Comparison

Shelfable vs Booklume

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

Head to head
About

Shelfable

Effortlessly manage your book collection with barcode scanning and smart organization. Track reading progress and access detailed book information to find your next read faster.

Highlights
  • Barcode scanning for instant cataloging
  • Custom organization by room and shelf
  • Reading progress tracking
  • Access book metadata
  • Handles large collections
Read full description

Say goodbye to the endless search for that one book and hello to a perfectly organised library. Shelfable makes it easy (and even fun) to keep track of your books. Especially when your collection is bigger than your bookshelf. WHY SHELFABLE Because “I know it’s here somewhere” isn’t a strategy. With barcode scanning and smart organisation, Shelfable helps you scan, sort, and find your books faster than you can say, “Where did I put that?” Whether you organize by room, bookshelf, or individual shelf, your books will always be exactly where you need them. FEATURES • Barcode scanning magic. Scan a book’s barcode, and Shelfable does the rest. It instantly catalogs the book with all the key details. • Custom organisation. Sort your books into rooms, bookshelves, and individual shelves. • Track your reading progress. Mark books as unread, to be read or completed. • Book metadata. Instantly access details like publication date, genre, and more, making it easier to find your next great read. • Built for big collections. Whether you have a couple of shelves or an entire home library, Shelfable handles collections of all sizes. DISCOVER, TRACK, ORGANISE Your library deserves to be as smart as you are. With Shelfable, you’ll spend less time searching and more time reading. Start organising today—and read happily ever after!

About

Booklume

Organize your reading library, track progress, and capture notes from physical books using on-device text recognition. Monitor reading streaks, trends, and yearly goals in a private, ad-free environment.

Highlights
  • Track physical, ebook, and audiobook progress
  • Time reading sessions or log past ones
  • Capture typed notes and scanned highlights
  • Review reading activity and set yearly goals
  • Organize library with Open Library search
  • On-device text recognition
Features
Read full description

Booklume is a calm, private reading companion for people who want to read more and remember what matters. Keep your library organized, update your progress in seconds, time reading sessions, and capture notes from physical books with on-device text recognition. Your home screen keeps the current book close, while Insights turns reading sessions into useful streaks, trends, and yearly-goal progress. Features: Track physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks Record page or percentage progress Time live sessions or log past sessions Save typed notes and scan printed highlights Review weekly and yearly reading activity Set an annual book goal Add reading widgets to your Home Screen Search Open Library or add books manually Your library and notes stay on your device. Booklume does not require an account and does not use advertising or third-party analytics. Booklume Pro includes unlimited highlight scans and full reading history. Subscription purchases renew automatically unless canceled through your Apple Account. A lifetime option may also be available. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Shelfable4 screens
Booklume4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Booklume at 100% against Shelfable's 0%. Booklume also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 days). Shelfable's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shelfable ships an update every 5 days, Booklume daily. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Shelfable versus Booklume: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShelfableBooklume
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFrederick AndersenBalaji Sivasakthi

Customer experience

Shelfable

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Booklume

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Shelfable

No in-app purchases

None

Booklume

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shelfable free?
Shelfable is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Booklume free?
Booklume is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Shelfable or Booklume have ads?
Neither Shelfable nor Booklume shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shelfable or Booklume?
Shelfable ships an update every 5 days, and Booklume daily. Most recently, Shelfable was updated on September 24, 2026 and Booklume on October 8, 2026.

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