# BorrowBox vs Sheels

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BorrowBox at none against Sheels's 2. BorrowBox also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 8 months). Sheels's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sheels sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $45.99 per month. BorrowBox asks for nothing beyond the download.

BorrowBox ships an update every 6 days, Sheels every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BorrowBox | Sheels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (879 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/borrowbox/id562843562/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **879** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#91** | — |
| Size | 172 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bolinda digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/562843565) | [Sheels Educational Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535147033) |

## What reviewers say

### BorrowBox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/borrowbox/id562843562)

**Currently charting:** #91 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

Access a vast collection of eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers from your local library. Browse, borrow, and enjoy digital content seamlessly across all your devices with features like language browsing and automatic new issue downloads.

**Highlights:** Borrow eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, eNewspapers, Read or listen directly in the app, Curated collections and themes, Multi-language browsing, Automatic new issue downloads for subscriptions, Cross-device sync for reading/listening progress, Adjustable playback speed and sleep timer

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient access to books
- 💡 Free service through local library
- 🎧 Great for audiobooks
- 📚 Wide selection of books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Long wait times for popular books
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 🔖 Lack of bookmark/progress tracking features
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🐛 App crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after recent update
- Loses reading progress when switching devices
- Night mode issues with invisible text
- Audiobook controls not working with Bluetooth
- Inconsistent behavior when using sleep timer

**Requested features**

- Add a wishlist or reading list feature
- Improve search and filtering capabilities
- Implement bookmark/progress tracking for audiobooks
- Integrate with Apple CarPlay for safer driving
- Add user reviews and ratings for books


### Sheels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sheels/id1535147031)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Membership | $45.99 | per month |
| Yearly Membership | $449.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BorrowBox free?

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

### Is Sheels free?

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

### Do BorrowBox or Sheels have ads?

Sheels shows ads; BorrowBox does not.

### Which is updated more often, BorrowBox or Sheels?

BorrowBox ships an update every 6 days, and Sheels every 8 months. Most recently, BorrowBox was updated on November 9, 2026 and Sheels on November 7, 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.*