# Bookshelf vs PocketShelf

The clearest difference is rating: Bookshelf at 4.8 against PocketShelf's 4.4. Bookshelf also leads on ratings volume (39 vs 8) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookshelf sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and PocketShelf sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 85% of PocketShelf's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | PocketShelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-reading-tracker/id6654913138/reviews)** | [4.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketshelf-tbr-book-tracker/id6745476834/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **39** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **87.5% of reviews** | 84.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 171 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tiago Almeida](https://appshunter.io/developer/1764252329) | [Klemens Strasser](https://appshunter.io/developer/889417671) |

## 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 (4)**

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


### PocketShelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocketshelf-tbr-book-tracker/id6745476834)

Easily organize your book collection and track your reading progress. Save notes, get session recaps, and start reading directly from your home screen.

**Highlights:** Organize book library, Track reading sessions, Add notes and summaries, Home screen widget, Accessibility features, AI-powered recaps

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| One Extra Book Slot | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is PocketShelf free?

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

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

Bookshelf is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while PocketShelf averages 4.4 from 8 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or PocketShelf have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor PocketShelf shows ads.

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

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, and PocketShelf every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on November 8, 2026 and PocketShelf 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.*