# Bookshelf vs Chapter

The clearest difference is ads: Bookshelf at none against Chapter's shown. Bookshelf also leads on ratings volume (27 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). Chapter's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookshelf sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Chapter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chapter holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 27 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, Chapter fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | Chapter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-reading-tracker/id6654913138/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chapter/id6737006780/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **27** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 171 MB | 108 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tiago Almeida](https://appshunter.io/developer/1764252329) | [Diego Frias Nerio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1774347561) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-reading-tracker/id6654913138)

Organize your entire reading life, tracking physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks. Set reading goals, log sessions, save quotes, and visualize your progress with detailed statistics and a reading habits heat map. Discover new books and connect with friends.

**Highlights:** Smart book organization with custom shelves, Reading timer and session tracking, Save quotes and notes with OCR, Flexible reading goals and progress tracking, Detailed statistics and insights, Reading habits heat map, Monthly and yearly recaps, Purchase and borrowing logs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Features | $2.49 | per month |
| Premium Features | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Features | $22.99 | per year |
| Premium Features | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime (promo) | $99.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $199.99 | one-time |


### Chapter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chapter/id6737006780)

Organize your reading life with this app. Track progress, log updates, and build a personalized library. Set goals, save notes, and share your reading journey with friends.

**Highlights:** Track reading progress, Log daily updates, Build a personalized library, Add custom covers, Organize by format/status, Set reading goals, Save notes and quotes, Shared readings with friends

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chapter Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Chapter Premium Quarterly | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| Chapter Premium Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

Bookshelf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chapter free?

Chapter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or Chapter?

Chapter is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Chapter averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or Chapter have ads?

Chapter shows ads; Bookshelf does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or Chapter?

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, and Chapter fortnightly. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on October 5, 2026 and Chapter on October 13, 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.*