Comparison

Wordshelf vs Margins

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

Head to head
About

Wordshelf

Effortlessly capture, understand, and remember new words encountered while reading or studying. Utilize AI-powered mnemonics and visual aids to enhance retention. Track your vocabulary growth and organize learned words by the book you're reading.

Highlights
  • Scan pages or type words to look up
  • Definitions, pronunciation, examples, synonyms, etymology
  • Personalized AI mnemonics and memory images
  • Words organized by book
  • Vocabulary progress tracking
  • Supports 20+ languages
Features
Read full description

Learn smarter while you read. Wordshelf makes it effortless to capture, understand, and remember every new word you come across — whether you're reading a book, studying, or exploring ideas. HOW IT WORKS Scan any page with your camera to instantly identify and look up words, or type them in. Get definitions, pronunciation, examples, synonyms, and etymology. Each word gets a personalized mnemonic and AI-generated memory image to make it stick. Every word is saved and organized by the book you're reading. BUILT FOR READERS Unlike generic dictionary apps, Wordshelf is designed around how you actually read. Set your current book, and every word you look up is automatically linked to it. When you finish, you'll have a beautiful collection of everything you learned. REMEMBER MORE WITH AI Each word gets a custom mnemonic using the keyword method — linking the word's sound to a vivid mental image. Plus an AI-generated illustration to reinforce it. No more forgetting words you've looked up before. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Watch your vocabulary grow with a visual activity grid. See your streaks, total words learned, word difficulty stats, and books completed at a glance. 20+ LANGUAGES Supports English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, and more. Start building your vocabulary today. Every book you read becomes an opportunity to learn. Terms of Use: https://wordshelfapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://wordshelfapp.com/privacy

About

Margins

This app helps you discover, track, and share your reading journey. It offers detailed tracking options, customizable features, and powerful search capabilities. Stay focused on your reading goals with built-in tools to minimize distractions.

Highlights
  • Half-star ratings
  • Track recommendations
  • Customizable book covers
  • Fuzzy date tracking
  • Advanced book search
  • Reading goals
  • Reading timer
  • Distraction blocking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Margins is a beautifully designed app for people who love books. - App of the Day in 20+ countries - 4.9 rating (40,000+ reviews) - Featured in USA Today, BookRiot, and more TRACK YOUR READING - Log books, series, authors, recommendations, and more - Track Strava-style goals, stats, and streaks - Curate lists of books you care about SEARCH BOOKS BY VIBES - Search books by mood, plot, setting, vibe, and more - Try things like “books like 1920s Paris,” “thriller with a love triangle,” or “indie romantasy” - You can even turn images from Pinterest or your camera roll into book recommendations BLOCK DISTRACTING APPS - Block social media, notifications, and other apps while you read - Use meditation reading timer for soothing rain sounds CHOOSE YOUR COVERS - Pick the cover that matches your version of the book - Curate covers to fit your aesthetic - Sort your library by color CUSTOMIZE YOUR PROFILE - Turn your picture into a sketched portrait you’d see in a book - Show off your favorite books SEE WHAT FRIENDS ARE READING - Find and follow other book lovers - See what they’re reading in Stories - Enjoy gorgeous, hand-illustrated monthly recaps INVITE YOUR BOOK CLUB - Schedule gatherings - Suggest and vote on books - Log your club’s history LEAVE GOODREADS FOR GOOD - Import from Goodreads, StoryGraph, and Fable - Half-star ratings - Support a small, indie team WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING “LOVE this app! so easy to import data from goodreads. it excels where others fail. like letterboxd for books. Really glad there’s finally a good book app out there, i’ve been waiting for something like this!” — scruffythejanitor01 “I love the UI of this app, easy to use and aesthetically pleasing. Also, I've been struggling getting back into reading and the screentime feature has helped me loads. I haven't been able to read this much since 4 years ago. Thank you Margins” — mitakaluvr “The search by vibes is so cool. I am a WWII buff, but this search popped up a two-book WWII saga I had never even heard of, much less read. It ended up being my top read of 2025.” —Michigancolt FREE TO USE Almost all features are free to use. An optional subscription unlocks premium features and priority support. FOLLOW US Instagram: @readwithmargins TikTok: @margins TERMS OF USE Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Margins Terms of Service: https://margins.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://margins.app/privacy “Without the margins, writing is just words on a page. But with them, each of us is invited to leave our mark in the endless conversation between books and the people that love them.” — Excerpt from the Margins manifesto

Screenshots

Wordshelf4 screens
Margins4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Wordshelf at none against Margins's 3. Margins's advantage is ratings volume (20K vs 125) and chart position (#81 vs unranked). 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. Margins sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Wordshelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Wordshelf against 4.9 for Margins. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Margins has 20K ratings behind it against 125, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Wordshelf's written reviews are positive against 95% of Margins's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Wordshelf versus Margins: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWordshelfMargins
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (125 ratings) — better4.9 (20K ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better95.3% of reviews
Number of ratings12520K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#81 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB115 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperSourse Labs LLCParatext Inc.

Customer experience

Wordshelf

All ratings125 ratings
Positive98.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Margins

All ratings19,672 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral0.8%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews3,729 reviews
Positive95.3%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.3%

Bugs and requests

Wordshelf

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Margins

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Reading time not saving correctly
  • Inability to delete or edit books from lists
  • Inconsistent behavior when importing data from Goodreads

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to track page progress and percentage read
  • Implement a profile system with custom avatars and bios
  • Introduce a social feed to share reading activity with friends
  • Add more advanced statistics and reading analytics

In-app purchases

None

Wordshelf

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Margins

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Annual$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Wordshelf free?
Wordshelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Margins free?
Margins is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Wordshelf or Margins?
Wordshelf is rated higher. Wordshelf averages 4.9 out of 5 from 125 ratings, while Margins averages 4.9 from 20K ratings.
Do Wordshelf or Margins have ads?
Neither Wordshelf nor Margins shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wordshelf or Margins?
Wordshelf ships an update every 4 days, and Margins every 4 days. Most recently, Wordshelf was updated on October 27, 2026 and Margins on October 29, 2026.

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