# Bookbear vs Bookends.app

The clearest difference is rating: Bookends.app at 5.0 against Bookbear's 4.5. Bookbear's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookends.app sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Bookbear asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bookends.app holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Bookbear's written reviews are positive against 100% of Bookends.app's.

Bookbear ships an update every 9 days, Bookends.app every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookbear | Bookends.app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbear-book-tracker/id6708232404/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookendsapp/id6737713402/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **21** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 94.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 34 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [WOO MIN PARK](https://appshunter.io/developer/1021439964) | [Bookends](https://appshunter.io/developer/1777545924) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookbear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbear-book-tracker/id6708232404)

Easily track your reading progress, build a virtual library of your collection, and discover trending books. Scan barcodes to add books instantly and share your reading list with friends.

**Highlights:** Seamless book tracking, Build and admire your collection, Scan and discover instantly, Discover trending books, Share reading lists, Track progress at a glance

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and simple UI
- 👍 Intuitive design
- 👍 Minimalistic interface
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Essential features only

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Missing book database
- 🐛 Inaccurate book information
- 🐛 No option to update release dates
- 🐛 Limited statistics
- 🐛 Calendar view shows only completed books

**Reported bugs**

- Book search not working (Lazykit.XOR error)
- Unable to delete incorrectly added books
- Calendar date selection jumps unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Add ability to manually add books
- Implement account/login for data backup
- Add a memo/note-taking feature for books
- Include statistics (annual/monthly reading count, genre/author rankings)
- Allow editing of release dates


### Bookends.app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookendsapp/id6737713402)

This app helps you achieve your reading goals with custom bookshelves, insightful progress tracking, and social features to share with friends. It supports all reading formats, including audiobooks, physical books, and digital content, adapting to your personal style.

**Highlights:** Customizable bookshelves, Progress tracking for all formats, Daily and weekly reading insights, Social feeds for reading buddies, Track audiobooks, physical, and digital books

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bookends Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Bookends Premium Annnual | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookbear free?

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

### Is Bookends.app free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bookbear or Bookends.app?

Bookends.app is rated higher. Bookbear averages 4.5 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Bookends.app averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Bookbear or Bookends.app have ads?

Neither Bookbear nor Bookends.app shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bookbear or Bookends.app?

Bookbear ships an update every 9 days, and Bookends.app every 6 months. Most recently, Bookbear was updated on October 10, 2026 and Bookends.app on October 8, 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.*