# StoryGraph vs Bookshop.org

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bookshop.org at none against StoryGraph's 2. Bookshop.org also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). StoryGraph's advantage is review sentiment (70% vs 57%) and chart position (#35 vs #125). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. StoryGraph sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Bookshop.org asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bookshop.org holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.6K and 2.2K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of StoryGraph's written reviews are positive against 57% of Bookshop.org's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

StoryGraph ships an update monthly, Bookshop.org every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StoryGraph | Bookshop.org |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 2.2K |
| Positive reviews | **70.3% of reviews** | 56.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#35** | #125 |
| Size | 3 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [The StoryGraph](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570489926) | [Bookshop, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706515971) |

## What reviewers say

### StoryGraph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264)

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Free · Book, #107 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Track your reading habits with insightful stats and personalized book recommendations powered by AI. Discover new books based on mood, pace, and genre, and connect with friends for shared reading experiences.

**Highlights:** Import Goodreads data, Personalized book recommendations, Track reading habits with stats, Discover books by mood and pace, Read with friends (buddy reads), Custom reading challenges, Content warnings for books

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The StoryGraph Plus Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| The StoryGraph Plus Annual | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Excellent reading stats and data visualization
- 💡 Innovative features like buddy reads and reading challenges
- 👍 Clean and modern design
- 💡 Independent company, not owned by big tech

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Slow performance and loading times
- 🐛 Issues with importing data from other platforms
- 🐛 Missing some basic features like custom shelves/lists
- 🐛 Confusing navigation and UI in places

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes when trying to update reading progress
- Incorrect book details and page counts
- Login issues where users get logged out frequently

**Requested features**

- Ability to track re-reads and multiple editions of books
- More robust social features like following friends, liking reviews
- Barcode scanning to easily add books
- Customizable reading challenges and goal tracking
- Dark mode option


### Bookshop.org

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096)

**Currently charting:** #125 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Read your ebooks and discover new titles while supporting independent bookstores. All ebook purchases made through this platform directly benefit local bookshops, ensuring their continued success in the digital age.

**Highlights:** Read ebooks from your library, Browse millions of ebooks, Add titles to wishlist, Support local bookstores with purchases, Connect seamlessly with Bookshop

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Wonderful app
- 👍 Great alternative to Amazon
- 👍 Supports local bookstores
- 👍 Clean and pleasing interface
- 👍 Solid app for a new release

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Formatting issues (lack of italics, poor paragraph spacing, etc.)
- 🐛 Buggy page turning and navigation
- 🔧 Limited customization options (fonts, themes, brightness, etc.)
- 🔧 Missing essential features (highlighting, note-taking, search, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to remember last page read
- Scrolling issues and unexpected page skipping
- Formatting problems (stripped italics, weird paragraph spacing)
- Settings not persisting between app sessions

**Requested features**

- More font and theme options
- Ability to adjust line spacing, margins, and other formatting
- Implement highlighting, annotation, and note-taking features
- Add search functionality
- Improve page turning and navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StoryGraph free?

StoryGraph is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bookshop.org free?

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

### Which has better reviews, StoryGraph or Bookshop.org?

Bookshop.org is rated higher. StoryGraph averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while Bookshop.org averages 4.8 from 2.2K ratings.

### Do StoryGraph or Bookshop.org have ads?

Neither StoryGraph nor Bookshop.org shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StoryGraph or Bookshop.org?

StoryGraph ships an update monthly, and Bookshop.org every 5 days. Most recently, StoryGraph was updated on October 27, 2026 and Bookshop.org on October 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, StoryGraph or Bookshop.org?

StoryGraph currently peaks at #35 in the App Store charts, and Bookshop.org at #125. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*