Comparison

Bookshelf vs Kaplan Medical

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Offline reading
  • Customizable highlighters and notes
  • Flashcard creation
  • Personalized reading settings
  • Read Aloud feature
  • Cross-device syncing
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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+

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Bookshelf4 screens
Kaplan Medical4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, Kaplan Medical fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Bookshelf versus Kaplan Medical: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookshelfKaplan Medical
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (80K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings80K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#138 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size185 MB76 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVitalSource Technologies, Inc.Kaplan

Customer experience

Bookshelf

All ratings78,432 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews554 reviews
Positive21.3%
Neutral15.9%
Negative62.8%

Kaplan Medical

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

None

Bookshelf

No in-app purchases

None

Kaplan Medical

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bookshelf free?
Bookshelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kaplan Medical free?
Kaplan Medical is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or Kaplan Medical?
Kaplan Medical is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.7 out of 5 from 80K ratings, while Kaplan Medical averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Bookshelf or Kaplan Medical have ads?
Neither Bookshelf nor Kaplan Medical shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or Kaplan Medical?
Bookshelf ships an update every 6 weeks, and Kaplan Medical fortnightly. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on November 11, 2026 and Kaplan Medical on November 5, 2026.

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