Comparison

NetGalley Shelf vs Reading Journal

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

Reading Journal

Features
Read full description

Sticky tabs tell you where something happened. TabMap helps you remember how the book felt. Mark a page in seconds, choose what kind of moment it was, and watch your reading pulse take shape across twelve spoiler-free sections. No copied passages are needed. BUILT FOR PHYSICAL-BOOK READERS • Add the book beside you or start with a prepared sample • Mark a page as Keep, Felt, Clue, or Discuss • Add intensity and an optional private note • See the emotional shape of the whole book at a glance • Use built-in prompts to compare reactions after everyone finishes • Share a visual discussion card without revealing plot details or private notes PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Your books, page marks, labels, and private notes stay on your device. TabMap has no account, ads, analytics SDK, or remote AI. Sharing happens only when you choose the system share button. FREE AND PRO The free version includes one complete book map and a spoiler-free share preview. TabMap Pro unlocks unlimited books, custom tab legends, clean discussion shares, and local backup and restore. Choose Pro Annual for a renewable plan or Lifetime Pro for a one-time purchase. Both choices unlock the same features. Prices vary by storefront and Apple shows the final price before confirmation. The annual subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple Account settings. Lifetime Pro does not renew. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://briefready-support.dapper-kiwi-8512.chatgpt.site/tabmap#privacy

Screenshots

NetGalley Shelf4 screens
Reading Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NetGalley Shelf at none against Reading Journal's 2. NetGalley Shelf also leads on chart position (#162 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Reading Journal's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Reading Journal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per year. NetGalley Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, Reading Journal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
NetGalley Shelf versus Reading Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNetGalley ShelfReading Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (82 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings82 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#162 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNetGalley, LLC程辉 杨

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

Reading Journal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

NetGalley Shelf

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Reading Journal

Subscriptions1
  • TabMap Pro Annual$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • TabMap Lifetime Pro$14.99

Questions

Is NetGalley Shelf free?
NetGalley Shelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reading Journal free?
Reading Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NetGalley Shelf or Reading Journal have ads?
Neither NetGalley Shelf nor Reading Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NetGalley Shelf or Reading Journal?
NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, and Reading Journal every 2 weeks. Most recently, NetGalley Shelf was updated on September 24, 2026 and Reading Journal on September 18, 2026.

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