Comparison

BookShelves eBook Reader vs Pageo

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

Head to head
About

BookShelves eBook Reader

This app allows you to read EPUB, PDF, and comic books with access to over 1.5 million free public domain books. Organize your library, customize your reading experience with multiple themes and fonts, and sync your progress across devices.

Highlights
  • 1.5 million+ free books
  • EPUB, PDF, and comic reader
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Smart library management
  • Highlighting and note-taking
  • Export highlights
Features
Read full description

BookShelves is an EPUB, PDF, and comic book reader with a built-in catalog of 1.5 million free books. Discover public domain classics, organize your digital library, and sync seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud (Pro). WHAT READERS SAY "Phenomenal book reading and management app, 'just works'." "My everlasting search for the perfect ePub reader might be coming to an end." "Among the best and actively developed." DISCOVER 1.5 MILLION+ FREE BOOKS • 1.5 million+ classic works — Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, more • 1,100+ premium editions from Standard Ebooks • Internet Archive — millions of historical texts and rare books • 1,200+ Spanish classics from the Biblioteca Nacional de España • 16,000+ Japanese classics from Aozora Bunko • Browse OPDS catalogs from external libraries and servers One tap to download. No account required. POWERFUL READING EXPERIENCE • Paginated or continuous scroll — read your way • 10 themes including Sepia, Dark Academia, Night Sky, and more • 10 bundled fonts including OpenDyslexic for accessible reading • Adjustable line spacing, margins, text justification, and font weight • Highlight in 5 colors and add notes to any passage • Export highlights to Markdown, JSON, or CSV • Dictionary look-up with language detection • Full-text search across chapters • Nested table of contents navigation • Bookmarks (iCloud sync with Pro) • Vertical text (tategaki) for Japanese and CJK books • Right-to-left reading for Arabic, Hebrew, and CJK texts • Full keyboard and trackpad support • Multi-window reading on Mac COMIC BOOKS AND MANGA • CBZ, CBR, and CB7 format support • Two-page spreads for landscape reading • Right-to-left mode for manga with reversed tap zones and swipes • Auto-detected from metadata or toggled manually SEAMLESS ICLOUD SYNC (Pro) • Books and cover images • Reading progress and current page • Shelves, tags, and ratings • Highlights, notes, and bookmarks • Reader preferences (font, theme, layout) Start reading on your iPhone, continue on your iPad, finish on your Mac. SMART LIBRARY MANAGEMENT • Edit metadata -- title, author, series, publisher, ISBN, and cover image • Automatic metadata and cover art fetching • System shelves: All Books, Recently Added, Reading, Finished, Favorites • Custom shelves for any collection • Color-coded tags for categorization • Search and filter by title, author, or tag • Grid and list views • 5-star ratings • Drag-and-drop import, Files app sharing, or OPDS catalogs • EPUB repair — auto-fixes broken navigation and missing metadata • Import from Calibre libraries with best-format selection FORMAT SUPPORT • EPUB — professional rendering with beautiful typography • PDF — native viewer with smooth scrolling and search • CBZ / CBR / CB7 — comic book archives • FB2 — FictionBook 2 format (auto-converts to EPUB) • MOBI / AZW3 / KF8 / KEPUB — auto-converts to EPUB for reading • TXT / Markdown — plain text and Markdown files (auto-converts to EPUB) MAC EXTRAS • Calibre wireless sync — connect KOReader or other devices over Wi-Fi • OPDS server — share your library on your local network PRIVACY FIRST • Your data stays on your devices • No personal data collected • No ads — clean, distraction-free reading • iCloud keeps your library private and secure FREE AND PRO Free: 10 books with all reading features. Pro unlocks unlimited books, iCloud sync, email to Kindle/Kobo/reMarkable, highlight export, and OPDS server. Pro is available as a one-time purchase or subscription (monthly/annual, select regions). Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in Apple ID account settings. Privacy Policy: https://getbookshelves.app/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://getbookshelves.app/terms/ All books from discovery sources are public domain or openly licensed.

About

Pageo

Seamlessly sync your Calibre ebook library wirelessly to your iPhone. Convert various ebook formats to EPUB directly within the app and customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts, themes, and spacing. Listen to your books with text-to-speech functionality.

