Comparison

Readest vs Bookshelf

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

Head to head
About

Readest

This app is a powerful ebook reader designed for deep thinkers and researchers. It offers advanced annotation tools, seamless device syncing, and robust library management with OPDS and Calibre support. Enjoy a distraction-free reading experience with customizable modes and multi-book viewing for enhanced study and analysis.

Highlights
  • OPDS Online Libraries
  • Calibre Integration
  • Sync Across Devices
  • Bookshelf Management
  • Customizable Reading Modes
  • Multi-Book View
  • Advanced Annotations & Highlights
Features
Read full description

Readest is an ebook reader for people who read a lot, and who want their books, notes and reading position on whatever device is nearest. Open EPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW3, FB2, CBZ, TXT and Markdown in one library. Pull books from OPDS catalogs or from your own Calibre server. Read, annotate, listen, translate. Made for iPhone and iPad • CarPlay, so you can keep listening on the road with playback controls on the dashboard • Download read-aloud voices per book and listen with no connection at all • Add books from Files, Mail or any share sheet, and read them in place instead of copying them into a second library • Open up to four books at once on iPad and arrange them how you like Reading • Paginated or scrolling, with custom fonts, themes, spacing and margins • Vertical text for CJK books • Contrast and refresh tuned for e-ink screens • Full-text search inside a book Your library • Browse, search and download from OPDS catalogs and public libraries • Connect to Calibre or Calibre-Web, covers and metadata included • Organize with bookshelf groups you can rename Notes • Highlights, bookmarks and structured notes • Copy a highlight together with a deep link back to the passage • Export your annotations Listening and languages • Text-to-speech with downloadable offline voices • Translate a sentence, a page, or an entire book • Wikipedia and dictionary lookup without leaving the page Sync • Readest Cloud, or bring your own: iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, WebDAV, S3 • KOReader sync keeps your progress in step with your e-reader • iPhone, iPad, Mac, all other platforms and the web Readest is open source. Support: support@readest.com Privacy Policy: https://readest.com/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Bookshelf

Manage your entire book collection with this app. Quickly add books, track your reading progress, capture notes and quotes, and organize your library with custom tags. Seamlessly sync across devices.

Highlights
  • Instant book addition via search or barcode scan
  • Track reading progress and set goals
  • Capture notes and favorite quotes
  • Organize books by status, tags, and custom categories
  • Seamless iCloud synchronization across devices
Read full description

Vox – Your Personal Book Library, Perfectly Organized Take control of your reading life with Vox, the smart and flexible way to manage your entire book collection. From adding books in seconds to tracking your reading journey, capturing notes, and saving favorite quotes, Vox keeps you organized, motivated, and inspired—whether you read for pleasure, study, or anything in between. Key Features - Add Books Instantly
 Quickly search by title, author, or ISBN—or simply scan a book’s barcode with your iPhone camera for lightning-fast entry. - Track Your Reading Journey 
Update your reading progress, set goals, and organize books by status: To Read, Reading, or Finished. Stay focused and celebrate your milestones. - Capture Notes and Quotes Save your thoughts, insights, and favorite quotes directly within each book. Perfect for remembering key moments, study notes, or inspiration. - Organize with Ease 
Sort and filter your collection by status, ownership, author, categories, or create custom tags for even more flexibility. - Seamless iCloud Sync
 Access your library anytime, anywhere. Vox keeps everything updated across all your devices with effortless iCloud syncing. Whether you're building a home library, studying for school, or curating your next big reading list, Vox puts your entire reading world right at your fingertips. — Privacy Policy: https://focusplan.app/privacy
 Terms of Service: https://focusplan.app/terms

Screenshots

Readest4 screens
Bookshelf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Readest at Free against Bookshelf's $2.99. Readest also leads on ratings volume (178 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). Bookshelf's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 8). On 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

Readest is free to download; Bookshelf costs $2.99 up front. Readest sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Bookshelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Readest has 178 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Readest ships an update fortnightly, Bookshelf daily. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Readest versus Bookshelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadestBookshelf
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.5 (178 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings178 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better18
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBilingify LLCAndrea Gelati

Customer experience

Readest

All ratings178 ratings
Positive86.0%
Neutral5.6%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews262 reviews
Positive85.1%
Neutral5.7%
Negative9.2%

Bookshelf

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Readest

Subscriptions4
  • Subscribe to Plus Plan$4.991 Month
  • Subscribe to Pro Plan$9.991 Month
  • Subscribe to Plus Plan$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Subscribe to Pro Plan$99.991 Year
One-time4
  • 1 GB$9.99
  • 2 GB$14.99
  • 5 GB$29.99
Show 1 more
  • 10 GB$49.99
None

Bookshelf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Readest free?
Readest is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bookshelf free?
Bookshelf costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Readest or Bookshelf?
Bookshelf is rated higher. Readest averages 4.5 out of 5 from 178 ratings, while Bookshelf averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Readest or Bookshelf have ads?
Neither Readest nor Bookshelf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Readest or Bookshelf?
Readest ships an update fortnightly, and Bookshelf daily. Most recently, Readest was updated on September 26, 2026 and Bookshelf on September 13, 2026.

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