Comparison

Shelfy vs PlotLock

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shelfy

Organize your personal library, track reading progress, and enhance comprehension with focused reading sessions and note-taking tools. Capture quotes, save bookmarks, and review your reading statistics to foster a deeper understanding and consistent reading habit.

Highlights
  • Add books via search or barcode scan
  • Beautiful digital bookshelf
  • Focused reading sessions with soundscapes
  • Capture and save text quotes from pages
  • Save and search bookmarks
  • Track daily, monthly, and yearly reading stats
Features
Read full description

Build the bookshelf you've always wanted. Shelfy turns reading into a cozy daily ritual — a beautiful private library, a focused reading timer with soundscapes, and the quotes and ideas you'll actually keep. "It just feels good to use. I catch myself opening the app instead of Instagram." — Kim T. "The shelves are so cute and customizable. Worth the annual fee." — MamaMaestraKP — YOUR PRIVATE LIBRARY — Add books by search, barcode, or photo of the cover. Watch them appear on a stunning 3D shelf you can customize end-to-end: wood textures, picture frames, statues, even the way your spines look. It's a bookshelf that finally feels like yours. — A READING RITUAL, NOT A CHORE — Start a focused reading session with ambient soundscapes — rain, cafe, fireplace, forest. Track time and pages without breaking flow. Pause when life happens, pick up where you left off. — CAPTURE WHAT YOU LOVE — Snap a page and Shelfy turns it into a clean text quote. Save bookmarks with a tap, search across every book you've read, and stop losing the lines that mattered. — DISCOVER WHAT TO READ NEXT — Swipe through personalized recommendations tuned to your taste. Build a TBR pile that actually excites you instead of one you keep avoiding. — STATS THAT MOTIVATE, NOT GUILT-TRIP — Daily, monthly, and yearly reading stats. Reading speed, longest streaks, favorite genres. A Year in Review that's actually fun to share. Earn achievements as you go. — A SMART READING COMPANION — Ask questions about any book as you read. Get a plot recap when a side character returns 200 pages later. Discuss themes, explore ideas, and remember more. — IMPORT YOUR BOOKS — Coming from Goodreads or StoryGraph? Bring your entire library, ratings, and shelves in one tap. We even auto-detect series and add the missing volumes. — READS LIKE A PHYSICAL BOOK SHOULD FEEL — Saw a book on TikTok or Reels? Share the video to Shelfy and we'll add it to your shelf. iCloud sync keeps your library identical on every device. Widgets, Siri shortcuts, and a yearly challenge keep reading top of mind. Shelfy is a subscription-first reading app, built and supported by a tiny indie team who reply to every email. We don't sell your data, we don't run ads, and we don't gamify reading into a chore. We just want you to fall back in love with books. Start your shelf today. — Shelfy Pro subscription unlocks all features. TERMS: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PlotLock

Features
Read full description

PlotLock is a reading companion for book clubs and reading partners. Add any book, track your progress by page or chapter, and leave margin notes as you read — shared with your group in real time. READ AT YOUR OWN PACE Join a group with a simple code. You see everyone's progress, but notes written past where you are stay locked until you get there. Nobody has to read on a schedule, and nobody gets spoiled. MARGIN NOTES, NOT A CHAT Every note is pinned to a place in the book. Reach that page and it unlocks. It reads like borrowing a copy covered in a friend's handwriting, rather than scrolling a feed. AN ASSISTANT THAT WON'T SPOIL IT Ask about what you've read so far — a character you've lost track of, a thread you want to untangle. The assistant knows exactly how far along you are and will not discuss a single page beyond it. QUIET BY DESIGN No public profiles, no followers, no algorithm, no ads. Just you and the people you're reading with. FEATURES · Track progress by page or chapter · Margin notes that sync live with your group · Spoiler lock on every note and every AI answer · Share a journey with a link · Emoji reactions and threaded replies · Dark mode PlotLock was previously published as SamePage. Same app, same account, same books.

Screenshots

Shelfy4 screens
PlotLock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PlotLock at none against Shelfy's 13. PlotLock also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). Shelfy's advantage is chart position (#40 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Shelfy sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. PlotLock asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shelfy ships an update every 6 days, PlotLock every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Shelfy versus PlotLock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShelfyPlotLock
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews27.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings1K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#40 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size159 MB3 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperOleksandr Oleksandrovych MurakhovskyiNicholas Figliolia

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Shelfy

Subscriptions9
  • Weekly subscription3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Weekly subscription$4.997 Days
  • Monthly subscription$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Monthly subscription$14.991 Month
  • Yearly subscription with 30% off$24.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription3 Days trial2 variants$38.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription$38.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription3 Days trial$44.991 Year
One-time3
  • 10 Spines$2.99
  • 100 Spines$24.99
  • Lifetime access to Shelfy$99.99
None

PlotLock

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shelfy free?
Shelfy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PlotLock free?
PlotLock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Shelfy or PlotLock have ads?
Shelfy shows ads; PlotLock does not.
Which is updated more often, Shelfy or PlotLock?
Shelfy ships an update every 6 days, and PlotLock every 2 weeks. Most recently, Shelfy was updated on October 11, 2026 and PlotLock on September 29, 2026.

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