# BuyNothing vs OurShelves

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 (#153 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BuyNothing sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. OurShelves asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | BuyNothing | OurShelves |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ourshelves/id6741344603/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 26.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | — |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#153** | — |
| Size | 75 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Buy Nothing Project, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1557679961) | [Harjyot Badh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1793848554) |

## What reviewers say

### BuyNothing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buynothing/id1557679959)

**Currently charting:** #153 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Nothing Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Buy Nothing Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Sustaining Member | $5.49 | per month |
| Sustaining Member | $6.99 | per month |
| Buy Nothing Pro | $38.49 | per year |
| Buy Nothing Subscription | $38.49 | per year |
| Sustaining Member | $54.99 | per year |
| Sustaining Member | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤝 Friendly community interactions
- ♻️ Promotes sustainability and reducing waste
- 🌍 Global reach beyond local groups
- 🏠 Hyper-local focus when set up properly
- 📦 Smooth gifting and receiving process

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app functionality
- 📍 Difficulty filtering for local posts
- 🔑 Login and account issues
- 💬 Inconsistent notifications and messaging
- 💰 Paywall for key features

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ourshelves/id6741344603)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*