# Bookshelf vs Kaplan Medical

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | Kaplan Medical |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (80K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf/id389359495/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaplan-medical/id6775805010/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **80K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 21.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#138** | — |
| Size | 185 MB | 76 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) | [Kaplan](https://appshunter.io/developer/426399130) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

**Currently charting:** #138 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


### Kaplan Medical

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaplan-medical/id6775805010)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*