# TBR vs COOL Catalog

The clearest difference is review sentiment: TBR at 71% against COOL Catalog's 0%. TBR also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.0) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). COOL Catalog's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TBR sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. COOL Catalog asks for nothing beyond the download.

TBR holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TBR has 4.4K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of TBR's written reviews are positive against 0% of COOL Catalog's.

TBR ships an update weekly, COOL Catalog every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TBR | COOL Catalog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tbr-bookshelf/id1614891654/reviews)** | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cool-catalog/id6740416233/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.4K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **70.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 98 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TBR - Bookshelf, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1559382569) | [Equinox Open Library Initiative, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1688468859) |

## What reviewers say

### TBR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tbr-bookshelf/id1614891654)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers, #70 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #116 Top Free · Book, #130 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Easily track books you want to read, are currently reading, or have finished. Rate and review books, log favorite moments, and discover new reads. Set yearly reading goals and celebrate milestones with fun animations.

**Highlights:** Track books (to-read, reading, finished), Rate and review books, Log favorite moments and quotes, Browse public ratings and genre-specific insights, Set custom yearly reading goals, Earn achievement stickers, Pro features: tropes, playlists, adaptations

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Access | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Access | $29.99 | per 6 months |
| Pro Access | $39.99 | per year |
| 1500 Gems | $2.99 | one-time |
| 4500 Gems | $5.99 | one-time |
| 20,000 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gift 6 Months | $19.99 | one-time |
| Gift 1 Year of Pro | $29.99 | one-time |
| Gift Lifetime Pro | $119.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Purchase | $179.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Cute and visually appealing
- 📚 Helpful for tracking reading progress
- 🌟 Unique rating system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 No account/sync option to prevent data loss
- 💰 Too many features locked behind paywall
- 🔍 Limited book database, hard to find some titles

**Reported bugs**

- Books disappearing from shelves
- Inability to edit read dates
- Search function not working properly
- Crashing when trying to access certain features

**Requested features**

- Ability to organize books by series
- Option to view other users' reviews and ratings
- Customizable bookshelves and themes
- Sync across multiple devices
- More genre/category options for ratings


### COOL Catalog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cool-catalog/id6740416233)

Access a shared library catalog to search for books, place holds, and renew loans. You can also access ebooks and eaudio. A library card from a participating member library is required to use the app.

**Highlights:** Search shared library catalog, Place holds on books, Renew loans, Access ebooks, Access eaudio

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TBR free?

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

### Is COOL Catalog free?

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

### Which has better reviews, TBR or COOL Catalog?

TBR is rated higher. TBR averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while COOL Catalog averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do TBR or COOL Catalog have ads?

TBR shows ads; COOL Catalog does not.

### Which is updated more often, TBR or COOL Catalog?

TBR ships an update weekly, and COOL Catalog every 2 months. Most recently, TBR was updated on November 4, 2026 and COOL Catalog on October 30, 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.*