# Bookshop.org vs Ebook Central

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bookshop.org at 57% against Ebook Central's 0%. Bookshop.org also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.5) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). Ebook Central's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Bookshop.org holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshop.org has 2.3K ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Bookshop.org's written reviews are positive against 0% of Ebook Central's.

Bookshop.org ships an update every 5 days, Ebook Central every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshop.org | Ebook Central |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096/reviews)** | [1.5 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebook-central/id6502346051/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.3K** | 39 |
| Positive reviews | **56.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #186 | **#180** |
| Size | 111 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bookshop, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706515971) | [Clarivate Analytics (US) LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1291059975) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshop.org

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096)

**Currently charting:** #186 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Read your ebooks and discover new titles while supporting independent bookstores. All ebook purchases made through this platform directly benefit local bookshops, ensuring their continued success in the digital age.

**Highlights:** Read ebooks from your library, Browse millions of ebooks, Add titles to wishlist, Support local bookstores with purchases, Connect seamlessly with Bookshop

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Wonderful app
- 👍 Great alternative to Amazon
- 👍 Supports local bookstores
- 👍 Clean and pleasing interface
- 👍 Solid app for a new release

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Formatting issues (lack of italics, poor paragraph spacing, etc.)
- 🐛 Buggy page turning and navigation
- 🔧 Limited customization options (fonts, themes, brightness, etc.)
- 🔧 Missing essential features (highlighting, note-taking, search, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to remember last page read
- Scrolling issues and unexpected page skipping
- Formatting problems (stripped italics, weird paragraph spacing)
- Settings not persisting between app sessions

**Requested features**

- More font and theme options
- Ability to adjust line spacing, margins, and other formatting
- Implement highlighting, annotation, and note-taking features
- Add search functionality
- Improve page turning and navigation


### Ebook Central

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebook-central/id6502346051)

**Currently charting:** #180 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Read downloaded ebooks from your library securely and accessibly, anytime and anywhere. This app offers a modern reading experience with streamlined authentication and an intuitive interface, syncing your progress across devices for uninterrupted research, even offline.

**Highlights:** Offline reading, Secure reading experience, Streamlined authentication, Intuitive interface, Cross-device syncing, Accessible reading

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshop.org free?

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

### Is Ebook Central free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bookshop.org or Ebook Central?

Bookshop.org is rated higher. Bookshop.org averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.3K ratings, while Ebook Central averages 1.5 from 39 ratings.

### Do Bookshop.org or Ebook Central have ads?

Neither Bookshop.org nor Ebook Central shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshop.org or Ebook Central?

Bookshop.org ships an update every 5 days, and Ebook Central every 2 months. Most recently, Bookshop.org was updated on November 3, 2026 and Ebook Central on November 4, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Bookshop.org or Ebook Central?

Bookshop.org currently peaks at #186 in the App Store charts, and Ebook Central at #180. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*