# Bookshelf vs TBR Book Jar

The clearest difference is update cadence: TBR Book Jar at every 4 days against Bookshelf's every 2 weeks. Bookshelf's advantage is chart position (#169 vs unranked) and ratings volume (38 vs 5). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

TBR Book Jar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 38 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, TBR Book Jar every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | TBR Book Jar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-reading-tracker/id6654913138/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tbr-book-jar-reading-tracker/id6761447804/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **38** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#169** | — |
| Size | 171 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tiago Almeida](https://appshunter.io/developer/1764252329) | [Christopher Mayberry](https://appshunter.io/developer/1390482166) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookshelf

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

**Currently charting:** #169 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

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 |


### TBR Book Jar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tbr-book-jar-reading-tracker/id6761447804)

This app helps you decide what to read next with over 190 prompts and a customizable digital bookshelf. Track your reading progress, view stats, and personalize your virtual library.

**Highlights:** 190+ reading prompts, Customizable digital bookshelf, Page progress tracking, Reading timer and speed tracking, Reading stats and goals, Goodreads import, Dark mode support

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly (One-Time Offer) | $3.99 | per month |
| TBR Book Jar Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| TBR Book Jar Pro Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| TBR Book Jar Pro Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is TBR Book Jar free?

TBR Book Jar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bookshelf or TBR Book Jar?

TBR Book Jar is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while TBR Book Jar averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or TBR Book Jar have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor TBR Book Jar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bookshelf or TBR Book Jar?

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, and TBR Book Jar every 4 days. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on November 4, 2026 and TBR Book Jar on October 31, 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.*