# Icarus vs ShelfPulse

The clearest difference is rating: ShelfPulse at 4.9 against Icarus's 4.0. ShelfPulse also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 78%). Icarus's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Icarus sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and ShelfPulse sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ShelfPulse holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Icarus's written reviews are positive against 100% of ShelfPulse's.

Icarus ships an update weekly, ShelfPulse every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on August 3, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Icarus | ShelfPulse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icarus-media-manager/id6743686047/reviews) | **[4.9 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfpulse/id6754263899/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **9** |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 55 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Vision Pro** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lantea LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1803985177) | [Eric Randall](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807554805) |

## What reviewers say

### Icarus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icarus-media-manager/id6743686047)

Consolidate all your media management services into a single, intuitive application. Monitor requests, track releases, and view live streams from various connected platforms. Access and manage your media setup remotely with real-time notifications.

**Highlights:** Unified dashboard for requests and releases, Seamless integration with Sonarr, Radarr, Overseerr, Tautulli, Real-time notifications for media events, Discover and manage trending titles, Remote access to media setup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Access | $0.99 | per month |
| Supporter | $0.99 | per month |
| Supporter Family Access | $1.99 | per month |
| Supporter - Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Supporter Family Access - Yearly | $14.99 | per year |


### ShelfPulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfpulse/id6754263899)

Monitor your Audiobookshelf server with real-time dashboards, deep listening analytics, and library insights. Manage users, view beautiful home screen widgets, and gain personal or administrative perspectives on your audiobook collection. Enjoy a privacy-first experience with direct server connection.

**Highlights:** Real-time session monitoring, Deep listening analytics, Library and server insights, User management, Home screen widgets, Direct server connection

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ShelfPulse Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Full Access | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Icarus free?

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

### Is ShelfPulse free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Icarus or ShelfPulse?

ShelfPulse is rated higher. Icarus averages 4.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while ShelfPulse averages 4.9 from 9 ratings.

### Do Icarus or ShelfPulse have ads?

Neither Icarus nor ShelfPulse shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Icarus or ShelfPulse?

Icarus ships an update weekly, and ShelfPulse every 6 days. Most recently, Icarus was updated on August 3, 2026 and ShelfPulse on September 20, 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.*