Comparison

BorrowBox vs TBR

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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

BorrowBox4 screens
TBR4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. TBR sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. BorrowBox asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BorrowBox ships an update every 6 days, TBR weekly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
BorrowBox versus TBR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBorrowBoxTBR
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (876 ratings) — better4.5 (4.4K ratings)
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews — better70.9% of reviews
Number of ratings8764.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#93#39 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size165 MB98 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBolinda digitalTBR - Bookshelf, LLC

Customer experience

BorrowBox

All ratings872 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.1%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews1,593 reviews
Positive76.6%
Neutral10.5%
Negative12.9%

TBR

All ratings4,416 ratings
Positive88.6%
Neutral5.0%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews1,011 reviews
Positive70.9%
Neutral10.5%
Negative18.6%

User reviews

BorrowBox

From 876 App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

None

BorrowBox

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

TBR

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Access7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Pro Access7 Days trial$29.996 Months
  • Pro Access$39.991 Year
One-time7
  • 1500 Gems$2.99
  • 4500 Gems$5.99
  • 20,000 Gems$9.99
Show 4 more
  • Gift 6 Months$19.99
  • Gift 1 Year of Pro$29.99
  • Gift Lifetime Pro$119.99
  • Lifetime Purchase$179.99

Questions

Is BorrowBox free?
BorrowBox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TBR free?
TBR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BorrowBox or TBR?
BorrowBox is rated higher. BorrowBox averages 4.7 out of 5 from 876 ratings, while TBR averages 4.5 from 4.4K ratings.
Do BorrowBox or TBR have ads?
TBR shows ads; BorrowBox does not.
Which is updated more often, BorrowBox or TBR?
BorrowBox ships an update every 6 days, and TBR weekly. Most recently, BorrowBox was updated on November 1, 2026 and TBR on November 1, 2026.
Which is more popular, BorrowBox or TBR?
BorrowBox currently peaks at #93 in the App Store charts, and TBR at #39. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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