Comparison

NetGalley Shelf vs Between Covers

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Access digital review copies
  • Listen to audiobooks
  • Download books for offline reading
  • Stream audiobooks
  • Discover new titles
  • Request and review books
Currently charting
Read 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.

About

Between Covers

Discover your next favorite romance novel and connect with a passionate community. Get personalized recommendations, join discussions, and explore curated reading experiences. It's the perfect escape for book lovers.

Highlights
  • Curated book recommendations
  • Mood-based reading picks
  • Community discussions and polls
  • Immersive monthly reading themes
  • Personalized book bestie assistant
  • 7-day free trial
Features
Read full description

Your next obsession is waiting. Between Covers is the romance escape where you discover, feel, and talk about the stories you love—with a community that gets it. Find your next five-star read, set the vibe, and sink deeper into the world of romance. From curated recommendations to cozy, mood-based picks, every corner is designed to pull you in. Step into the Lounge for real conversations, hot takes, polls, and bookish chaos. Explore Cozy Corner for immersive monthly themes and curated reading experiences. And meet Iris—your romance book bestie, here to guide you, spark debates, and help you find your next favorite story. Because the best part of finishing a book is having someone to talk about it with. Explore everything Between Covers has to offer with a 7-day free trial. After your trial, continue with a monthly or annual membership. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS - Annual Membership — $89.99/year (about $7.50/month) - Monthly Membership — $9.99/month - Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period - Manage or cancel your subscription in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions Terms of Use: https://betweencovers-legal-documents.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/terms-of-use.html Privacy Policy: https://betweencovers-legal-documents.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

NetGalley Shelf4 screens
Between Covers4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Between Covers at 5.0 against NetGalley Shelf's 2.1. Between Covers also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). NetGalley Shelf's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (87 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Between Covers sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. NetGalley Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Between Covers holds the better App Store score, 5.0 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, Between Covers every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
NetGalley Shelf versus Between Covers: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNetGalley ShelfBetween Covers
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (87 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews19.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings87 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank#179 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB38 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperNetGalley, LLCModern Vision Design LLC

Customer experience

NetGalley Shelf

All ratings83 ratings
Positive15.7%
Neutral16.9%
Negative67.5%
Written reviews301 reviews
Positive19.9%
Neutral17.3%
Negative62.8%

Between Covers

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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 more
  • Add highlighting and note-taking features
  • Improve organization and sorting of books

Between Covers

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

NetGalley Shelf

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Between Covers

Subscriptions2
  • Between Covers Membership7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Annual Membership7 Days trial$89.991 Year

Questions

Is NetGalley Shelf free?
NetGalley Shelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Between Covers free?
Between Covers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NetGalley Shelf or Between Covers?
Between Covers is rated higher. NetGalley Shelf averages 2.1 out of 5 from 87 ratings, while Between Covers averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do NetGalley Shelf or Between Covers have ads?
Neither NetGalley Shelf nor Between Covers shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NetGalley Shelf or Between Covers?
NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, and Between Covers every 3 weeks. Most recently, NetGalley Shelf was updated on October 25, 2026 and Between Covers on October 22, 2026.

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