# Book Tracker App vs The Shelf

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Shelf at 100% against Book Tracker App's 0%. The Shelf also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Book Tracker App's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Book Tracker App is free to download; The Shelf costs $4.99 up front. Book Tracker App sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Shelf holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Book Tracker App's written reviews are positive against 100% of The Shelf's.

Book Tracker App ships an update every 2 weeks, The Shelf every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Book Tracker App | The Shelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-tracker-app-ex-libris/id6455986946/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-shelf-reading-tracker/id6790276638/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 341 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fidelis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542513151) | [Antonio Gordillo Toledo](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790276640) |

## What reviewers say

### Book Tracker App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-tracker-app-ex-libris/id6455986946)

Effortlessly track, organize, and categorize your reading list. Add books via barcode, ISBN, or manual entry. Syncs across devices with iCloud and offers features like loan tracking and custom location tabs.

**Highlights:** Add books via barcode, ISBN, or manual entry, Organize books into custom categories, Track loaned books, Create wish lists, Syncs with iCloud across devices, Speech-to-text for comments, Export lists as CSV

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ex Libris Pro | $12.99 | one-time |


### The Shelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-shelf-reading-tracker/id6790276638)

Organize your entire book collection, track reading progress, and capture notes and quotes. This app offers a private, customizable space to manage your reading life, from adding new books to reviewing past sessions.

**Highlights:** Build and organize your book library, Track reading progress and focus sessions, Save notes, quotes, and journal entries, View detailed reading statistics, Customize app appearance, Sync and export library data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Book Tracker App free?

Book Tracker App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Shelf free?

The Shelf costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Book Tracker App or The Shelf?

The Shelf is rated higher. Book Tracker App averages 4.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while The Shelf averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Book Tracker App or The Shelf have ads?

Neither Book Tracker App nor The Shelf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Book Tracker App or The Shelf?

Book Tracker App ships an update every 2 weeks, and The Shelf every 3 days. Most recently, Book Tracker App was updated on October 7, 2026 and The Shelf on October 2, 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.*