# Fabely vs ShelfBuddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fabely at none against ShelfBuddy's 1. Fabely also leads on ads (none vs shown). ShelfBuddy's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShelfBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Fabely asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fabely ships an update every 3 months, ShelfBuddy every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fabely | ShelfBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfbuddy-book-tracker/id6755234669/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bookwire](https://appshunter.io/developer/432320818) | [JAN-HENNING BUNS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852741600) |

## What reviewers say

### Fabely

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fabely/id6751232067)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ShelfBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfbuddy-book-tracker/id6755234669)

Manage your physical book collection digitally with virtual shelves, wishlists, and reading timelines. Track borrowed books with return reminders and view reading statistics. Easily add books by scanning, searching, or manual entry.

**Highlights:** Virtual shelves and wishlists, ISBN barcode scanning, Reading progress tracking, Borrowed book management, Customizable notes and genres, Multilingual interface

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ShelfBuddy Freischaltung | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fabely free?

Fabely is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ShelfBuddy free?

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

### Do Fabely or ShelfBuddy have ads?

ShelfBuddy shows ads; Fabely does not.

### Which is updated more often, Fabely or ShelfBuddy?

Fabely ships an update every 3 months, and ShelfBuddy every 2 days. Most recently, Fabely was updated on October 9, 2026 and ShelfBuddy on October 7, 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.*