# Booktrail vs Shelfmate

The clearest difference is update cadence: Booktrail at every 9 days against Shelfmate's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Booktrail ships an update every 9 days, Shelfmate every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Booktrail | Shelfmate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/booktrail-book-tracker/id1604775921/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 28 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Defyner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1604775923) | [Mario Mouris](https://appshunter.io/developer/1376063231) |

## What reviewers say

### Booktrail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/booktrail-book-tracker/id1604775921)

Organize your personal library by tracking books you're reading, want to read, or have finished. Add books by scanning barcodes or searching by title/author, and monitor your reading progress. Create custom collections for better organization and discover new titles with synopses and reviews.

**Highlights:** Track reading status (reading, want to read, finished), Add books via barcode scan or search, Record reading progress and percentage, Create custom book collections, View book synopses and user reviews, Private, no account required

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shelfmate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfmate-book-tracker/id6739967392)

Organize your personal library, track reading progress, and receive personalized book suggestions. This app prioritizes user privacy with secure iCloud storage and no analytics.

**Highlights:** Organize physical, eBook, and audiobook libraries, Track reading progress, AI-powered book recommendations, Goodreads import, Privacy-first data storage, iCloud synchronization

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Booktrail free?

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

### Is Shelfmate free?

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

### Do Booktrail or Shelfmate have ads?

Neither Booktrail nor Shelfmate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Booktrail or Shelfmate?

Booktrail ships an update every 9 days, and Shelfmate every 3 weeks. Most recently, Booktrail was updated on October 24, 2026 and Shelfmate on October 21, 2026.

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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.*