiobooks
- Books disappearing from shelf
- Inability to remove expired books
- Inconsistent behavior when opening books
Requested features
7 requests- Add ability to write reviews within the app
- Improve audiobook playback controls
- Add font size adjustment
- Implement dark mode
- Sync reading progress across devices
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Add highlighting and note-taking features
- Improve organization and sorting of books
Build A Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
NetGalley Shelf
No in-app purchases
Build A Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NetGalley Shelf free?
Is Build A Reader free?
Do NetGalley Shelf or Build A Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, NetGalley Shelf or Build A Reader?
Other comparisons















