# ShelfBuddy vs Marcus

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

Both are free to download. ShelfBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Marcus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 2 days, Marcus every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShelfBuddy | Marcus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfbuddy-book-tracker/id6755234669/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 57 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JAN-HENNING BUNS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852741600) | [Vukasin Rancic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886442082) |

## 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 | $17.99 | one-time |


### Marcus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marcus-book-and-reading-tracker/id6792703147)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Marcus Pro Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Marcus Pro Annual | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShelfBuddy free?

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

### Is Marcus free?

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

### Do ShelfBuddy or Marcus have ads?

ShelfBuddy shows ads; Marcus does not.

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

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 2 days, and Marcus every 2 months. Most recently, ShelfBuddy was updated on October 27, 2026 and Marcus on October 9, 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.*