Bookshelf vs Kaplan Medical
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bookshelf
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.
- Offline reading
- Customizable highlighters and notes
- Flashcard creation
- Personalized reading settings
- Read Aloud feature
- Cross-device syncing
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With Bookshelf, you can enjoy a digital-first, comprehensive study experience from the convenience of your iPad or iPhone. Access all of your VitalSource textbooks and study anytime, anywhere. Bookshelf Features: • Download books to your iOS device for 100% offline reading. • Customize highlighters and add notes for a rich study experience. • Create flashcards with text and images to learn concepts faster. • Personalize font, font size, and background colors to make reading easier. • Listen to your books and learn on the go with Read Aloud. • Sync your current reading position and all your work across devices so you can easily pick up where you left off. • Built with accessibility in mind. Requirements: • VitalSource Bookshelf account • Access to one or more VitalSource textbooks • iOS 17+
Kaplan Medical
Access thousands of exam-like practice questions for USMLE and COMLEX exams on your mobile device. Build custom quizzes, review detailed explanations with media, and track your progress with AI-powered tutoring. Stay ahead with constantly updated content and realistic test simulations.
- Thousands of exam-like questions
- Customizable quizzes by topic
- Detailed explanations with media
- AI Tutor for instant help
- Progress tracking
- Realistic test interface
- Constantly updated content
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MOBILE APP FOR THE KAPLAN USMLE® STEP 1 QBANK KAPLAN USMLE® STEP 2 CK QBANK KAPLAN COMLEX® LEVEL 1 QBANK KAPLAN COMLEX® LEVEL 2-CE QBANK Take your Kaplan Medical Qbank on the go! Use this app for your trial and actively enrolled accounts: USMLE Step 1 Qbank: 3,000+ exam-like questions USMLE Step 2 CK Qbank: 3,100+ exam-like questions COMLEX Level 1 / Step 1 Qbank: 1,300 exam-like Level 1 questions and 3,000+ questions for Step 1 COMLEX LEVEL 2 QBANK: 500+ exam-like Level 2-CE questions Qbank Free Trial Products: Access to 40 exam-like questions The app automatically syncs with your desktop account - giving you: The ability to build and take quizzes by topic and organ system Detailed explanations for each question including strategic overviews and a variety of media like videos, 3D images, and diagrams Includes Kaplan’s AI Tutor: Instantly access definitions, examples, and analogies, receive resource recommendations, and follow step-by-step explanations to master high-yield content faster Tracked progress on all quizzes The latest features and the newest content Get all the practice for the USMLE and COMLEX you could ever need. -ALWAYS AT THE CUTTING EDGE We constantly update our content, images, and questions so you can stay ahead of the curve. -LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES Detailed review materials help you boost your score and keep on boosting it. -LEARN THE TEST WITH REALISTIC PRACTICE If you have signed up for our Qbank, you’ll get a test-like interface with thousands of questions. This means that you’ll get the hang of the exam before test day. -KAPLAN QBANK SUBSCRIPTIONS INCLUDE If you have already signed up for our Qbank, you can use this app to access: Thousands of exam-like USMLE Step 1, Step 2CK, and COMLEX Level 1, Level 2-CE questions (or 40 questions with a trial account) An interface that replicates the actual test Succinct answer explanations 2 full-length simulated exams Detailed progress reports -GET STRATEGIC Step-by-step strategies walk you through each question, so you can think like a physician. Review in-depth explanations and master the material
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Bookshelf at 80K against Kaplan Medical's 3. Bookshelf also leads on chart position (#138 vs unranked). Kaplan Medical's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Kaplan Medical holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 80K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, Kaplan Medical fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bookshelf | Kaplan Medical |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (80K ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 21.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 80K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #138 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 185 MB | 76 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | VitalSource Technologies, Inc. | Kaplan |
Customer experience
Bookshelf
Kaplan Medical
Bugs and requests
Bookshelf
Reported bugs
4 issues- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Issues with page loading and scrolling
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between devices
- Unreliable text-to-speech functionality
Requested features
5 requests- 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
Kaplan Medical
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Bookshelf
No in-app purchases
Kaplan Medical
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Bookshelf free?
Is Kaplan Medical free?
Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or Kaplan Medical?
Do Bookshelf or Kaplan Medical have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or Kaplan Medical?
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