Comparison

ShelfQuest vs Folio

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

Head to head
About

ShelfQuest

Organize, read, and annotate your PDF books with this visually stunning library app. Features include immersive reading, smart note-taking with AI summaries, and gamified reading challenges to keep you motivated.

Highlights
  • Organize PDF books in grid or list view
  • Immersive fullscreen PDF reader
  • Smart note-taking with AI summaries
  • Gamified reading with achievements
  • Track reading progress
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

ShelfQuest – Your Personal Digital Library Transform your reading experience with ShelfQuest, the beautifully designed PDF library app that makes organizing, reading, and learning from your books a joy. YOUR LIBRARY, ORGANIZED Import your PDF books and documents into a stunning visual library. Switch between grid and list views to browse your collection your way. Search instantly across all your titles and authors. IMMERSIVE READING EXPERIENCE Enjoy distraction-free reading with our fullscreen PDF viewer. Smooth scrolling, intuitive navigation, and comfortable reading in any lighting with automatic dark mode support. SMART NOTES & ANNOTATIONS Take notes as you read and never lose a thought. Our powerful Notes Hub lets you: • Create and organize notes by book • Tag notes for easy filtering • Search across all your annotations • Generate AI-powered summaries of your notes GAMIFY YOUR READING Stay motivated with achievements and reading streaks. Earn badges as you: • Complete books • Build reading streaks • Reach note-taking milestones • Grow your library TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See how far you've come. Track reading progress for each book and watch your library grow over time. BEAUTIFUL DESIGN Crafted with Material Design 3 principles for a modern, clean interface that's easy on the eyes—day or night. FEATURES AT A GLANCE PDF import and management Grid & list library views Fullscreen PDF reader Notes with tags and search AI note summarization Reading progress tracking Achievements & badges Dark mode Fast search Whether you're a student managing textbooks, a professional organizing documents, or a book lover building your digital collection, ShelfQuest is the companion you need. Download ShelfQuest today and quest through your reading journey!

About

Folio

Features
Read full description

Meet Ollie, your reading companion — and discover 75,000+ free books inside the most beautiful reading app on iOS. Folio makes reading feel like holding a real book. Warm cream pages, elegant serif fonts, realistic page turns, and a cozy reading experience designed for people who love books — not just screens. FREE BOOKS, BUILT RIGHT IN Browse 75,000+ public domain classics from Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks. Frankenstein, Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, Romeo and Juliet — all free, all beautifully formatted, all yours to keep. - Browse by genre: Fiction, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Romance, Philosophy, History, and more - One-tap download to your personal library - New books added regularly - No subscriptions. No hidden fees. Just great books. READING THAT FEELS REAL Every detail is designed to bring back the joy of physical books: - Warm cream, parchment, night, and midnight themes - Choose your font: Lora, Merriweather, Georgia, Literata, and more - Realistic page curl, smooth slide, or gentle fade transitions - Adjustable font size, spacing, and margins - Import your own EPUB and PDF files HIGHLIGHTS & NOTES YOU'LL ACTUALLY USE Never lose a great passage again: - Color-coded highlights (2 free, 7 with Premium) - Add notes to any highlight - Notes Hub: browse all highlights across all books in one place - Export to Notion, Obsidian, Apple Notes, or Markdown (Premium) SAVE ARTICLES FOR LATER Read web articles in Folio's beautiful reading view: - Save from Safari with the Share Sheet - Articles stripped clean — no ads, no clutter - Read offline, highlight, and take notes just like books MEET OLLIE Ollie the owl is your friendly reading companion. He'll help you find your next book, celebrate your milestones, and keep your reading life organized — without ever guilt-tripping you. FOLIO PREMIUM — $4.99, ONE TIME Unlock everything with a single purchase. No subscription. No recurring charges. - All 7 highlight colors - Smart highlight collections and tags - Export notes - Custom reading themes - Shelf view (wooden bookshelf) - Advanced reading stats and annual report - Custom OPDS catalog support - Unlimited Read It Later articles Download Folio free. Read beautifully. Keep your ideas forever.

Screenshots

ShelfQuest4 screens
Folio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShelfQuest at none against Folio's 1. ShelfQuest also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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. Folio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ShelfQuest asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level
ShelfQuest versus Folio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShelfQuestFolio
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoel GuzmanLaxman Shah

In-app purchases

None

ShelfQuest

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Folio

One-time1
  • Folio Plus Lifetime$4.99

Questions

Is ShelfQuest free?
ShelfQuest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Folio free?
Folio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ShelfQuest or Folio have ads?
Neither ShelfQuest nor Folio shows ads.

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