# ShelfBuddy vs Shelfd

The clearest difference is ads: Shelfd at none against ShelfBuddy's shown. ShelfBuddy's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.2). 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 Shelfd sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. 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 Shelfd. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 3 days, Shelfd every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShelfBuddy | Shelfd |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfbuddy-book-tracker/id6755234669/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfd-reading-tracker/id6792915143/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3** |
| 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 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 52 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JAN-HENNING BUNS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852741600) | [Zachary Selburg](https://appshunter.io/developer/6792915145) |

## 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 |


### Shelfd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfd-reading-tracker/id6792915143)

Organize your reading life with a charming book tracker. Log what you're reading, discover your next book with a spin of a wheel, and visualize your reading habits with personalized stats and achievements. Enjoy a cozy, ad-free experience with optional premium features for advanced tracking.

**Highlights:** Track current, finished, and to-be-read books, Spin a wheel to pick your next read, Organize books by genre with custom colors, Set reading goals and view yearly stats, Earn achievements narrated by an Archivist, Import libraries from other apps (CSV), Backup and restore your library

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| Shelfd Founders Group | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShelfBuddy free?

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

### Is Shelfd free?

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

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

ShelfBuddy and Shelfd are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do ShelfBuddy or Shelfd have ads?

ShelfBuddy shows ads; Shelfd does not.

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

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 3 days, and Shelfd every 2 days. Most recently, ShelfBuddy was updated on September 20, 2026 and Shelfd on September 22, 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.*