Comparison

Bookbear vs BookStates

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Bookbear

Easily track your reading progress, build a virtual bookshelf, and discover trending books. Scan barcodes to add titles instantly and share your reading list with friends. Designed for a seamless and beautiful user experience.

Highlights
  • Seamless book tracking
  • Build and admire your collection
  • Scan and discover instantly
  • Discover trending books
  • Share what you're reading
  • Check progress at a glance
Features
Read full description

FEATURES [[ Seamless Book Tracking ]] We tried using the other top book tracker apps. Honestly? We couldn’t. Buttons were confusing, and some apps even crashed on us. So we made bookbear—designed to be the easiest and most beautiful book tracker you'll ever use. Seriously, no more guessing or frustration. Download now and see how effortless tracking can be! [[ Build and Admire Your Collection ]] Who doesn’t love gazing at a gorgeous bookshelf? We’ve recreated that feeling in bookbear—your personal library on your phone! Add the books you want to read, are reading, or have read, and watch your virtual collection grow. You’ll be admiring it in no time! [[ Scan and Discover Instantly ]] POV: You're at a book store and you found a book that caught your eye. Skip the typing! Just use bookbear to scan the barcode, and boom—get all the details you need in seconds. Two taps, and you’re in the know. [[ Discover the Hottest Books ]] Stay in the loop with the latest trending books. The New York Times Best Sellers? Just one tap away. Never miss out on the book everyone’s talking about! [[ Share What You’re Reading ]] Want to show off your current read? With bookbear, you can easily share what’s on your reading list with friends. It’s quick, it’s fun, and hey, who doesn’t love a good book recommendation? [[ Check Your Progress at a Glance ]] Reading multiple books at once? We get it. With bookbear, you can track your progress on all your books at a glance. Stay on top of every chapter, effortlessly.

About

BookStates

This app helps you track your reading progress, discover new books, and build reading habits. It offers AI-powered insights, personalized stats, and easy book cataloging. Unlock advanced features with a subscription.

Highlights
  • Track reading progress
  • Discover new books
  • AI-powered summaries
  • Build reading habits
  • Reading statistics
  • Instant book cataloging
Features
Read full description

BookStates – Your Personal Reading Companion Rediscover the joy of reading with BookStates—an elegant, intelligent app designed for curious minds and lifelong learners. Whether you're diving into your current read, exploring new titles, or reflecting on your literary journey, BookStates turns every page into a meaningful experience. – Track Your Reading Progress: Stay on top of what you’re reading, want to read, or have finished—all in one beautifully organized space. – Discover Hidden Gems: Browse curated book picks and trending reads across genres. Whether it’s Kafka or contemporary thrillers, we’ve got something for every reader. – AI-Powered Summaries & Insights: Go beyond the blurb. Get motivational reasons to read, key takeaways, and thought-provoking questions—powered by smart, contextual AI. – Build Reading Habits: Visualize your streaks, set personal records, and stay motivated with a gamified calendar that celebrates consistency. – See your reading life in stats: Get insights into your favourite genres, top authors, average ratings, and more. – Add Books Instantly: Search by title, author, or ISBN—or just scan the barcode. Cataloging your bookshelf has never been this easy.Get deep insights into your favorite genres, top authors, average ratings, and more. * Some features require subscriptions with BookStates Pro for access or unlimited use: BookStates Pro Monthly Plan charges your Apple ID for one month of Pro status for $2.99/month. BookStates Pro Annual Plan charges your Apple ID for one year of Pro status for $29.99/year. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime in your iTunes account settings. For more information, see our Terms of Use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ and Privacy Policy - https://bookstates.app/privacy

Screenshots

Bookbear4 screens
BookStates4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bookbear at 4.5 against BookStates's 3.0. Bookbear also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (21 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. BookStates sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Bookbear asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bookbear holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookbear has 21 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Bookbear's written reviews are positive against 89% of BookStates's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bookbear ships an update every 9 days, BookStates every 10 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Bookbear versus BookStates: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookbearBookStates
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (21 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews94.8% of reviews — better88.9% of reviews
Number of ratings21 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB67 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperWOO MIN PARKADIT GUPTA

Customer experience

Bookbear

All ratings21 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive94.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative1.7%

BookStates

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

Bugs and requests

Bookbear

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

20 requests
  • 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
Show 15 more
  • Add dark mode
  • Option to customize calendar view (show ongoing books, book cover size)
  • Add a reading timer
  • Ability to record quotes or important sentences
  • Allow multiple user profiles for family accounts
  • Option to sort bookshelf by completion date
  • Ability to hide star ratings
  • Option to display only book titles in bookshelf
  • Add a feature to mark 'favorite' or 'life books'
  • Allow capturing the entire bookshelf as an image
  • Add ability to record re-reads
  • Improve book search speed
  • Add option to select book start/read dates in calendar
  • Allow adding photos to book entries
  • Add option to export reading data

BookStates

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Bookbear

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

BookStates

Subscriptions2
  • BookStates Pro$2.991 Month
  • BookStates Pro$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Bookbear free?
Bookbear is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BookStates free?
BookStates is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bookbear or BookStates?
Bookbear is rated higher. Bookbear averages 4.5 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while BookStates averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Bookbear or BookStates have ads?
Neither Bookbear nor BookStates shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bookbear or BookStates?
Bookbear ships an update every 9 days, and BookStates every 10 days. Most recently, Bookbear was updated on November 5, 2026 and BookStates on November 5, 2026.

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