# Bookshelf vs OUP Bookshelf

The clearest difference is rating: Bookshelf at 4.7 against OUP Bookshelf's 1.0. Bookshelf also leads on ratings volume (80K vs 28) and review sentiment (21% vs 0%). OUP Bookshelf's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 80K ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 0% of OUP Bookshelf's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | OUP Bookshelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (80K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf/id389359495/reviews)** | [1.0 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oup-bookshelf/id1148576733/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **80K** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | **21.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#153** | — |
| Size | 185 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [VitalSource Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/333263745) | [Hurix Systems Pvt. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/429900405) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf/id389359495)

**Currently charting:** #153 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Access and study your digital textbooks on your iPad or iPhone. This app allows for offline reading, note-taking, flashcard creation, and customizable reading settings. Sync your progress across devices for a seamless study experience.

**Highlights:** Offline reading, Customizable highlighters and notes, Flashcard creation, Personalized reading settings, Read Aloud feature, Cross-device syncing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Convenient access to textbooks
- 🔍 Useful search functionality
- 📚 Offline reading capability
- 🔖 Bookmark and note-taking features
- 🔊 Text-to-speech option

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy highlighting and annotation tools
- 🖋️ Lack of Apple Pencil support
- 📚 Restricted functionality compared to other e-book apps
- 🔍 Inconsistent search and navigation experience
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Issues with page loading and scrolling
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between devices
- Unreliable text-to-speech functionality

**Requested features**

- Improved highlighting and annotation tools
- Apple Pencil support for note-taking
- More customization options (e.g., font, layout, night mode)
- Seamless cross-device synchronization
- Enhanced search and navigation features


### OUP Bookshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oup-bookshelf/id1148576733)

This interactive eBook reader app enhances the Oxford University Press Dashboard learning experience. It integrates eBooks with multimedia content and interactive elements for engaging study. Enjoy offline reading, note-taking, and full-text search within your digital textbooks.

**Highlights:** Interactive eBook reader, Offline reading capabilities, Multimedia integration (audio, video, images), Contextual note-taking and highlighting, Full-text search, Annotation sharing

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is OUP Bookshelf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or OUP Bookshelf?

Bookshelf is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.7 out of 5 from 80K ratings, while OUP Bookshelf averages 1.0 from 28 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or OUP Bookshelf have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor OUP Bookshelf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or OUP Bookshelf?

Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, and OUP Bookshelf every 6 weeks. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on November 8, 2026 and OUP Bookshelf on November 2, 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.*