# Bookends.app vs Shelvd

The clearest difference is rating: Bookends.app at 5.0 against Shelvd's 3.8. Bookends.app also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 62%). Shelvd's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookends.app sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Shelvd sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $6.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bookends.app holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Bookends.app's written reviews are positive against 62% of Shelvd's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookends.app | Shelvd |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookendsapp/id6737713402/reviews)** | [3.8 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelvd-smart-book-tracker/id6759407922/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **10** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 61.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 39 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Bookends](https://appshunter.io/developer/1777545924) | [Platform Thirteen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878497050) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Shelvd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelvd-smart-book-tracker/id6759407922)

Effortlessly log your reading progress by simply taking a photo of any page. This app organizes your library visually, tracks detailed reading statistics, and syncs with Goodreads. It also facilitates book club participation and helps manage your to-read list.

**Highlights:** Photo-based page logging, Visual book shelves, Goodreads synchronization, Import entire reading history, Detailed reading statistics, Book club features, Add books via cover photo

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus (Monthly) | $6.00 | per month |
| Pro (Monthly) | $12.00 | per month |
| Full Shelfie (Monthly) | $18.00 | per month |
| Plus (Annual) | $58.00 | per year |
| Pro (Annual) | $114.99 | per year |
| Full Shelfie (Annual) | $172.99 | per year |
| Founders (Annual) | $299.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookends.app free?

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

### Is Shelvd free?

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

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

Bookends.app is rated higher. Bookends.app averages 5.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Shelvd averages 3.8 from 10 ratings.

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

Neither Bookends.app nor Shelvd shows ads.

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

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