# NetGalley Shelf vs Tome Player

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tome Player at 100% against NetGalley Shelf's 20%. Tome Player also leads on rating (3.7 vs 2.1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). NetGalley Shelf's advantage is ratings volume (87 vs 3) and chart position (#154 vs unranked). 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.

Tome Player holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NetGalley Shelf has 87 ratings behind it against 3, 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 100% of Tome Player's.

NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, Tome Player fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NetGalley Shelf | Tome Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netgalley-shelf/id1499581600/reviews) | **[3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tome-player/id6800569638/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **87** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 19.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#154** | — |
| Size | 24 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NetGalley, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499581599) | [Brella Health LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1789472865) |

## What reviewers say

### NetGalley Shelf

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

**Currently charting:** #154 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


### Tome Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tome-player/id6800569638)

Listen to audiobooks with this application that connects to your existing library. It also offers an optional book club feature to share reading experiences with friends.

**Highlights:** Audiobook listening, Integrates with audio book shelf, Optional book club feature, Social sharing for friends

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NetGalley Shelf free?

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

### Is Tome Player free?

Tome Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, NetGalley Shelf or Tome Player?

Tome Player is rated higher. NetGalley Shelf averages 2.1 out of 5 from 87 ratings, while Tome Player averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do NetGalley Shelf or Tome Player have ads?

Neither NetGalley Shelf nor Tome Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NetGalley Shelf or Tome Player?

NetGalley Shelf ships an update every 6 months, and Tome Player fortnightly. Most recently, NetGalley Shelf was updated on October 29, 2026 and Tome Player 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.*