# Bookshelf vs myLU

The clearest difference is rating: Bookshelf at 4.7 against myLU's 2.3. Bookshelf also leads on ratings volume (80K vs 211) and chart position (#82 vs unranked). 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 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 80K ratings behind it against 211, 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 13% of myLU's.

Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, myLU every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | myLU |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (80K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf/id389359495/reviews)** | [2.3 (211 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mylu/id1481851734/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **80K** | 211 |
| Positive reviews | **21.4% of reviews** | 13.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#82** | — |
| Size | 185 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [VitalSource Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/333263745) | [Liberty University](https://appshunter.io/developer/404928017) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

**Currently charting:** #82 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


### myLU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mylu/id1481851734)

Access personalized updates and campus news from Liberty University in one convenient location. This user-friendly app organizes content for easy access to academic, financial, and athletic information.

**Highlights:** Personalized updates, Campus news, Academics, Financial check-in, Student checklist, Liberty E-mail, Athletics updates

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy navigation (Yahweh our Breath)
- 👍 Helpful for pending tasks (Yahweh our Breath)
- 👍 Appreciated IT personnel (James Carroll Prince)
- 👍 Convenient for quick checks (Mars3942)
- 👍 Works great for some needs (CamRon3000)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Never works (DaliBear3, Bruh69ballsdeep)
- 🐛 Broken app (D0Ul0S)
- 🐛 Constantly loads/spins (DaliBear3, 18Bran, Bart's wife arb)
- 🐛 Failure to connect (MommyGall3, prettyinink0402, Zach121482)
- 🐛 Unusable after update (18Bran)

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot connect to network
- App just spins and cannot log in
- Session keeps expiring
- App doesn't work anymore
- Constantly loads and says failure to load

**Requested features**

- Bring back LU Today
- Improve app functionality beyond links
- Fix Kaltura video player issue
- Make app more mobile-friendly
- Add dining hours information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is myLU free?

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

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

Bookshelf is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.7 out of 5 from 80K ratings, while myLU averages 2.3 from 211 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or myLU have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor myLU shows ads.

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

Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, and myLU every 3 weeks. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on October 22, 2026 and myLU 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.*