# Bookshelf vs McGraw Hill Express Library

The clearest difference is rating: Bookshelf at 4.7 against McGraw Hill Express Library's 2.7. Bookshelf also leads on ratings volume (80K vs 156) and review sentiment (21% vs 3%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 156, 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 3% of McGraw Hill Express Library's.

Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, McGraw Hill Express Library every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | McGraw Hill Express Library |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (80K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf/id389359495/reviews)** | [2.7 (156 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcgraw-hill-express-library/id6443494926/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **80K** | 156 |
| Positive reviews | **21.3% of reviews** | 3.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#139** | — |
| Size | 185 MB | 183 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [VitalSource Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/333263745) | [McGraw-Hill](https://appshunter.io/developer/325792150) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

**Currently charting:** #139 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


### McGraw Hill Express Library

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcgraw-hill-express-library/id6443494926)

Access and read McGraw Hill textbooks on your iOS device. Download books for offline access, search your library, and create notes and highlights to enhance your studies. Sync your progress across devices.

**Highlights:** Download books for offline reading, Search entire library, Create notes and highlights, Sync across devices, User-friendly navigation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Makes studying easier
- 👍 Love the audio option

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App does not work
- 🐛 Won't let me login
- 🐛 Cannot access ebooks
- 🐛 Account doesn't exist
- 🐛 Incorrect password/email

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot log in
- App does not recognize school account
- App does not recognize user account
- Cannot create a new account
- Cannot access ebooks

**Requested features**

- Fix the app
- Make app work on iPad
- Allow access to ebooks
- Resolve login issues
- Provide FAQ for book access


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is McGraw Hill Express Library free?

McGraw Hill Express Library is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or McGraw Hill Express Library?

Bookshelf is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.7 out of 5 from 80K ratings, while McGraw Hill Express Library averages 2.7 from 156 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or McGraw Hill Express Library have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor McGraw Hill Express Library shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or McGraw Hill Express Library?

Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, and McGraw Hill Express Library every 4 months. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on November 9, 2026 and McGraw Hill Express Library on November 7, 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.*