# Bookshelf vs StoryShelf

Bookshelf and StoryShelf both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of StoryShelf's written reviews are positive against 88% of Bookshelf's. Bookshelf's advantage is ratings volume (37 vs 8). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookshelf sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and StoryShelf sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

StoryShelf holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 100% of StoryShelf's.

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, StoryShelf every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | StoryShelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-reading-tracker/id6654913138/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyshelf-book-tracker/id6749077813/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **37** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 171 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tiago Almeida](https://appshunter.io/developer/1764252329) | [Zachary Pfaltzgraff](https://appshunter.io/developer/1827354016) |

## 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 |


### StoryShelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/storyshelf-book-tracker/id6749077813)

Easily catalog your personal library, track reading progress, and discover new books. Save notes, ratings, and set reading goals. Connect with friends to share your literary journey.

**Highlights:** Scan book barcodes to add to library, Save notes, ratings, and reviews, Track reading progress and set goals, Monthly and yearly reading recaps, Connect with friends to view their books, Discover new book recommendations, Sync library across devices

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is StoryShelf free?

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

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

StoryShelf is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while StoryShelf averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or StoryShelf have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor StoryShelf shows ads.

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

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, and StoryShelf every 9 days. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on October 30, 2026 and StoryShelf on October 30, 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.*