# BookShelves eBook Reader vs Apricity

The clearest difference is rating: Apricity at 4.2 against BookShelves eBook Reader's 3.8. Apricity also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 60%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 8 days). BookShelves eBook Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (17.4 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BookShelves eBook Reader sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Apricity sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Apricity holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of BookShelves eBook Reader's written reviews are positive against 88% of Apricity's.

BookShelves eBook Reader ships an update every 8 days, Apricity every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookShelves eBook Reader | Apricity |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelves-ebook-reader/id6756848973/reviews) | **[4.2 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apricity-read-write-focus/id6821031964/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **21** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 64 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CPE Verm. GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1863249600) | [16697518 Canada Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790928781) |

## What reviewers say

### BookShelves eBook Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelves-ebook-reader/id6756848973)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $8.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


### Apricity

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apricity-read-write-focus/id6821031964)

This app offers a comprehensive reading experience, allowing you to import various document types, listen to them read aloud with customizable voices, and take notes directly on PDFs. It also provides a digital notebook with features like handwriting recognition and audio recording.

**Highlights:** Read Aloud with customizable voices, Import PDF, EPUB, Word, MOBI, FB2, Markdown, text, Annotate PDFs with pens and notes, Digital notebook with handwriting recognition, Audio recording synchronized with notes, Customizable bookshelves and reading themes, Web page to book conversion

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Apricity Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Apricity Premium Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookShelves eBook Reader free?

BookShelves eBook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Apricity free?

Apricity is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, BookShelves eBook Reader or Apricity?

Apricity is rated higher. BookShelves eBook Reader averages 3.8 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Apricity averages 4.2 from 9 ratings.

### Do BookShelves eBook Reader or Apricity have ads?

Neither BookShelves eBook Reader nor Apricity shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookShelves eBook Reader or Apricity?

BookShelves eBook Reader ships an update every 8 days, and Apricity every 2 days. Most recently, BookShelves eBook Reader was updated on November 9, 2026 and Apricity on November 8, 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.*