# ARK vs Shelf

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shelf at none against ARK's 10. ARK's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ARK sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ARK against 5.0 for Shelf. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 5 respectively.

ARK ships an update every 2 weeks, Shelf every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 9, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ARK | Shelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark/id524347797/reviews) | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelf/id1620828408/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 27 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ark Bokhandel AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/524347800) | [Beat Technology AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/433400941) |

## What reviewers say

### ARK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark/id524347797)

Access your digital library and enjoy your purchased books and audiobooks. Customize your reading experience and discover new stories with personalized recommendations. The app is continuously being improved based on user feedback.

**Highlights:** Access digital books, Listen to audiobooks, Customize reading experience, Get book recommendations, Read purchased books

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kjøpt e-bok/nedlastbar lydbok | $8.99 | one-time |
| Kjøpt e-bok/nedlastbar lydbok | $10.99 | one-time |
| Kjøpt e-bok/nedlastbar lydbok | $11.99 | one-time |
| Kjøpt e-bok/nedlastbar lydbok | $13.99 | one-time |
| Kjøpt e-bok/nedlastbar lydbok | $14.99 | one-time |
| Kjøpt e-bok/nedlastbar lydbok | $15.99 | one-time |
| Kjøpt e-bok/nedlastbar lydbok | $16.99 | one-time |
| Kjøpt e-bok/nedlastbar lydbok | $18.99 | one-time |
| Kjøpt e-bok/nedlastbar lydbok | $25.99 | one-time |
| Kjøpt e-bok/nedlastbar lydbok | $27.99 | one-time |


### Shelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelf/id1620828408)

Access your personal library of purchased audiobooks and e-books. Read or listen anywhere, anytime, with or without an internet connection. Enjoy your collection without subscriptions or time limits.

**Highlights:** Access purchased audiobooks and e-books, Read or listen offline, No subscriptions or time limits, Bookmark and comment, Customize reading experience, Adjust playback speed, Sleep timer for audiobooks

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ARK free?

ARK is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shelf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ARK or Shelf?

ARK and Shelf are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do ARK or Shelf have ads?

Shelf shows ads; ARK does not.

### Which is updated more often, ARK or Shelf?

ARK ships an update every 2 weeks, and Shelf every 6 weeks. Most recently, ARK was updated on August 9, 2026 and Shelf on September 9, 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.*