Comparison

Bookshelf Diary vs Panda Mate

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

Head to head
About

Bookshelf Diary

Organize your book collection with ease using barcode scanning, batch entry for series, and progress tracking. Manage wishlists, customize shelf arrangements, and back up your data locally or via the cloud. Supports offline use and offers a dark mode.

Highlights
  • ISBN barcode scanning
  • Batch entry for series
  • Track owned and missing books
  • Wishlist management
  • Customizable shelf sorting
  • Excel export/import
  • Cloud backup
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

[Core Features] - ISBN Barcode Scanning: Instantly retrieve book information with the cover and title filled in automatically. - Batch Quick Entry: Designed for series collections, create multiple volumes in one tap. - Collection Progress: Mark books as Owned or Missing to track your collection gaps. - Wishlist: Scan a book now and add it to your list for later. - Custom Sorting: Drag and drop to arrange your shelves your way. - Export & Import: Excel support makes moving and organizing your collection easy. - Cloud Backup: Sign in to back up and restore on a new device. - Dark Mode and Offline Search: Choose your preferred appearance and browse your local data offline. [What's New in 1.3.7] - Added purchase prices and collection spending summaries. - Expanded official and custom category management with improved visibility and ordering. - Added duplicate series and work merging directly from search results, with a choice of the item to keep. - Added a missing-volumes-first sort option to the book list. - Improved sale photo and video storage, sharing, and multi-select actions. - Improved bottom sheets, keyboard handling, backups, sign-in reliability, and data safety. - Settings now links directly to the App Store rating page. [Membership & Privacy] Your book data is primarily stored on your device and remains available for offline search. Google and Apple sign-in and purchase features are optional; membership access is validated against store purchases. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Panda Mate

Features
Read full description

Panda Mate is the companion app for your Reader device. Designed to bridge your smartphone and your distraction-free e-ink reader, it provides a seamless way to manage your device, transfer books, and customize your reading experience over your local Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. Key Features: • Multi-Device Management: Easily pair and switch between multiple Readers via QR code or local network discovery. • Wireless Transfer: Send EPUBs, documents, and font packs directly to your reader without cables. • Library Explorer: Browse your reader's local storage, manage folders, rename files, and download documents back to your phone. • Device Customization: Adjust reader settings dynamically, including dark mode, orientation, refresh rate, and weather location. • Custom Wallpapers: Pick any photo from your phone, and Murphy Mate will automatically optimize and crop it perfectly for your reader's e-ink display. Murphy Mate makes managing your e-ink lifestyle effortless, so you can focus on what matters most: reading.

Screenshots

Bookshelf Diary4 screens
Panda Mate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Panda Mate at none against Bookshelf Diary's 1. Bookshelf Diary's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Bookshelf Diary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Panda Mate asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bookshelf Diary ships an update every 9 days, Panda Mate every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Bookshelf Diary versus Panda Mate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookshelf DiaryPanda Mate
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size135 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWANG MEI TINGPanda Intelligence Software Ltd

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Bookshelf Diary

One-time1
  • Plus 永久版$7.99
None

Panda Mate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bookshelf Diary free?
Bookshelf Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Panda Mate free?
Panda Mate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bookshelf Diary or Panda Mate have ads?
Neither Bookshelf Diary nor Panda Mate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bookshelf Diary or Panda Mate?
Bookshelf Diary ships an update every 9 days, and Panda Mate every 3 weeks. Most recently, Bookshelf Diary was updated on October 13, 2026 and Panda Mate on September 30, 2026.

Other comparisons