# ShelfBuddy vs Bukon

The clearest difference is ads: Bukon at none against ShelfBuddy's shown. ShelfBuddy's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShelfBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Bukon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 ShelfBuddy against 5.0 for Bukon. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 3 days, Bukon every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShelfBuddy | Bukon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfbuddy-book-tracker/id6755234669/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bukon-book-tracker/id6757203555/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 52 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JAN-HENNING BUNS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852741600) | [Marc Menges](https://appshunter.io/developer/1865263029) |

## 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 |


### Bukon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bukon-book-tracker/id6757203555)

Easily manage your reading lists. Track books you've read and those you want to read. Search online, scan ISBNs, or add manually, then rate and organize your collection.

**Highlights:** Track read books, Track books to read, Search and add books online, Scan ISBN codes, Manually create books, Rate books, Export lists

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bukon Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShelfBuddy free?

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

### Is Bukon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ShelfBuddy or Bukon?

ShelfBuddy and Bukon are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do ShelfBuddy or Bukon have ads?

ShelfBuddy shows ads; Bukon does not.

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

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 3 days, and Bukon every 2 weeks. Most recently, ShelfBuddy was updated on September 20, 2026 and Bukon on September 11, 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.*