BorrowBox vs TBR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BorrowBox
Access a vast digital library of eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers from your local library. Browse, borrow, and enjoy content on any device with seamless syncing and personalized features.
- Borrow eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, eNewspapers
- All library formats in one app
- Read and listen directly in the app
- Curated collections and themes
- Multi-language browsing
- Automatic new issue downloads
- Cross-device syncing
- Adjustable playback speed and sleep timer
Read full descriptionHide full description
Discover the Ultimate Library Experience – Borrow eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers – All in One Place. With BorrowBox, browsing, borrowing, reading, or listening has never been simpler. Take your library with you, wherever you go, whenever you want. If your local library offers BorrowBox, simply sign in with your membership details to unlock a world of digital reading and listening. ALL YOUR LIBRARY FAVOURITES, ONE APP Explore eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers – all the formats your library offers, all in one place. EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE Read or listen to your borrowed titles directly in the app. No extra downloads, no extra steps. MADE FOR YOU Enjoy curated collections and themes that make discovering your next read and listen a breeze. BROWSE IN ANY LANGUAGE Our Language Browsing feature makes it simple to find content in multiple languages, tailored for different audiences. NEVER MISS A RELEASE Subscribe to your favourite eMagazines or eNewspapers, and they’ll be borrowed and downloaded automatically as new issues arrive. STAY IN SYNC Your reading and listening progress seamlessly follows you across all your devices. TAILORED TO YOU Set a sleep timer for your eAudiobooks, add your favourites to your reading lists, and adjust playback speed to suit your listening style.
TBR
Easily track books you want to read, are currently reading, or have finished. Rate and review books, log favorite moments, and discover new reads. Set yearly reading goals and celebrate milestones with fun animations.
- Track books (to-read, reading, finished)
- Rate and review books
- Log favorite moments and quotes
- Browse public ratings and genre-specific insights
- Set custom yearly reading goals
- Earn achievement stickers
- Pro features: tropes, playlists, adaptations
Read full descriptionHide full description
Got a growing TBR list? See great book recommendations, but forget them later? Meet TBR Bookshelf! Easily track books you want to read, are currently reading, or have finished with no limits. Rate and review books once you’ve read them and log your favorite moments using our quick and intuitive rating system. Browse public ratings to see a book’s POV, tropes, reread rate, and up to four genre-specific ratings. For example, Romance tracks Spice, Fluff, Humor, and Tear. All ratings are anonymous, so you can be honest with your reviews. Within our rating system, you can log: * Reading format * 5 Star Rating including half stars * Up to four genre ratings * If you would reread a book * DNF (Did Not Finish) * Favorite characters and quotes * Series and standalone books * Pro quotes and annotations (Paid Subscription Required) * Any additional thoughts about the book Celebrate your reading milestones with special book confetti and earn stickers for completing books and certain book tropes. Exclusive Pro features include: * Book tropes * Book playlists to track songs (cannot be played within the app) * POV format and amount * TV show and movie adaptation ratings * Four seasonal ratings All users can create custom yearly reading goals. When you finish a book, it is automatically added to your yearly reading goal bookshelf. Pro users can also fully customize their bookshelves with color themes, bookshelf items, and layouts. TBR Bookshelf makes managing your TBR list fun, easy, and satisfying. Track books, set reading goals, log quotes, and discover new reads all in one place. With customizable shelves, anonymous ratings, and a supportive community, staying on top of your reading has never been more enjoyable. Join TBR Bookshelf, a woman-owned and operated company, BookTok’s favorite, and trusted by millions of readers. TBR Bookshelf is free to download and use. No account or sign-up is required. TBR Bookshelf Pro includes a 7-day free trial and then options for a monthly plan ($4.99), a 6-month plan ($19.99), or a yearly plan ($29.99). All other features remain free indefinitely. A subscription will be applied to your iTunes account at the end of your free trial. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime in your iTunes account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited if you purchase a subscription. These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary. Note: This app is for tracking your reading journey. Reading is not available within the app. Privacy Policy: http://jordanpetersonstudio.com/tbr-bookshelf-privacy-policy/ Terms of Service: http://jordanpetersonstudio.com/tbr-bookshelf-terms-of-service/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BorrowBox at none against TBR's 10. BorrowBox also leads on ads (none vs shown). TBR's advantage is ratings volume (4.4K vs 876). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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
Both are free to download. TBR sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. BorrowBox asks for nothing beyond the download.
BorrowBox holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TBR has 4.4K ratings behind it against 876, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of BorrowBox's written reviews are positive against 71% of TBR's.
BorrowBox ships an update every 6 days, TBR weekly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | BorrowBox | TBR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (876 ratings) — better | 4.5 (4.4K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.6% of reviews — better | 70.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 876 | 4.4K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #93 | #39 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 165 MB | 98 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Bolinda digital | TBR - Bookshelf, LLC |
Customer experience
BorrowBox
TBR
User reviews
BorrowBox
From 876 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient access to books
- 💡 Free service through local library
- 🎧 Great for audiobooks
- 📚 Wide selection of books
Room to improve
- 🕰️ Long wait times for popular books
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 🔖 Lack of bookmark/progress tracking features
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🐛 App crashes and bugs
TBR
From 4.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Cute and visually appealing
- 📚 Helpful for tracking reading progress
- 🌟 Unique rating system
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 No account/sync option to prevent data loss
- 💰 Too many features locked behind paywall
- 🔍 Limited book database, hard to find some titles
Bugs and requests
BorrowBox
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
TBR
Reported bugs
4 issues- Books disappearing from shelves
- Inability to edit read dates
- Search function not working properly
- Crashing when trying to access certain features
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to organize books by series
- Option to view other users' reviews and ratings
- Customizable bookshelves and themes
- Sync across multiple devices
- More genre/category options for ratings
In-app purchases
BorrowBox
No in-app purchases
TBR
- Pro Access7 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Pro Access7 Days trial$29.996 Months
- Pro Access$39.991 Year
- 1500 Gems$2.99
- 4500 Gems$5.99
- 20,000 Gems$9.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Gift 6 Months$19.99
- Gift 1 Year of Pro$29.99
- Gift Lifetime Pro$119.99
- Lifetime Purchase$179.99









