Comparison

ZBook vs Pinakes

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

Head to head
About

ZBook

Organize your personal library with this app. Create custom shelves to categorize your books and easily move them between shelves. Keep your reading collection tidy and accessible.

Highlights
  • Add and track books
  • Create custom shelves
  • Move books between shelves
  • Organize personal library
  • Simple interface
Read full description

A small App to keep track of your books. You can add shelves to keep you books in, and change the shelf a book is on with ease.

About

Pinakes

Features
Read full description

Pinakes — Your Personal Library, Always with You The reading tracker for iOS book lovers. Track reading sessions with Live Activity, manage your library with Smart Collections, and sync everything privately via iCloud. No account. No ads. Import from Goodreads in seconds. YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR WAY Organize your books with five reading statuses: Currently Reading, To Read, Wishlist, Already Read, and Did Not Finish. Smart Collections automatically group your library by genre, reading format, and more — no manual sorting needed. Filter by genre, format, or your own custom tags. Sort by author, title, or date. Group by shelf, author, or series — and collapse an entire series into a single row. DISCOVER YOUR NEXT GREAT READ Search millions of books by title, author, or subject — with improved results for non-English books across parallel catalog sources. Scan any book's barcode with your camera to add it instantly. Add books manually if they're not found in any catalog. Replace a book to fix incomplete metadata from a Goodreads import. Browse current NYT bestsellers and genre-based discovery lists. Watch BookTok-style video recommendations curated to your favourite genres. YOUR AI READING GUIDE Not sure what to read next? Books Guide uses Apple Intelligence to suggest up to five books from your own library — one similar to your current read, one refreshingly different, the one gathering dust the longest, a comfort pick from a favourite author, and a short read for busy days. Every reason is generated entirely on-device, with no data leaving your phone. TRACK YOUR READING TIME Start a reading session with a tap and follow your progress on the lock screen and Dynamic Island via Live Activity. Pause, resume, and finish sessions from your Apple Watch companion app. Browse your complete reading history month by month in the built-in calendar. Start and stop sessions hands-free with Siri. RICH BOOK DETAILS Rate books (1–5 stars), write reviews, and log exactly how and when you read each one — down to the life stage if the exact date is lost. Attach notes and quotes, even scanning text directly from a physical page with your camera. STAY ON TRACK Set a reading goal and receive personalised notifications featuring the book you're currently reading. Inactivity reminders nudge you back after 14 days. Library loan reminders fire 3 days before — and on — the return date. WORKS EVERYWHERE Home screen and lock screen widgets show your wishlist or upcoming loan returns at a glance. Apple Watch app lets you control reading sessions from your wrist. Ask Siri to update a book's status or start a reading session — without opening the app. Quick Actions jump you straight to the barcode scanner or your favourites. IMPORT & EXPORT Moving from Goodreads? Import your entire library with a single CSV file. Export your library anytime to share or back it up. PRIVACY FIRST Your library syncs privately and securely across all your devices via iCloud. No account required — your data stays yours. Start your reading journey with Pinakes today.

Screenshots

ZBook4 screens
Pinakes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: ZBook at every 2 days against Pinakes's every 9 days. ZBook also leads on iOS requirement (15.5 vs 26.1). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZBook ships an update every 2 days, Pinakes every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ZBook versus Pinakes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZBookPinakes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.5 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBen ShabowskiPablo Gomez Fernandez

In-app purchases

None

ZBook

No in-app purchases

None

Pinakes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ZBook free?
ZBook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pinakes free?
Pinakes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ZBook or Pinakes have ads?
Neither ZBook nor Pinakes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZBook or Pinakes?
ZBook ships an update every 2 days, and Pinakes every 9 days. Most recently, ZBook was updated on November 3, 2026 and Pinakes on October 31, 2026.

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