# Shelvd vs The ARC Library

The clearest difference is rating: The ARC Library at 5.0 against Shelvd's 3.9. The ARC Library also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shelvd sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $6.00 per month and The ARC Library sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The ARC Library holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Shelvd's written reviews are positive against 100% of The ARC Library's.

Shelvd ships an update fortnightly, The ARC Library every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shelvd | The ARC Library |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelvd-smart-book-tracker/id6759407922/reviews) | **[5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-arc-library/id6759504375/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **12** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 43 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Platform Thirteen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878497050) | [Romana Adamka](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879079829) |

## What reviewers say

### Shelvd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelvd-smart-book-tracker/id6759407922)

Effortlessly log your reading progress by simply taking a photo of any page. This app organizes your library visually, tracks detailed reading statistics, and syncs with Goodreads. It also facilitates book club participation and helps manage your to-read list.

**Highlights:** Photo-based page logging, Visual book shelves, Goodreads synchronization, Import entire reading history, Detailed reading statistics, Book club features, Add books via cover photo

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus (Monthly) | $6.00 | per month |
| Pro (Monthly) | $12.00 | per month |
| Full Shelfie (Monthly) | $18.00 | per month |
| Plus (Annual) | $58.00 | per year |
| Pro (Annual) | $114.99 | per year |
| Full Shelfie (Annual) | $172.99 | per year |
| Founders (Annual) | $299.99 | per year |


### The ARC Library

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-arc-library/id6759504375)

Manage your book ARCs, deadlines, and reviews. Authors can run campaigns, find readers, and organize their books. Features include reading statistics, content creator tools, and a reader database.

**Highlights:** Track ARCs by title, ISBN, or barcode, Log reading progress and pace, Manage deadlines and receive alerts, Write and save reviews with prompts, Generate reading statistics, Run and manage ARC campaigns, Discover ARC readers and opportunities

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ARC Addon (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| ARC Library Premium (Monthly) | $7.99 | per month |
| Authors Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Combo Plan Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| ARC Addon (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| ARC Library Premium (yearly) | $79.99 | per year |
| Author Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Combo Yearly | $129.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shelvd free?

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

### Is The ARC Library free?

The ARC Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shelvd or The ARC Library?

The ARC Library is rated higher. Shelvd averages 3.9 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while The ARC Library averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.

### Do Shelvd or The ARC Library have ads?

Neither Shelvd nor The ARC Library shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shelvd or The ARC Library?

Shelvd ships an update fortnightly, and The ARC Library every 8 days. Most recently, Shelvd was updated on October 31, 2026 and The ARC Library on October 31, 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.*