# ShelfBuddy vs Niovela

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Niovela at none against ShelfBuddy's 1. Niovela also leads on ads (none vs shown). ShelfBuddy's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShelfBuddy | Niovela |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days | Every 2 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 57 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [JAN-HENNING BUNS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852741600) | [Fernando Fernandez-Velasco Climent](https://appshunter.io/developer/6817923055) |

## 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 |


### Niovela

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/niovela-reading-tracker/id6818996895)

**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 Niovela free?

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

### Do ShelfBuddy or Niovela have ads?

ShelfBuddy shows ads; Niovela does not.

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

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