Comparison

PDF Library eBook Reader vs BookShelves eBook Reader

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

Head to head
About

PDF Library eBook Reader

Effortlessly read, organize, and sync your PDF eBooks across devices. Features include flexible display options, dark mode, auto-save reading progress, and customizable collections. An optional Pro version unlocks advanced organization tools.

Highlights
  • Organize PDF collection
  • Sync across devices
  • Flexible display options
  • Dark mode reading
  • Auto-save reading progress
  • Customizable collections (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Read, Organize, and Sync Your PDF eBooks Effortlessly PDF Library is the ultimate solution for reading long-form PDF documents and eBooks. Seamlessly manage, organize, and sync your PDF collection across all your devices, ensuring you have easy access wherever you are. Key Features: - Flexible Display Options: View your documents as customizable cards or a streamlined list in your Library. - Pin Your Favorites: Keep important PDFs at the top of your Library for quick access. - Dark Mode: Enjoy comfortable reading with less eye strain, day or night. - Custom App Icons: Personalize your home screen with unique app icons. - iCloud Sync: Securely sync your entire PDF Library across iPhone, iPad and Mac. - Home Screen Widgets: Instantly access recent PDFs right from your home screen. PDF Reader Features: - Auto-Save Reading Progress: Your place is saved automatically, so you’ll never lose track of where you left off. - Flexible Reading Modes: Read in Single-Page or Continuous mode, with both horizontal and vertical scrolling options. - Sepia Reading Mode: Reduce eye strain with a warm, soft color filter that provides a gentler reading experience. - Easy Navigation: Use the built-in Table of Contents for quick jumps to sections within any document. Organize Your PDF Library: - Track Reading Status: Mark PDFs as "Read Next", "Finished", or add them to your Favourites list for easy access. - Archive Documents: Clear up your Library by moving completed or inactive PDFs to the Archive. PDF Library Pro – Unlock Advanced Features: Enjoy PDF Library free with no limits on the number of PDFs you can store. Upgrade to PDF Library Pro with a one-time purchase to enhance your reading experience and support independent app development. Pro Features Include: - Organize into Collections: Create personalized Collections to group and sort your PDFs. - Edit Titles & Authors: Customize your Library’s display by editing document titles and authors. - Change Cover Art: Update the cover images of your PDFs for better organization and visual appeal. PDF Library Pro supports Family Sharing – so you can share these advanced features with your family members at no extra cost! PDF Library is perfect for students, researchers, and professionals. Whether you're at uni, working on university papers, or diving into educational ebooks and scientific research, PDF Library makes reading and managing your documents effortless. With features designed to streamline your workflow, it's ideal for organizing class notes, research papers, and ebooks for study or work. Privacy Policy: https://verbia.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://verbia.com/terms

About

BookShelves eBook Reader

This app allows you to read EPUB, PDF, and comic books with access to over 1.5 million free public domain books. Organize your library, customize your reading experience with multiple themes and fonts, and sync your progress across devices.

Highlights
  • 1.5 million+ free books
  • EPUB, PDF, and comic reader
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Smart library management
  • Highlighting and note-taking
  • Export highlights
Features
Read full description

