Leatherbound vs Bookshelf.nz
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Leatherbound
Organize your reading with this app that tracks current books, finished titles, and your reading list. Set goals, view stats, and customize your library with widgets and manual entries. Syncs across devices and offers library import/export.
- Track current, finished, and to-read books
- Home screen widgets for progress
- Set reading goals
- Search and filter library
- Syncs across devices
- Import/export library
- Reading habit insights
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Leatherbound is a simple, thoughtful way to keep track of what you're reading. It's free, with no subscriptions, no ads and no limits. Log the books you're reading, see your progress at a glance, and look back on everything you've read. Features: • Keep track of what you're currently reading, what you've finished, and what's on your list • Get personalised recommendations for what to read next • Set reading goals and build a reading streak • Look back on your year with Year in Review and a reading calendar • Get insights into your reading habits with stats and charts • Rate books and log your full reading history, including re-reads • Beautiful home screen widgets that show your progress at a glance • Search and filter your library quickly • Add books from search or manually, with your own covers • Import and export your library as CSV • Syncs automatically across your devices Leatherbound is made by one person who uses it every day. Your feedback helps make it better, so send suggestions or bug reports anytime from the feedback option in Settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.leatherbound.org/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Bookshelf.nz
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Bookshelf turns your phone into the fastest way to catalogue, track, and actually finish the books you own. Scan to Add — Instantly Point your camera at any barcode and Bookshelf identifies the book in under a second using a rich local catalog plus live metadata sources. Scan multiple books back‑to‑back without waiting. Scan to Wishlist Browsing a bookstore but not ready to commit? Switch to Wishlist mode and scan potential reads to compare later — without adding them to your main library. Your Library, Anywhere Your entire collection is cached on your device, so you can browse and search with zero signal. Pull to refresh whenever you’re back online. Track Your Reading Mark books as To Read, Reading, Read, or DNF. Rate titles 1–5 stars, keep private notes, and track your page progress — or listening time for audiobooks. Reading Sessions Start a session before you settle in and Bookshelf automatically pauses its own notifications for true focus. When you’re done, it asks for your current page and logs your time toward your stats. Reviews See what others thought or write your own, complete with star rating and spoiler warning. Wishlist & Shopping List Keep a running list of books you want so it’s ready when you’re actually standing in a bookstore. Mark a title as “Got it!” the moment you buy it. Make It Yours Choose light, dark, or auto to match your system. Set default reading status and ownership type so adding books is one tap, not four. Secure by Default Lock the app with Face ID or Touch ID. Enable optional push notifications only for the things you want to be interrupted for — you’re in control. Bookshelf syncs with your account at bookshelf.nz, so everything you add on your phone is instantly available on the web too.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bookshelf.nz at none against Leatherbound's 2. Bookshelf.nz also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Leatherbound sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Bookshelf.nz asks for nothing beyond the download.
Leatherbound ships an update every 5 weeks, Bookshelf.nz every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Leatherbound | Bookshelf.nz |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (12 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Sam Davis | Hayden Searle |
In-app purchases
Leatherbound
- Leatherbound premium monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Leatherbound premium yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
Bookshelf.nz
No in-app purchases