Highlights
  • Wireless Calibre library sync
  • Built-in ebook converter (PDF, MOBI, AZW, etc. to EPUB)
  • Customizable reading experience (fonts, themes)
  • Text-to-speech audiobook functionality
  • Import from cloud storage (Files, Dropbox, iCloud)
  • Organize library by author, series, collection
Features
Read full description

Sync your Calibre libraries wirelessly — in both directions. Convert any ebook. Read your way. Pageo connects directly to your Calibre Content Server over Wi-Fi — no cables, no accounts, no hassle. Your entire library, synced to your iPhone and iPad in seconds. ▶ TWO-WAY CALIBRE SYNC Pageo connects directly to your Calibre Content Server over Wi-Fi and discovers it automatically on your local network. Books come to your iPhone and iPad — and your reading goes back the other way: finished books, ratings and highlights appear on your computer, in Calibre's own annotations. ▶ ALL YOUR LIBRARIES — EVEN WITH YOUR COMPUTER OFF Multiple Calibre libraries: browse one at a time or all at once, with separate reading progress for every book. Or open a library folder straight from iCloud, Dropbox or this device — no server needed. ▶ BUILT-IN EBOOK CONVERTER Got PDFs, MOBI, AZW, FB2, CBZ, or CBR files? Pageo converts them to EPUB directly in the app — no extra apps, no manual steps. Send a file, get a book. ▶ BUILT FOR CALIBRE POWER USERS Table view puts the columns you built in Calibre into a desktop-style layout. Search your whole library with Calibre's own search syntax — or search inside every book, even ones you haven't downloaded yet. ▶ READ YOUR WAY Customize everything: fonts, font sizes, line spacing, margins. Switch between light, dark, and sepia themes. Pageo remembers your place in every book and picks up exactly where you left off — on iPhone and iPad. ▶ LISTEN TO YOUR BOOKS Turn any ebook into an audiobook with built-in text-to-speech. Adjust speed, and listen hands-free. Perfect for commutes, workouts, or when your eyes need a break. Supports 29 languages. ▶ YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR CONTROL Import books from Files, Dropbox, OneDrive, or iCloud Drive. Organize by author, series, or collection. Everything stays on your device — no accounts, no tracking, no lock-in. ▶ FREE WITH OPTIONAL PRO UPGRADE Pageo is free to use with ads. Upgrade to Pageo Pro to unlock text-to-speech, remove ads, and converters. Try Pro free for 3 days. Terms of Use (EULA): https://visioncraft.es/pageo-terms Privacy Policy: https://visioncraft.es/pageo-privacy-policy ——— Pageo is made for readers who use Calibre. If you’ve been waiting for an iOS reader that actually talks to your Calibre server — this is it.

Screenshots

BookShelves eBook Reader4 screens
Pageo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pageo at 5.0 against BookShelves eBook Reader's 3.9. BookShelves eBook Reader's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. BookShelves eBook Reader sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Pageo sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pageo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 6 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BookShelves eBook Reader ships an update weekly, Pageo every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
BookShelves eBook Reader versus Pageo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookShelves eBook ReaderPageo
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (15 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews69.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better6
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.4 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCPE Verm. GmbHVISIONCRAFT, SOCIEDAD LIMITADA

Customer experience

BookShelves eBook Reader

All ratings15 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive69.0%
Neutral6.9%
Negative24.1%

Pageo

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

BookShelves eBook Reader

One-time4
  • Small Tip$2.99
  • Medium Tip$3.99
  • Large Tip$8.99
Show 1 more
  • Unlock Pro$9.99
3 purchases

Pageo

Subscriptions2
  • Pageo Pro$4.991 Month
  • Pageo Pro3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • 1 Day of Pro$0.99

Questions

Is BookShelves eBook Reader free?
BookShelves eBook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pageo free?
Pageo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BookShelves eBook Reader or Pageo?
Pageo is rated higher. BookShelves eBook Reader averages 3.9 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Pageo averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do BookShelves eBook Reader or Pageo have ads?
Pageo shows ads; BookShelves eBook Reader does not.
Which is updated more often, BookShelves eBook Reader or Pageo?
BookShelves eBook Reader ships an update weekly, and Pageo every 10 days. Most recently, BookShelves eBook Reader was updated on September 23, 2026 and Pageo on September 16, 2026.

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