# ShelfBuddy vs Booktail

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

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

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 2 days, Booktail fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShelfBuddy | Booktail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 55 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JAN-HENNING BUNS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852741600) | [Vasyl Khatsiur](https://appshunter.io/developer/1853389887) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Booktail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/booktail-reading-tracker/id6755356749)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShelfBuddy free?

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

### Is Booktail free?

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

### Do ShelfBuddy or Booktail have ads?

ShelfBuddy shows ads; Booktail does not.

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

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 2 days, and Booktail fortnightly. Most recently, ShelfBuddy was updated on October 7, 2026 and Booktail on October 8, 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.*