Comparison

BuyNothing vs OurShelves

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

Head to head
About

BuyNothing

Connect with your local community to share, lend, and borrow items. Foster a gift economy based on mutual support and gratitude, building connections through giving.

Highlights
  • Hyper-local community sharing
  • Gift economy model
  • Lend and borrow items
  • Express gratitude
  • Build community connections
  • Global reach
Features
Read full description

We offer people a way to give, receive, share, lend, borrow and express gratitude through a hyper-local gift economy model in which people can share wherever they are and true wealth is measured by the web of connections formed between people through sharing. From the founders of the BuyNothing® Project. Terms of Use: https://buynothingproject.org/terms

About

OurShelves

This app offers a virtual shared living space where users can interact passively, similar to leaving notes or arranging items in a physical home. Create or join rooms with customizable shelves and interactive objects to share moods, music, and personal items with friends and communities.

Highlights
  • Virtual rooms with customizable shelves
  • Interactive objects like Mood Meters and Boomboxes
  • User profiles with avatars and 'About Me'
  • Real-time social updates and multi-user rooms
  • Admin controls and user blocking
  • Public and private room options
Features
Read full description

OurShelves is a unique social app that brings the experience of shared living spaces into the digital world. Whether you’re staying connected with friends, family, or online communities, OurShelves provides a virtual space where users can interact in meaningful, passive ways—just like leaving notes or arranging items in a shared home. Key Features: - Virtual Rooms: Create or join multiple rooms, each with customizable shelves. Rooms can be public or private, with support for descriptions, tags, and color themes. - Interactive Shelves & Items: Arrange interactive objects like Mood Meters (to share how you’re feeling), Boomboxes (to share music), and personal shelves. - User Management: Customize your profile with avatars, display names, and an “About Me” section. Rooms include admin controls and user blocking options. - Real-Time Social Interaction: Stay connected with real-time updates, multi-user rooms, and an invitation system to bring friends into your shared spaces. With OurShelves, you can create a digital space that feels like home, even when you’re apart. Start sharing today!

Screenshots

BuyNothing4 screens
OurShelves3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: OurShelves at 5.0 against BuyNothing's 4.3. OurShelves also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8). BuyNothing's advantage is ratings volume (2.1K vs 2) and chart position (#149 vs unranked). 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. BuyNothing sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. OurShelves asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OurShelves holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BuyNothing has 2.1K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
BuyNothing versus OurShelves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuyNothingOurShelves
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (2.1K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews26.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.1K — better2
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#149 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB36 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBuy Nothing Project, Inc.Harjyot Badh

Customer experience

BuyNothing

All ratings2,084 ratings
Positive80.2%
Neutral5.2%
Negative14.6%
Written reviews387 reviews
Positive26.9%
Neutral12.9%
Negative60.2%

OurShelves

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

BuyNothing

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Login issues and inability to reset passwords
  • Inconsistent location settings and radius
  • Unreliable notifications and messaging
  • Inability to edit or update posts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Search function to find specific posts
  • Ability to edit and update posts
  • Improved organization and sorting of posts
  • Syncing across multiple devices
  • More robust moderation and community tools

OurShelves

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

BuyNothing

Subscriptions8
  • Buy Nothing Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Buy Nothing Pro$3.991 Month
  • Sustaining Member$5.491 Month
Show 5 more
  • Sustaining Member$6.991 Month
  • Buy Nothing Pro$38.491 Year
  • Buy Nothing Subscription$38.491 Year
  • Sustaining Member$54.991 Year
  • Sustaining Member$69.991 Year
None

OurShelves

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BuyNothing free?
BuyNothing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OurShelves free?
OurShelves is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BuyNothing or OurShelves?
OurShelves is rated higher. BuyNothing averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while OurShelves averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do BuyNothing or OurShelves have ads?
Neither BuyNothing nor OurShelves shows ads.

Other comparisons