Comparison

RYA Books vs MindfulShelf

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

Head to head
About

RYA Books

Explore enhanced digital books with interactive features like animations, videos, and tools. Try free tasters before purchasing full editions, supporting RYA training courses for various boating levels. Optimized for tablets and smartphones.

Highlights
  • Interactive eBooks
  • Embedded animations and videos
  • 360° tools for navigation and regulations
  • Animated examples for VHF procedures
  • Tidal curve simulation tool
  • Bookmarking and note-taking
  • Free taster versions
Read full description

We have enhanced our digital editions (where possible) to bring the content to life by embedding animations, video and interactive tools to help illustrate the key points and skills from our popular books. Download this free app to browse the eBook editions – you can also try free taster versions of many eBooks, so you can try before you buy. These eBooks are a great resource supporting our world famous RYA Training Courses such as those within the trademark RYA Yachtmaster Scheme, the RYA Powerboat Scheme and the RYA Dinghy Sailing & Windsurfing Schemes among others. You will find eBooks of essential and recommended titles along with plenty of further reading and development, whether you’re starting to sail by taking a Competent Crew course, taking things further with a Day Skipper course or taking your RYA Yachtmaster exam – whatever you need, we’ve got it covered! There are great examples throughout our range of our use of interactive content in areas such as seamanship, boat handling, passage planning, knots and stability but you’ll find something very special in our editions for: • Collision Regulations – where we've developed over twenty interactive 360° lights and shapes tool to provide readers a more realistic way of viewing how vessels will actually present themselves in a wide variety of contexts, at four different times of day covering both day and night. • VHF – where we’ve created animated examples of the voice procedures in the RYA VHF Handbook and also linked the content to sample questions to help students pass the RYA SRC exam. • Navigation – where we’ve developed a special tool to replicate using the tidal curves in the RYA Training Almanacs to help students taking shorebased navigation courses. Although these eBooks are designed for tablets, we’re still keeping smart phones very much in mind. This way, you’ll still be able to access the enhanced interactive content on the smaller devices even if you feel you wouldn't read a book on something so small. There’s plenty for instructors as well with not only the interactive content, that can be used as demonstrations and enhanced learning on and off the water. There are also a whole host of useful features, (which we’re always evolving) such as bookmarking, note taking and inter-edition linking that will help you manage the content you want to support the way you teach. This updated version of the app now includes a wider range of boating categories to make it easier for you to navigate all the new content that we are regularly adding: • Sail • Dinghy • Sail Racing • Sail Cruising • Windsurfing • Power • Powerboating • Motor Cruising • Personal Watercraft • Inland Waterways

About

MindfulShelf

Features
Read full description

Many people read regularly, but struggle to remember what they’ve read or to collect their thoughts after finishing a book. Writing a full review later feels overwhelming, so insights are lost. This app is designed for mindful reading. It lets you create quick text or voice notes while reading, rate books, and save them to your personal reading history. Everything stays structured and easy to revisit later. Use it when: – you want to capture a thought before it disappears – you don’t want to open multiple apps or notes – you want to remember more from what you read Key features: – Quick text, audio and photo notes while reading – Book ratings and personal reading history – Clean, focused interface with no distractions – All notes stored and organized in one place The goal is simple: to read more consciously, remember more, and grow through what you read.

Screenshots

RYA Books4 screens
MindfulShelf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MindfulShelf at none against RYA Books's 38. MindfulShelf also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. RYA Books sells 37 one-off in-app purchases. MindfulShelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RYA Books ships an update every 3 months, MindfulShelf every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
RYA Books versus MindfulShelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRYA BooksMindfulShelf
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews27.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size110 MB9 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperRoyal Yachting AssociationLuzhnov Kirill

In-app purchases

37 purchases

RYA Books

One-time37
  • Guide to Boating Knots (E-G60)$3.99
  • First Aid (E-FAB)$6.99
  • Instructor Handbook (E-G27)$9.99
Show 34 more
  • Handy Guide to CEVNI (E-G106)$9.99
  • Intro to Radar (E-G34)$9.99
  • Euro Waterways Regs (E-G17)$9.99
  • Training Almanac North (E-TAN)$9.99
  • Stability and Buoyancy (E-G23)$9.99
  • Yachtmaster Quizzes (E-G79)$11.99
  • ICC Handbook (E-G81)$12.99
  • Racing Rules of Sailing ERRS25$12.99
  • Day Skipper Practical(E-DSPCN)$12.99
  • Day Skipper Shorebased (E-DSN)$14.99
  • Yachtmaster Shorebased (E-YSN)$14.99
  • Comp Crew Skills (E-CCPCN)$14.99
  • Collision Regulations (E-G2)$14.99
  • Intro to Navigation (E-G77)$14.99
  • Astro Navigation Handbook (E-G78)$14.99
  • Day Skipper Shorebased(E-G113)$14.99
  • Start to Race (E-G66)$14.99
  • Passage Planning (E-G69)$17.99
  • Dinghy Techniques (E-G93)$17.99
  • Boat Safety Handbook (E-G103)$17.99
  • Day Skipper – Motor (E-G97)$19.99
  • Advanced Powerboat (E-G108)$19.99
  • Diesel Engine (E-G25)$19.99
  • VHF Handbook (E-G31)$19.99
  • Yachtmaster Handbook (E-G70)$19.99
  • Navigation Handbook (E-G6)$19.99
  • Day Skipper Sail (E-G71)$19.99
  • Multihull Handbook (E-G92)$19.99
  • Offshore Sailing (E-G87)$19.99
  • Sail Trim Handbook (E-G99)$19.99
  • Boat Handling Sail Power E-G68$19.99
  • Electrics Handbook (E-G67)$19.99
  • Weather Handbook (E-G133)$19.99
  • Manual of Seamanship (E-G36)$22.99
None

MindfulShelf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RYA Books free?
RYA Books is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MindfulShelf free?
MindfulShelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RYA Books or MindfulShelf have ads?
Neither RYA Books nor MindfulShelf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RYA Books or MindfulShelf?
RYA Books ships an update every 3 months, and MindfulShelf every 4 days. Most recently, RYA Books was updated on October 26, 2026 and MindfulShelf on October 17, 2026.

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