Comparison

Leatherbound vs The Bookish Shelf

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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/

About

The Bookish Shelf

Features
Read full description

The Bookish Shelf is the cozy, beautifully designed reading tracker for people who love books — not spreadsheets. Whether you're a one-book-a-month reader or chasing a 100-book year, The Bookish Shelf helps you log what you read, remember how it made you feel, and celebrate every milestone along the way. BUILD YOUR LIBRARY • Search millions of books and add them in seconds • Organize into Currently Reading, TBR, Wishlist, and Finished shelves • Track series, tropes, and reading stats automatically. REVIEWS YOU'LL ACTUALLY RE-READ • Capture ratings, tropes, and your favorite quotes • Generate gorgeous shareable review cards for Bookstagram & BookTok • Look back on what you loved — and what you didn't. BADGES & GOALS • Set yearly reading goals and watch your progress grow • Unlock collectible badges as you hit milestones • Get a personalized monthly recap and end-of-year Wrapped. A SHELF THAT FEELS LIKE YOU • Decorate your virtual shelf with plants, candles, and trinkets • Beautiful, calm design built for readers — no clutter, no noise. ALWAYS WITH YOU • Syncs across all your devices • Private by default — your reading life is yours. Stop forgetting what you read. Start loving your reading life again. Terms of Use (EULA): https://thebookishshelf.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://thebookishshelf.com/privacy

Screenshots

Leatherbound4 screens
The Bookish Shelf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: The Bookish Shelf at fortnightly against Leatherbound's every 5 weeks. The Bookish Shelf also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Leatherbound sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and The Bookish Shelf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Leatherbound ships an update every 5 weeks, The Bookish Shelf fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Leatherbound versus The Bookish Shelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLeatherboundThe Bookish Shelf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (12 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB47 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperSam DavisKelly Dunn

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Leatherbound

Subscriptions2
  • Leatherbound premium monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Leatherbound premium yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
2 purchases

The Bookish Shelf

Subscriptions2
  • Full Shelf Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Full Shelf Annual$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Leatherbound free?
Leatherbound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Bookish Shelf free?
The Bookish Shelf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Leatherbound or The Bookish Shelf have ads?
Neither Leatherbound nor The Bookish Shelf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Leatherbound or The Bookish Shelf?
Leatherbound ships an update every 5 weeks, and The Bookish Shelf fortnightly. Most recently, Leatherbound was updated on October 24, 2026 and The Bookish Shelf on October 10, 2026.

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