Comparison

Bookist vs bambü

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

Head to head
About

Bookist

Discover your next favorite read with personalized book recommendations. Swipe through suggestions, import existing libraries, and explore curated collections. Track your reading progress and share your thoughts on books you've enjoyed.

Highlights
  • Personalized book suggestions
  • Import Goodreads shelves
  • Curated book collections
  • Books inspired by favorites
  • Build read/want-to-read shelves
  • Rate and review books
  • Track reading progress
Features
Read full description

Tired of scrolling for your next read? Swipe right and let Bookist do the work. Bookist is the book discovery app built for readers who want their next favourite book without the endless scrolling. Swipe through personalised picks based on your taste, build shelves for what you've read and what's next, and track your reading as you go. - Swipe to discover — right if you love it, left if it's not for you - Import your Goodreads shelves in seconds, so you never start from zero - Browse curated stacks — prizewinners, book club picks, and books inspired by your favourites - Build shelves for books you've read, want to read, or can't stop thinking about - Rate and review what you've read, and see what other readers think - Track your reading with stats and charts that actually make you want to hit your goal - Search your read books to keep your shelves accurate and up to date Whether you're chasing a reading goal this year or just want your next great read, Bookist helps you find it — and remember it.

About

bambü

This app helps book lovers discover new titles, manage their reading lists, and track progress. It provides detailed book information, allows for easy organization, and ranks books based on ratings and reading time.

Highlights
  • Book discovery
  • Reading list tracking
  • Progress management
  • Book ranking algorithm
  • Detailed book information
  • Library organization
Features
Read full description

Welcome to bambü, the ultimate app for book lovers! bambü helps you discover, track, and manage your reading list effortlessly. With a sleek and intuitive design, bambü makes it easy to: Discover: Search for books and view detailed information, including ratings from Amazon and Goodreads. Track: Add books to your reading list and keep track of your progress. Rank: Use our unique algorithm to rank books based on ratings and estimated reading time. Manage: Organize your library with ease and never lose track of a book again. Whether you're an avid reader or just getting started, bambü is the perfect companion for your reading journey. Download now and start exploring the world of books like never before!

Screenshots

Bookist4 screens
bambü3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: bambü at every 2 days against Bookist's fortnightly. bambü also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.1). Bookist's advantage is ratings volume (51 vs 1). 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

bambü holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookist has 51 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bookist ships an update fortnightly, bambü every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Bookist versus bambü: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookistbambü
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (51 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews91.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings51 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB21 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperSTACKMOUSE (PTY) LTDBryan May

Customer experience

Bookist

All ratings50 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive91.3%
Neutral4.3%
Negative4.3%

bambü

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Bookist

No in-app purchases

None

bambü

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bookist free?
Bookist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is bambü free?
bambü is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bookist or bambü?
bambü is rated higher. Bookist averages 4.8 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while bambü averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Bookist or bambü have ads?
Neither Bookist nor bambü shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bookist or bambü?
Bookist ships an update fortnightly, and bambü every 2 days. Most recently, Bookist was updated on November 12, 2026 and bambü on November 4, 2026.

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