Shelfy vs PlotLock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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/
PlotLock
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
| Parameter | Shelfy | PlotLock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (1K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 27.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #40 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 159 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Murakhovskyi | Nicholas Figliolia |
In-app purchases
Shelfy
- Weekly subscription3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Weekly subscription$4.997 Days
- Monthly subscription$9.991 Month
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- 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
- 10 Spines$2.99
- 100 Spines$24.99
- Lifetime access to Shelfy$99.99
PlotLock
No in-app purchases









