Comparison

ARC Bookshelf vs Washington County Library

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

Head to head
About

ARC Bookshelf

This eReader app provides access to award-winning books designed for young learners. It supports children in Kindergarten and first grade as they develop reading confidence and independence through teacher-vetted content.

Highlights
  • Access to American Reading at Home books
  • Designed for Kindergarten and first-grade levels
  • Gradual removal of reading support
  • Builds reading confidence
  • Independent learning
Read full description

This easy-to-use app gives children the ability to read books from American Reading at Home, the award-winning, school-based program that has been teacher-vetted, parent-approved, and kid-tested in thousands of schools and homes across America. PLEASE NOTE: Requires an American Reading at Home account (for individuals) or SchoolPace subscription (for schools). Our books are specially designed for children learning to read at the Kindergarten and first-grade reading levels. The books work just like training wheels on a bicycle. A child will gain confidence by using books at the “just right” level of challenge; as he/she develops new skills, the “training wheels” are gradually removed. Because so much of the reading support is provided by the actual books, children can do much of the learning on their own. This provides the child with tremendous confidence and a sense of ownership of their own learning. It also makes learning to read fun and enjoyable!

About

Washington County Library

Access your local library's catalog from your mobile device. Search for books, audiobooks, eBooks, movies, and music. Manage your account, place holds, renew items, and find library hours and events.

Highlights
  • Search library catalog
  • Manage library account
  • Renew items
  • Place holds
  • Find library hours and locations
  • Discover library programs and events
  • Scan ISBN to search catalog
Features
Read full description

Washington County (MN) Library is as Mobile as you are! Find books, audio books, eBooks, movies, music, and more in the library catalog on your mobile device. With WCL Mobile you can: • Easily search the library catalog • Check your library account to renew items, place holds, and see what you have checked out. • Look up library hours and locations. • Keep up to date on the latest library classes, programs, and events. • Connect with your Washington County Librarian by phone, email, or chat. • Follow the latest Library posts, tweets, and videos on our social networking sites. • Search the library catalog by scanning a book’s ISBN. Connect with your library anytime, anywhere!

Screenshots

ARC Bookshelf3 screens
Washington County Library4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ARC Bookshelf at 3.6 against Washington County Library's 2.3. ARC Bookshelf also leads on review sentiment (34% vs 0%) and ratings volume (38 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

ARC Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ARC Bookshelf has 38 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of ARC Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 0% of Washington County Library's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ARC Bookshelf versus Washington County Library: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterARC BookshelfWashington County Library
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (38 ratings) — better2.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews34.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings38 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAmerican Reading CompanyWashington County Library

Customer experience

ARC Bookshelf

All ratings36 ratings
Positive63.9%
Neutral8.3%
Negative27.8%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive34.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative56.0%

Washington County Library

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

ARC Bookshelf

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Cannot make an account
  • Keeps asking to log in
  • Page stuck in two-page model
  • Books do not load
  • App closes and goes home
Show 9 more
  • Login problems occur frequently
  • Server is always down
  • Crashes after first use
  • Keeps crashing
  • Crashing after first use
  • Cannot resize to display full pages
  • Cannot log in
  • Incorrect password messages
  • Cannot contact servers

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add more books
  • Add more reading levels
  • Add option to zoom
  • Add themes
  • Add bookmarks
Show 1 more
  • Allow resizing for full pages

Washington County Library

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ARC Bookshelf

No in-app purchases

None

Washington County Library

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ARC Bookshelf free?
ARC Bookshelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Washington County Library free?
Washington County Library is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ARC Bookshelf or Washington County Library?
ARC Bookshelf is rated higher. ARC Bookshelf averages 3.6 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while Washington County Library averages 2.3 from 3 ratings.
Do ARC Bookshelf or Washington County Library have ads?
Neither ARC Bookshelf nor Washington County Library shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ARC Bookshelf or Washington County Library?
ARC Bookshelf ships an update every 2 months, and Washington County Library every 2 months. Most recently, ARC Bookshelf was updated on October 23, 2026 and Washington County Library on October 24, 2026.

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