# Bookshelf vs Wiley Reader

Bookshelf and Wiley Reader both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 48% of Wiley Reader's written reviews are positive against 21% of Bookshelf's. Wiley Reader also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). Bookshelf's advantage is ratings volume (78K vs 1.1K) and chart position (#77 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Bookshelf against 4.8 for Wiley Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 78K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 21% of Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 48% of Wiley Reader's.

Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, Wiley Reader every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | Wiley Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (78K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf/id389359495/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wiley-reader/id1620356548/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **78K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | 21.4% of reviews | **47.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#77** | — |
| Size | 185 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [VitalSource Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/333263745) | [Wiley](https://appshunter.io/developer/334132751) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

**Currently charting:** #77 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


### Wiley Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wiley-reader/id1620356548)

Access and read your Wiley eBooks offline or on the go. Listen to your books with text-to-speech functionality. Sync your notes, highlights, and bookmarks across devices for a seamless learning experience.

**Highlights:** Offline eBook access, Text-to-speech functionality, Note-taking and highlighting, Bookmark management, Cross-device sync, Personalized display settings

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💾 Convenient for reading on the go
- 🔊 Text-to-speech feature
- 🔍 Helpful sample problems and explanations
- 📚 Well-designed for textbook reading

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable performance
- 🤖 Poor navigation and user experience
- 🔍 Unreliable search and highlighting functionality
- 🔒 Lack of annotation and note-taking features

**Reported bugs**

- Pages not loading correctly
- Inability to log in or access account
- Inconsistent text formatting and layout
- Playback issues with text-to-speech

**Requested features**

- Add annotation and scribbling capabilities
- Improve page navigation and swiping
- Enhance search functionality and result display
- Sync highlights and notes across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Wiley Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or Wiley Reader?

Wiley Reader is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.7 out of 5 from 78K ratings, while Wiley Reader averages 4.8 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or Wiley Reader have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor Wiley Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or Wiley Reader?

Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, and Wiley Reader every 5 weeks. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on September 25, 2026 and Wiley Reader on September 22, 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.*