# RedShelf vs Yellowdig

The clearest difference is rating: RedShelf at 4.5 against Yellowdig's 2.6. RedShelf also leads on ratings volume (7.1K vs 30). Yellowdig's advantage is review sentiment (22% vs 3%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). 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.

RedShelf holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RedShelf has 7.1K ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 3% of RedShelf's written reviews are positive against 22% of Yellowdig's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

RedShelf ships an update every 5 weeks, Yellowdig every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RedShelf | Yellowdig |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/redshelf/id1511013608/reviews)** | [2.6 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yellowdig/id6736774264/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.1K** | 30 |
| Positive reviews | 3.1% of reviews | **22.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 26 MB | 82 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [RedShelf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511013606) | [Yellowdig](https://appshunter.io/developer/986830084) |

## What reviewers say

### RedShelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/redshelf/id1511013608)

Access and read your digital textbooks on any device. Highlight text, take notes, create flashcards, and have content read aloud. Your notes and highlights sync across all your devices.

**Highlights:** Access textbooks on any device, Highlight text and take notes, Create flashcards from content, Define unfamiliar words, Text-to-speech functionality, Sync notes and highlights across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient to access textbooks in one place
- 🚀 Decent overall performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 💤 Slow loading and page turning
- 👎 Unreliable highlighting and note-taking features
- 🤖 Poor text-to-speech functionality
- 📵 Inability to access books offline

**Reported bugs**

- Books not loading or showing blank screens
- Highlighting issues (selecting wrong text, unable to edit)
- Sync issues between devices and web version

**Requested features**

- Improve highlighting and annotation tools
- Add support for split-screen mode
- Enhance text-to-speech capabilities
- Allow offline access to downloaded books


### Yellowdig

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yellowdig/id6736774264)

Engage in vibrant community discussions and share content seamlessly. This app provides real-time notifications and flexible content sharing for learners, facilitators, and administrators. Experience meaningful engagement on the go.

**Highlights:** Vibrant conversations, Real-time notifications, Flexible content sharing, Seamless community interactions, Mobile engagement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RedShelf free?

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

### Is Yellowdig free?

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

### Which has better reviews, RedShelf or Yellowdig?

RedShelf is rated higher. RedShelf averages 4.5 out of 5 from 7.1K ratings, while Yellowdig averages 2.6 from 30 ratings.

### Do RedShelf or Yellowdig have ads?

Neither RedShelf nor Yellowdig shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RedShelf or Yellowdig?

RedShelf ships an update every 5 weeks, and Yellowdig every 2 weeks. Most recently, RedShelf was updated on October 16, 2026 and Yellowdig on October 12, 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.*