BookShelves is an EPUB, PDF, and comic book reader with a built-in catalog of 1.5 million free books. Discover public domain classics, organize your digital library, and sync seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud (Pro). WHAT READERS SAY "Phenomenal book reading and management app, 'just works'." "My everlasting search for the perfect ePub reader might be coming to an end." "Among the best and actively developed." DISCOVER 1.5 MILLION+ FREE BOOKS • 1.5 million+ classic works — Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, more • 1,100+ premium editions from Standard Ebooks • Internet Archive — millions of historical texts and rare books • 1,200+ Spanish classics from the Biblioteca Nacional de España • 16,000+ Japanese classics from Aozora Bunko • Browse OPDS catalogs from external libraries and servers One tap to download. No account required. POWERFUL READING EXPERIENCE • Paginated or continuous scroll — read your way • 10 themes including Sepia, Dark Academia, Night Sky, and more • 10 bundled fonts including OpenDyslexic for accessible reading • Adjustable line spacing, margins, text justification, and font weight • Highlight in 5 colors and add notes to any passage • Export highlights to Markdown, JSON, or CSV • Dictionary look-up with language detection • Full-text search across chapters • Nested table of contents navigation • Bookmarks (iCloud sync with Pro) • Vertical text (tategaki) for Japanese and CJK books • Right-to-left reading for Arabic, Hebrew, and CJK texts • Full keyboard and trackpad support • Multi-window reading on Mac COMIC BOOKS AND MANGA • CBZ, CBR, and CB7 format support • Two-page spreads for landscape reading • Right-to-left mode for manga with reversed tap zones and swipes • Auto-detected from metadata or toggled manually SEAMLESS ICLOUD SYNC (Pro) • Books and cover images • Reading progress and current page • Shelves, tags, and ratings • Highlights, notes, and bookmarks • Reader preferences (font, theme, layout) Start reading on your iPhone, continue on your iPad, finish on your Mac. SMART LIBRARY MANAGEMENT • Edit metadata -- title, author, series, publisher, ISBN, and cover image • Automatic metadata and cover art fetching • System shelves: All Books, Recently Added, Reading, Finished, Favorites • Custom shelves for any collection • Color-coded tags for categorization • Search and filter by title, author, or tag • Grid and list views • 5-star ratings • Drag-and-drop import, Files app sharing, or OPDS catalogs • EPUB repair — auto-fixes broken navigation and missing metadata • Import from Calibre libraries with best-format selection FORMAT SUPPORT • EPUB — professional rendering with beautiful typography • PDF — native viewer with smooth scrolling and search • CBZ / CBR / CB7 — comic book archives • FB2 — FictionBook 2 format (auto-converts to EPUB) • MOBI / AZW3 / KF8 / KEPUB — auto-converts to EPUB for reading • TXT / Markdown — plain text and Markdown files (auto-converts to EPUB) MAC EXTRAS • Calibre wireless sync — connect KOReader or other devices over Wi-Fi • OPDS server — share your library on your local network PRIVACY FIRST • Your data stays on your devices • No personal data collected • No ads — clean, distraction-free reading • iCloud keeps your library private and secure FREE AND PRO Free: 10 books with all reading features. Pro unlocks unlimited books, iCloud sync, email to Kindle/reMarkable, highlight export, and OPDS server. Pro is available as a one-time purchase or subscription (monthly/annual, select regions). Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in Apple ID account settings. Privacy Policy: https://getbookshelves.app/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://getbookshelves.app/terms/ All books from discovery sources are public domain or openly licensed.

Screenshots

PDF Library eBook Reader4 screens
BookShelves eBook Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Library eBook Reader at 4.3 against BookShelves eBook Reader's 3.8. BookShelves eBook Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. PDF Library eBook Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and BookShelves eBook Reader sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PDF Library eBook Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 19 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of PDF Library eBook Reader's written reviews are positive against 62% of BookShelves eBook Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Library eBook Reader ships an update monthly, BookShelves eBook Reader every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PDF Library eBook Reader versus BookShelves eBook Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF Library eBook ReaderBookShelves eBook Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (12 ratings) — better3.8 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews61.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1219 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB63 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperVerbia SystemsCPE Verm. GmbH

Customer experience

PDF Library eBook Reader

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral40.0%
Negative0.0%

BookShelves eBook Reader

All ratings19 ratings
Positive57.9%
Neutral21.1%
Negative21.1%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive61.8%
Neutral11.8%
Negative26.5%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PDF Library eBook Reader

One-time1
  • PDF Library Pro$19.99
4 purchases

BookShelves eBook Reader

One-time4
  • Small Tip$2.99
  • Medium Tip$3.99
  • Large Tip$8.99
Show 1 more
  • Unlock Pro$9.99

Questions

Is PDF Library eBook Reader free?
PDF Library eBook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BookShelves eBook Reader free?
BookShelves eBook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PDF Library eBook Reader or BookShelves eBook Reader?
PDF Library eBook Reader is rated higher. PDF Library eBook Reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while BookShelves eBook Reader averages 3.8 from 19 ratings.
Do PDF Library eBook Reader or BookShelves eBook Reader have ads?
Neither PDF Library eBook Reader nor BookShelves eBook Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDF Library eBook Reader or BookShelves eBook Reader?
PDF Library eBook Reader ships an update monthly, and BookShelves eBook Reader every 8 days. Most recently, PDF Library eBook Reader was updated on November 1, 2026 and BookShelves eBook Reader on October 30, 2026.

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