# ShelfBuddy vs Reading Habit

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Reading Habit at none against ShelfBuddy's 1. Reading Habit also leads on ads (none vs shown). ShelfBuddy's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ShelfBuddy against 5.0 for Reading Habit. 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, Reading Habit monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShelfBuddy | Reading Habit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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/reading-habit-book-tracker/id6809740339/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 57 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 27.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JAN-HENNING BUNS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852741600) | [Brian Renshaw](https://appshunter.io/developer/6803229708) |

## 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 |


### Reading Habit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-habit-book-tracker/id6809740339)

This app helps you establish a consistent reading routine by tracking your progress. Log your reading sessions easily, set monthly book goals, and review your reading history. It also allows you to save book recommendations and who suggested them.

**Highlights:** Daily reading habit tracking, Flexible progress logging, Monthly book goal setting, Save book recommendations, Reading journal and history

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShelfBuddy free?

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

### Is Reading Habit free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ShelfBuddy or Reading Habit?

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

### Do ShelfBuddy or Reading Habit have ads?

ShelfBuddy shows ads; Reading Habit does not.

### Which is updated more often, ShelfBuddy or Reading Habit?

ShelfBuddy ships an update every 2 days, and Reading Habit monthly. Most recently, ShelfBuddy was updated on October 30, 2026 and Reading Habit 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.*