# Bookly vs Bookshelf

The clearest difference is ads: Bookly at none against Bookshelf's shown. Bookly also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (18.2 vs 26.2). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Bookshelf sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Bookly against 5.0 for Bookshelf. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Bookly ships an update every 2 days, Bookshelf every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bookly | Bookshelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookly-book-scanner/id6751069372/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-tracker-and-catalog/id6757687876/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.2** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ilia Ovchinnikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1833341206) | [Tien Do](https://appshunter.io/developer/718633900) |

## What reviewers say

### Bookly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookly-book-scanner/id6751069372)

Discover books you'll love before you start reading. This app analyzes book covers to provide compatibility scores and personalized recommendations based on your taste and mood. Save time by avoiding books you won't enjoy and build your future reading list.

**Highlights:** Scan book covers for instant analysis, AI-powered personalized recommendations, Compatibility score based on taste and mood, Build and manage your to-read list, Share book analysis on social media

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Annually | $39.99 | per year |


### Bookshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-tracker-and-catalog/id6757687876)

Digitally catalog your physical book collection with this app. Organize your library using collections and tags, sort by various criteria, and view insightful statistics. Avoid buying duplicates by checking your inventory from any bookstore.

**Highlights:** Digital book inventory, Organize with collections and tags, Sort by title, author, date, View collection statistics, Check inventory at bookstores, Native iOS experience, iCloud sync

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Year Plan + Family | $18.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access + Family | $38.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bookly free?

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

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bookly or Bookshelf?

Bookly and Bookshelf are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Bookly or Bookshelf have ads?

Bookshelf shows ads; Bookly does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bookly or Bookshelf?

Bookly ships an update every 2 days, and Bookshelf every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bookly was updated on November 8, 2026 and Bookshelf on November 5, 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.*