Comparison

ReadMaze vs BookShelf Reader

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

Head to head
About

ReadMaze

This app gamifies your reading habit by tracking sessions, rewarding progress, and building streaks. It offers AI-powered book analysis, note-taking, and a digital bookshelf to organize your entire library.

Highlights
  • Gamified reading habit tracker
  • AI chat for book analysis
  • Digital bookshelf organization
  • Reading streak building
  • XP, badges, and achievements
  • Built-in ebook reader
  • Quote and note capture
Features
Read full description

ReadMaze is a reading tracker you can actually read in. Most book apps ask you to log reading you did somewhere else. ReadMaze lets you open the book, read or listen to it, and keeps the record for you. READ AND LISTEN IN THE APP Import your own EPUB and PDF files and read them in a clean, distraction-free reader. Prefer to listen? Built-in read-aloud turns any book into an audiobook, and your listening time counts toward your streak, stats and goals automatically. TRACK EVERY BOOK Search millions of titles, scan a barcode, or add a book by hand. Import your existing library from Goodreads or StoryGraph in one step. Track by pages, chapters, percentage or time. BUILD THE HABIT Reading streaks, levels, daily goals and achievements make coming back easy. Streak freezes protect the days life gets in the way. REMEMBER WHAT YOU READ Save notes, highlight quotes and build a personal vocabulary list with a built-in dictionary. Coming back to a book after a break? ReadMaze writes you a spoiler-free recap from your own notes. SEE YOUR READING Detailed statistics, a reading calendar, weekly recaps and a yearly wrap-up show how your year has actually gone. Home screen widgets keep your current book one glance away. NO ADS. NO ACCOUNT. NO FEED. ReadMaze has no advertising anywhere. There is no sign-up, no social feed and no follower count. Your library, notes and reading history stay on your device, with optional private iCloud sync across your own devices. Export everything whenever you want. AVAILABLE IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Korean and Japanese. ReadMaze Premium unlocks unlimited AI assistance, extra themes and advanced statistics. The reading tracker itself is free. Terms of Use : https://readmaze.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://readmaze.app/privacy

About

BookShelf Reader

Features
Read full description

BookShelf is a clean, distraction-free PDF reader built for people who love books. Import your files, track your reading, and organize your library exactly the way you want — with no ads, no subscriptions, and no accounts required. READ YOUR WAY Scroll vertically or flip pages horizontally like a real book. Adjust brightness and switch between clean white and warm sepia mode. Every reading preference, covered. YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR RULES View your books as a grid or a list. Sort by title, last read, or progress. Build custom reading lists — To Read, Reading, Finished — and organize everything with categories and favorites. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See how many pages you've read, time spent reading, your current streak, and your 30-day reading chart. Stats that keep you motivated without getting in the way. BOOKMARKS & ANNOTATIONS Mark any page with a bookmark and write notes as you read. All your annotations are organized and easy to find when you need them. WORKS OFFLINE. ALWAYS. BookShelf works 100% offline. No internet connection required to read, organize, or track your progress. OPTIONAL CLOUD SYNC Sign in with Google to optionally sync your library, progress, bookmarks, and notes across all your devices. Your PDFs are backed up securely. Turn it off anytime — your data stays on your device. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No ads. No trackers. No analytics SDKs. No behavioral data collection of any kind. If you never sign in, absolutely nothing leaves your device. AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH Full app interface in both languages. Switch anytime from Settings. WHAT YOU GET • Grid and list library views • Horizontal page-flip and vertical scroll reading modes • Warm sepia and brightness controls • Bookmarks and text annotations • Custom reading lists and categories • Reading statistics and daily streaks • 30-day reading progress chart • Optional cloud sync across devices • PDF file backup and restore • Dark mode support • English and Spanish interface • No ads, no subscriptions, no tracking BookShelf is made for readers who want a simple, beautiful app that respects their time and privacy.

Screenshots

ReadMaze4 screens
BookShelf Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BookShelf Reader at none against ReadMaze's 2. BookShelf Reader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5.0). On price 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. ReadMaze sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. BookShelf Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ReadMaze versus BookShelf Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadMazeBookShelf Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.5.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size92 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHabibullah AbdulsalamHeyson Betancourt

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ReadMaze

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year
None

BookShelf Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ReadMaze free?
ReadMaze is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BookShelf Reader free?
BookShelf Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ReadMaze or BookShelf Reader have ads?
ReadMaze shows ads; BookShelf Reader does not.

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