# ARC Bookshelf vs Acorn Catalog

ARC Bookshelf and Acorn Catalog both sit at 3.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Acorn Catalog's written reviews are positive against 34% of ARC Bookshelf's. ARC Bookshelf's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

ARC Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 38 and 15 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of ARC Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 67% of Acorn Catalog's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ARC Bookshelf ships an update every 2 months, Acorn Catalog every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ARC Bookshelf | Acorn Catalog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.6 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arc-bookshelf/id537997638/reviews)** | [3.4 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acorn-catalog/id1468024977/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **38** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | 34.0% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 30 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [American Reading Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/537997641) | [Bibliomation, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/587708969) |

## What reviewers say

### ARC Bookshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arc-bookshelf/id537997638)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for early readers
- 👍 Helps with reading skills
- 👍 Engaging for children
- 👍 Realistic page turning effect
- 👍 Useful for sight words

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Login issues frequent
- 🐛 Server always down
- 🐛 Crashing after first use
- 🐛 App crashes on iPhone 5S
- 🐛 Crashing after first use

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot make an account
- Keeps asking to log in
- Page stuck in two-page model
- Books do not load
- App closes and goes home

**Requested features**

- Add more books
- Add more reading levels
- Add option to zoom
- Add themes
- Add bookmarks


### Acorn Catalog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acorn-catalog/id1468024977)

Access public library resources across Connecticut. Search the catalog, place holds, manage checked-out items, and renew borrowed materials. Requires a library card from a Bibliomation member library.

**Highlights:** Search library catalog, Place holds on items, Review checked-out items, Renew borrowed materials, Access 63 public libraries

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ARC Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Acorn Catalog free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ARC Bookshelf or Acorn Catalog?

ARC Bookshelf is rated higher. ARC Bookshelf averages 3.6 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while Acorn Catalog averages 3.4 from 15 ratings.

### Do ARC Bookshelf or Acorn Catalog have ads?

Neither ARC Bookshelf nor Acorn Catalog shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ARC Bookshelf or Acorn Catalog?

ARC Bookshelf ships an update every 2 months, and Acorn Catalog every 5 months. Most recently, ARC Bookshelf was updated on October 23, 2026 and Acorn Catalog on October 24, 2026.

---

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