# Book Tracking vs The Shelf

The clearest difference is price: Book Tracking at Free against The Shelf's $4.99. Book Tracking also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). The Shelf's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Book Tracking is free to download; The Shelf costs $4.99 up front. Book Tracking sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. The Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Shelf holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Book Tracking ships an update every 3 months, The Shelf every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Book Tracking | The Shelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-tracking-tbr-tracker/id6745787306/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-shelf-reading-tracker/id6790276638/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Size | 44 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [sylvain loirat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1813868643) | [Antonio Gordillo Toledo](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790276640) |

## What reviewers say

### Book Tracking

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/book-tracking-tbr-tracker/id6745787306)

This app helps you track your reading progress by logging pages and time spent reading. Set goals, view your reading consistency on a heatmap, and organize your digital library. Earn badges and rewards to stay motivated and read more books.

**Highlights:** Smart progress tracking, Goals and challenges, Heatmap view for consistency, Intelligent reminders and badges, Digital library organization, Detailed reading statistics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Pro Full Access | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Pro Full Access | $14.99 | per year |


### The Shelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-shelf-reading-tracker/id6790276638)

Organize your entire book collection, track reading progress, and capture notes and quotes. This app offers a private, customizable space to manage your reading life, from adding new books to reviewing past sessions.

**Highlights:** Build and organize your book library, Track reading progress and focus sessions, Save notes, quotes, and journal entries, View detailed reading statistics, Customize app appearance, Sync and export library data

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Book Tracking free?

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

### Is The Shelf free?

The Shelf costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Book Tracking or The Shelf?

The Shelf is rated higher. Book Tracking averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while The Shelf averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Book Tracking or The Shelf have ads?

Neither Book Tracking nor The Shelf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Book Tracking or The Shelf?

Book Tracking ships an update every 3 months, and The Shelf every 3 days. Most recently, Book Tracking was updated on October 20, 2026 and The Shelf on October 19, 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.*