Bookshop.org vs BKLYN Library
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bookshop.org
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.
- Read ebooks from your library
- Browse millions of ebooks
- Add titles to wishlist
- Support local bookstores with purchases
- Connect seamlessly with Bookshop
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Bookshop.org’s mission is simple: We help local, independent bookstores thrive by giving more than 80% of our profits back to our network of 3,000+ stores. In our app, you can read millions of ebooks - and every purchase supports an independent bookstore near you! In the Bookshop app you can: - Read your ebooks in our customizable ebook reader. - Browse millions of titles and discover your next favorite read in romance, thrillers, mystery, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, and more. - Organize your TBR into custom shelves. - Highlight in five different colors, and add notes to your highlighted passages. - Sort & filter highlights and notes by date created, book order, and more. - Save titles to your wishlist so you can read them later. - Shop knowing that over 80% of the profit goes directly to local, independent bookstores. We’re a Certified B Corp, and we’ve raised more than $50 million for independent bookstores nationwide since 2020. Download the Bookshop.org app to support bookstores, not billionaires.
BKLYN Library
Access and manage your library account from your mobile device. Browse physical and digital collections, manage checkouts and holds, and utilize mobile checkout features. The app also supports managing multiple library cards.
- Browse physical and digital collections
- Manage checkouts and holds
- Mobile checkout
- Manage multiple library cards
- Create booklists
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-Browse the library's physical and digital collection -Manage your checkouts, holds, and booklists. -Mobile checkout -Manage multiple library cards
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Bookshop.org at 4.8 against BKLYN Library's 4.2. Bookshop.org also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (2.3K vs 104). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Bookshop.org holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshop.org has 2.3K ratings behind it against 104, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of Bookshop.org's written reviews are positive against 61% of BKLYN Library's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Bookshop.org ships an update every 5 days, BKLYN Library every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bookshop.org | BKLYN Library |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.3K ratings) — better | 4.2 (104 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 56.7% of reviews | 61.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.3K — better | 104 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #189 — better | #207 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 111 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bookshop, Inc. | Brooklyn Public Library |
Customer experience
Bookshop.org
BKLYN Library
User reviews
Bookshop.org
From 2.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Wonderful app
- 👍 Great alternative to Amazon
- 👍 Supports local bookstores
- 👍 Clean and pleasing interface
- 👍 Solid app for a new release
Room to improve
- 🐛 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.)
BKLYN Library
From 104 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🚀 Efficient mobile checkout
- 💡 Scan ISBN barcode to find books
- 💡 Digital library card
- 👍 Great for placing holds
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 🐛 App becomes slow and unusable
- 🐛 Requires frequent re-downloads
- 🐛 Blank screen or loading issues
- 🐛 Books disappear from checkouts/holds
Bugs and requests
Bookshop.org
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
7 requests- 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
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Provide better dark mode/night reading experience
- Sync reading progress across devices
BKLYN Library
Reported bugs
13 issues- App broken, page blank, books overdue
- App stops working after a while, needs re-download
- Mobile checkout involves buffering
- Constantly signing out, need to re-enter details
- Added accounts disappear after re-login
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- App doesn't load, says not connected to internet
- App stuck on blank screen, no sign-in option
- Books disappear under Checkouts and Holds
- App is super slow and glitchy
- App doesn't load, gets stuck, can't change accounts
- App stops working after a few days, kicks user off
- Cannot get app to work on library WiFi
- Age restricted to 17+
Requested features
4 requests- Bring back location finder with hours
- Keep users logged in
- Improve branch hours/closures display
- Allow offline access to library card
In-app purchases
Bookshop.org
No in-app purchases
BKLYN Library
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Bookshop.org free?
Is BKLYN Library free?
Which has better reviews, Bookshop.org or BKLYN Library?
Do Bookshop.org or BKLYN Library have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bookshop.org or BKLYN Library?
Which is more popular, Bookshop.org or BKLYN Library?
Other comparisons
