Comparison

Bookshop.org vs Seattle Public Library

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

Head to head
About

Bookshop.org

Read millions of ebooks and support independent bookstores with every purchase. This app offers a customizable reader, extensive browsing, and tools to organize your reading list and notes.

Highlights
  • Customizable ebook reader
  • Browse millions of titles
  • Organize TBR into custom shelves
  • Highlight in five colors
  • Add notes to highlights
  • Save titles to wishlist
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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.

About

Seattle Public Library

Access the library's catalog, manage your account, and check out books from your mobile device. You can also find branches, reserve rooms, and explore library resources.

Highlights
  • Search catalog and place holds
  • Digital library card
  • Instant checkout by scanning
  • Manage account and borrowing
  • Scan ISBN to find books
  • Find branches and hours
  • Reserve rooms
Features
Read full description

With The Seattle Public Library app, you can search our catalog, check out books and manage your account right from your phone or tablet! - Search our entire catalog and place holds directly from the app, then use your digital library card at a checkout station (you can add it to the wallet on your phone too). Or scan the material with the app to check it out instantly. - Check your account details and manage your borrowing on the go. - Scan an ISBN to quickly find it in our catalog, whether you're browsing in a bookstore or organizing your home collection. - Quickly find the branch nearest to you, and see open hours for every location. - Reserve a room and manage your reservations right from the app. - Switch the language you use to navigate the app to Spanish, Vietnamese or Chinese (Traditional and Simplified). - Explore our resources and see what’s happening at your Library!

Screenshots

Bookshop.org4 screens
Seattle Public Library4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bookshop.org at 4.8 against Seattle Public Library's 4.2. Bookshop.org also leads on ratings volume (2.3K vs 26) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). Seattle Public Library's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 57%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of Bookshop.org's written reviews are positive against 75% of Seattle Public Library's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bookshop.org ships an update every 5 days, Seattle Public Library every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Bookshop.org versus Seattle Public Library: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookshop.orgSeattle Public Library
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.3K ratings) — better4.2 (26 ratings)
Positive reviews56.7% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.3K — better26
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#189 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.416.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB44 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperBookshop, Inc.The Seattle Public Library

Customer experience

Bookshop.org

All ratings2,313 ratings
Positive94.6%
Neutral3.0%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews180 reviews
Positive56.7%
Neutral22.8%
Negative20.6%

Seattle Public Library

All ratings24 ratings
Positive79.2%
Neutral8.3%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%

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 more
  • Provide better dark mode/night reading experience
  • Sync reading progress across devices

Seattle Public Library

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Bookshop.org

No in-app purchases

None

Seattle Public Library

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bookshop.org free?
Bookshop.org is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Seattle Public Library free?
Seattle Public Library is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bookshop.org or Seattle Public Library?
Bookshop.org is rated higher. Bookshop.org averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.3K ratings, while Seattle Public Library averages 4.2 from 26 ratings.
Do Bookshop.org or Seattle Public Library have ads?
Neither Bookshop.org nor Seattle Public Library shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bookshop.org or Seattle Public Library?
Bookshop.org ships an update every 5 days, and Seattle Public Library every 3 weeks. Most recently, Bookshop.org was updated on November 7, 2026 and Seattle Public Library on November 5, 2026.

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