Comparison

BookShelves eBook Reader vs Arnobooks

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/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

Arnobooks

Features
Read full description

Arnobooks is an EPUB reader and audiobook player for finding, downloading, and enjoying digital books without the fuss. SEARCH, DOWNLOAD, AND READ Search by title or author across public-domain works from sources such as the Biblioteca Nacional de España, Project Gutenberg, and Wikisource. Open a book, download the EPUB, and start reading with one tap. Once downloaded, it is available offline. AN EPUB READER MADE FOR READING • Continue on the exact page where you left off. • Browse the table of contents and search for words or phrases in the book. • Save bookmarks so you can return to important passages. • Adjust font size, typeface, line spacing, and brightness. • Choose from light, sepia, slate, and dark themes. • Turn pages with a natural page-curl effect. FREE AUDIOBOOKS TOO Find audiobooks on LibriVox, download their chapters, and listen offline. You can also import your own MP3, M4A, M4B, AAC, WAV, and OGG files. Arnobooks organizes chapters, saves your progress, and plays in the background with system controls. Add bookmarks and skip 15 seconds back or 30 seconds forward. SHARE AND RECOMMEND Recommend a book directly on WhatsApp. You can also export downloaded EPUBs through the system share sheet to WhatsApp, AirDrop, Mail, Files, and other compatible apps. NO ADS A clear reading and listening experience with no ads or distractions. Arnobooks does not sell books or audiobooks. Downloads come from the stated sources, and public-domain status may vary by territory. Only import and share content you have the legal right to use. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

BookShelves eBook Reader4 screens
Arnobooks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Arnobooks at every 2 days against BookShelves eBook Reader's every 8 days. Arnobooks also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. BookShelves eBook Reader sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Arnobooks sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BookShelves eBook Reader ships an update every 8 days, Arnobooks every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
BookShelves eBook Reader versus Arnobooks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookShelves eBook ReaderArnobooks
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (19 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews61.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings19 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB42 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperCPE Verm. GmbHArnoHealth SL

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

Arnobooks

Subscriptions2
  • Arnobooks monthly$0.991 Month
  • Arnobooks annual$8.991 Year
One-time1
  • Arnobooks lifetime$34.99

Questions

Is BookShelves eBook Reader free?
BookShelves eBook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Arnobooks free?
Arnobooks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do BookShelves eBook Reader or Arnobooks have ads?
Neither BookShelves eBook Reader nor Arnobooks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BookShelves eBook Reader or Arnobooks?
BookShelves eBook Reader ships an update every 8 days, and Arnobooks every 2 days. Most recently, BookShelves eBook Reader was updated on October 30, 2026 and Arnobooks on October 28, 2026.

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