# NetGalley Shelf vs COOL Catalog

The clearest difference is rating: COOL Catalog at 3.0 against NetGalley Shelf's 2.1. COOL Catalog also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). NetGalley Shelf's advantage is ratings volume (87 vs 1) and review sentiment (20% vs 0%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

COOL Catalog holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NetGalley Shelf has 87 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 20% of NetGalley Shelf's written reviews are positive against 0% of COOL Catalog's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, COOL Catalog every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NetGalley Shelf | COOL Catalog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netgalley-shelf/id1499581600/reviews) | **[3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cool-catalog/id6740416233/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **87** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **19.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#172** | — |
| Size | 24 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NetGalley, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499581599) | [Equinox Open Library Initiative, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1688468859) |

## What reviewers say

### NetGalley Shelf

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

**Currently charting:** #172 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


### COOL Catalog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cool-catalog/id6740416233)

Access a shared library catalog to search for books, place holds, and renew loans. You can also access ebooks and eaudio. A library card from a participating member library is required to use the app.

**Highlights:** Search shared library catalog, Place holds on books, Renew loans, Access ebooks, Access eaudio

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NetGalley Shelf free?

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

### Is COOL Catalog free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NetGalley Shelf or COOL Catalog?

COOL Catalog is rated higher. NetGalley Shelf averages 2.1 out of 5 from 87 ratings, while COOL Catalog averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do NetGalley Shelf or COOL Catalog have ads?

Neither NetGalley Shelf nor COOL Catalog shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NetGalley Shelf or COOL Catalog?

NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, and COOL Catalog every 2 months. Most recently, NetGalley Shelf was updated on October 27, 2026 and COOL Catalog 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.*