# ReadMe vs The Shelf

The clearest difference is price: ReadMe at Free against The Shelf's $4.99. The Shelf's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

ReadMe is free to download; The Shelf costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ReadMe against 5.0 for The Shelf. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

ReadMe ships an update every 6 weeks, The Shelf every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ReadMe | The Shelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readme-book-tracker/id6752588976/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-shelf-reading-tracker/id6790276638/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 4 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Josh Engels](https://appshunter.io/developer/1835514461) | [Antonio Gordillo Toledo](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790276640) |

## What reviewers say

### ReadMe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readme-book-tracker/id6752588976)

This app helps you meticulously track your reading progress, visualize your habits with a calendar heatmap, and build consistent reading streaks. Organize your library, discover reading patterns, and enjoy a beautiful, ad-free experience designed for iOS.

**Highlights:** Log reading sessions by pages and time, Visual calendar heatmap for activity, Build and track reading streaks, Automatic reading speed calculation, Detailed reading statistics and charts, Organize books into custom shelves, Search and add books from external libraries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 ReadMe free?

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

### Is The Shelf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ReadMe or The Shelf?

ReadMe and The Shelf are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do ReadMe or The Shelf have ads?

Neither ReadMe nor The Shelf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ReadMe or The Shelf?

ReadMe ships an update every 6 weeks, and The Shelf every 3 days. Most recently, ReadMe was updated on October 24, 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.*