# ZenShelf vs Shelfmate

The clearest difference is price: Shelfmate at Free against ZenShelf's $0.99. Shelfmate also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). ZenShelf's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 1.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Shelfmate is free to download; ZenShelf costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ZenShelf holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

ZenShelf ships an update every 6 months, Shelfmate every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ZenShelf | Shelfmate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zenshelf/id6670147622/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfmate-book-tracker/id6739967392/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 2 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shaomeng Zhang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1399816359) | [Mario Mouris](https://appshunter.io/developer/1376063231) |

## What reviewers say

### ZenShelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zenshelf/id6670147622)

Track your reading journey with a minimalist book organizer. Easily add books via barcode scan or import, and view your library in a clean grid. Capture thoughts, share shelves, and sync across devices.

**Highlights:** Barcode scanning for book addition, Import books from Goodreads, Sleek grid view library, Organize into reading, to-read, done, Write book reviews, Share curated shelves, iCloud sync across devices

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shelfmate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfmate-book-tracker/id6739967392)

Organize your personal library, track reading progress, and receive personalized book suggestions. This app prioritizes user privacy with secure iCloud storage and no analytics.

**Highlights:** Organize physical, eBook, and audiobook libraries, Track reading progress, AI-powered book recommendations, Goodreads import, Privacy-first data storage, iCloud synchronization

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ZenShelf free?

ZenShelf costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shelfmate free?

Shelfmate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ZenShelf or Shelfmate?

ZenShelf is rated higher. ZenShelf averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Shelfmate averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do ZenShelf or Shelfmate have ads?

Neither ZenShelf nor Shelfmate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ZenShelf or Shelfmate?

ZenShelf ships an update every 6 months, and Shelfmate every 3 weeks. Most recently, ZenShelf was updated on September 14, 2026 and Shelfmate on September 17, 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.*