# Bookshelf vs Folio

The clearest difference is monetization model: Folio at free against Bookshelf's freemium. Folio also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 88%). Bookshelf's advantage is ratings volume (27 vs 7) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookshelf sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Folio sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Bookshelf against 4.7 for Folio. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 7 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 100% of Folio's.

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, Folio every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookshelf | Folio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-reading-tracker/id6654913138/reviews)** | [4.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/folio-book-tracker/id6764345729/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **27** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 171 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tiago Almeida](https://appshunter.io/developer/1764252329) | [Miguel Pacheco](https://appshunter.io/developer/1814844861) |

## 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 |


### Folio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/folio-book-tracker/id6764345729)

This app helps you meticulously track your reading progress, manage your book library, and cultivate a consistent reading habit. It allows for detailed logging of quotes, reviews, and reading statistics, offering a private and organized space for bibliophiles.

**Highlights:** Organize books into shelves, Save and sync favorite quotes, Rate books with quarter-star precision, Import from Goodreads/StoryGraph, Search, manual entry, or ISBN scan, Track pages, minutes, and streaks, Set reading goals

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Folio Plus Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Folio Plus Annual | $8.99 | per year |
| Folio Plus Annual | $8.99 | per year |
| Folio Plus Annual | $8.99 | per year |
| Folio Plus Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Folio free?

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

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

Bookshelf is rated higher. Bookshelf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Folio averages 4.7 from 7 ratings.

### Do Bookshelf or Folio have ads?

Neither Bookshelf nor Folio shows ads.

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

Bookshelf ships an update every 2 weeks, and Folio every 3 days. Most recently, Bookshelf was updated on October 5, 2026 and Folio on October 2, 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.*