# Bookshop.org vs Seattle Public Library

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.

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 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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshop.org | Seattle Public Library |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096/reviews)** | [4.2 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seattle-public-library/id6744311518/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.3K** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 56.7% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#191** | — |
| Size | 111 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bookshop, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706515971) | [The Seattle Public Library](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807024660) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshop.org

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

**Currently charting:** #191 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

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:** 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


### Seattle Public Library

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seattle-public-library/id6744311518)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*