Comparison

Bindery Books vs The ARC Library

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

Head to head
About

Bindery Books

Discover new books and connect with fellow readers through curated content and community features. Explore recommendations from trusted tastemakers and participate in the creation of new literary voices.

Highlights
  • Bookish content and commentary
  • Personalized reading recommendations
  • Thematic book collections
  • Join book communities and clubs
  • Participate in new author publishing
Features
Read full description

Bookish content, reading recommendations, book clubs, and the publishing of entirely new voices from tastemakers you trust. • Access bookish content: Get in depth commentary about books you love and notifications on the latest content from your favorite tastemakers • Discover your next read: Receive recommendations from leading tastemakers or browse their favorites in dynamic bookshelves and thematic collections • Build community: Discover people who share your taste by joining book communities, members-only Discords, and book clubs • A look inside publishing: Participate in the publication of brand new voices through tastemaker-led publishing imprints

About

The ARC Library

Manage your book review workflow with this comprehensive tool. Track ARCs, deadlines, reading progress, and create polished reviews. Features include detailed statistics, a content creator hub, and a public reader profile.

Highlights
  • Track ARCs by ISBN, title, or barcode
  • Interactive reading calendar with deadlines
  • Detailed reading statistics and analytics
  • Rich text review editor with checklist
  • Content creator hub for social media campaigns
  • Public reader profile for showcasing stats
  • TBR spin wheel and Bingo Challenge
Features
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ARC Library is the all-in-one platform for ARC readers, reviewers, book content creators, and authors. Whether you're keeping an overflowing ARC list under control or running your own ARC campaigns, ARC Library brings your books, deadlines, reviews, teams, campaigns, and reader connections together in one place. FOR READERS TRACK YOUR ARCS Add books by title, ISBN, or barcode and keep track of everything from received to reviewed. Log your reading progress by pages, audio minutes, or percentage, and use reading pace calculations to stay ahead of deadlines. NEVER MISS A DEADLINE See publication dates, review deadlines, PR tasks, and other important dates in your reading calendar. Due-soon alerts help you see what needs your attention next. REVIEW EDITOR Write and save reviews directly in ARC Library. Keep notes and quotes while you read, use structured review prompts, and copy your finished review when you're ready to post. READING STATISTICS Explore detailed statistics covering your ARCs, personal books, reviews, teams, PR activity, ratings, genres, reading habits, and more. SPICE AND SWOON RATINGS Track spice and swoon levels for your books, explore your rating distributions, and filter your library by level. CONTENT CREATOR TOOLS Keep track of cover reveals, release posts, reviews, PR campaigns, and other content across your social channels. YOUR ARC READER PROFILE Create a shareable reader profile featuring your reading activity, reviews, favorite genres, social links, and more. Give authors and publishers a better picture of who you are as a reviewer. DISCOVER NEW OPPORTUNITIES Browse forms shared by authors for ARC applications, teams, campaigns, and other opportunities. TBR TOOLS Not sure what to read next? Use the TBR Spin Wheel, reading challenges, and other tools to make choosing your next book a little more fun. FOR AUTHORS MANAGE YOUR BOOKS Keep your books and their ARC information organized in one place. RUN ARC CAMPAIGNS Create and manage ARC campaigns, organize applications, work with readers, and keep track of your campaign from start to finish. FIND ARC READERS Use the Reader Database to discover readers based on genres, tropes, social platforms, activity, and other information they choose to share. CREATE AND SHARE FORMS Create forms for ARC applications, reader teams, PR campaigns, and more. Share them directly or make them discoverable through the ARC Library Form Catalog. MANAGE YOUR READERS Keep your ARC readers and campaign information organized without relying on scattered spreadsheets, forms, messages, and notes. BUILD YOUR TEAMS Create and manage reader teams and keep the people supporting your books connected to your campaigns. ONE LIBRARY, TWO SIDES OF THE ARC EXPERIENCE ARC Library brings readers and authors together while giving each side the tools they need. Readers get a home for their ARCs, reviews, deadlines, statistics, teams, and content. Authors get tools to manage books, campaigns, applications, readers, and ARC teams. FREE TO START Get started with ARC Library for free, with optional Premium plans unlocking additional tools, customization, statistics, and features. Built by a reader who wanted a better way to manage the beautifully chaotic world of ARCs. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms & Conditions: https://arc-library.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://arc-library.com/privacy

Screenshots

Bindery Books4 screens
The ARC Library4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bindery Books at none against The ARC Library's 8. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. The ARC Library sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Bindery Books asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Bindery Books against 5.0 for The ARC Library. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 12 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bindery Books ships an update every 2 weeks, The ARC Library every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Bindery Books versus The ARC Library: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBindery BooksThe ARC Library
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (34 ratings)5.0 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings34 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.1 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB111 MB
Age rating17+9+
DeveloperBindery Books, Inc.Romana Adamka

Customer experience

Bindery Books

All ratings34 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

The ARC Library

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Bindery Books

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

The ARC Library

Subscriptions8
  • ARC Addon (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • ARC Library Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Authors Monthly$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Combo Plan Monthly$12.991 Month
  • ARC Addon (Yearly)$29.991 Year
  • ARC Library Premium (yearly)7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Author Yearly$99.991 Year
  • Combo Yearly$129.991 Year

Questions

Is Bindery Books free?
Bindery Books is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The ARC Library free?
The ARC Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bindery Books or The ARC Library?
Bindery Books and The ARC Library are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 34 and 12 ratings respectively.
Do Bindery Books or The ARC Library have ads?
Neither Bindery Books nor The ARC Library shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bindery Books or The ARC Library?
Bindery Books ships an update every 2 weeks, and The ARC Library every 9 days. Most recently, Bindery Books was updated on October 24, 2026 and The ARC Library on October 25, 2026.

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