# Bookshelf vs Open

The clearest difference is rating: Bookshelf at 4.7 against Open's 2.7. Bookshelf also leads on ratings volume (80K vs 86) and chart position (#131 vs unranked). Open's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 80K ratings behind it against 86, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 21% and 21% positive.

Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, Open every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | Open |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (80K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf/id389359495/reviews)** | [2.7 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-lms/id1553337282/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **80K** | 86 |
| Positive reviews | **21.3% of reviews** | 21.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#131** | — |
| Size | 185 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [VitalSource Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/333263745) | [PeopleFluent, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/983980647) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

**Currently charting:** #131 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


### Open

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-lms/id1553337282)

Access your educational courses and content directly from your mobile device. Download materials for offline use, update your profile, and receive important notifications. Students can track grades and badges, while teachers can grade assignments on the go.

**Highlights:** Access courses on mobile, Download content for offline use, Update profile information, Receive course notifications, View grades and badges (student), Grade assignments (teacher)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Open free?

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

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

Bookshelf is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.7 out of 5 from 80K ratings, while Open averages 2.7 from 86 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or Open have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor Open shows ads.

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

Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, and Open every 2 months. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on November 10, 2026 and Open on November 3, 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.*