# ShelfBuddy vs Readerly

The clearest difference is ads: Readerly at none against ShelfBuddy's shown. ShelfBuddy's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShelfBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Readerly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 Readerly. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ShelfBuddy has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 2 days, Readerly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShelfBuddy | Readerly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfbuddy-book-tracker/id6755234669/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readerly-book-tracker/id6805789090/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 57 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [JAN-HENNING BUNS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852741600) | [Jovanne Villarino](https://appshunter.io/developer/6805789092) |

## 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 | $19.99 | one-time |


### Readerly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readerly-book-tracker/id6805789090)

Track your reading habits with detailed statistics and insights. Log books, notes, and quotes, and visualize your reading life over time. Offers advanced analytics for a deeper understanding of your reading patterns.

**Highlights:** Detailed reading statistics, Log books, notes, and quotes, Visualize reading pace and trends, Private data storage on device, Barcode scanning for books, Import reading data from files, Shareable reading insights

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Readerly Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Readerly Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShelfBuddy free?

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

### Is Readerly free?

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

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

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

### Do ShelfBuddy or Readerly have ads?

ShelfBuddy shows ads; Readerly does not.

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

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 2 days, and Readerly weekly. Most recently, ShelfBuddy was updated on October 30, 2026 and Readerly on October 31, 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.*