Comparison

The ARC Library vs ChapterPals

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

Head to head
About

The ARC Library

Manage your book review workflow with this comprehensive tool. Track ARCs, deadlines, reading progress, and create polished reviews. Features include detailed statistics, a content creator hub, and a public reader profile.

Highlights
  • Track ARCs by ISBN, title, or barcode
  • Interactive reading calendar with deadlines
  • Detailed reading statistics and analytics
  • Rich text review editor with checklist
  • Content creator hub for social media campaigns
  • Public reader profile for showcasing stats
  • TBR spin wheel and Bingo Challenge
Features
Read full description

ARC Library is the all-in-one platform for ARC readers, reviewers, book content creators, and authors. Whether you're keeping an overflowing ARC list under control or running your own ARC campaigns, ARC Library brings your books, deadlines, reviews, teams, campaigns, and reader connections together in one place. FOR READERS TRACK YOUR ARCS Add books by title, ISBN, or barcode and keep track of everything from received to reviewed. Log your reading progress by pages, audio minutes, or percentage, and use reading pace calculations to stay ahead of deadlines. NEVER MISS A DEADLINE See publication dates, review deadlines, PR tasks, and other important dates in your reading calendar. Due-soon alerts help you see what needs your attention next. REVIEW EDITOR Write and save reviews directly in ARC Library. Keep notes and quotes while you read, use structured review prompts, and copy your finished review when you're ready to post. READING STATISTICS Explore detailed statistics covering your ARCs, personal books, reviews, teams, PR activity, ratings, genres, reading habits, and more. SPICE AND SWOON RATINGS Track spice and swoon levels for your books, explore your rating distributions, and filter your library by level. CONTENT CREATOR TOOLS Keep track of cover reveals, release posts, reviews, PR campaigns, and other content across your social channels. YOUR ARC READER PROFILE Create a shareable reader profile featuring your reading activity, reviews, favorite genres, social links, and more. Give authors and publishers a better picture of who you are as a reviewer. DISCOVER NEW OPPORTUNITIES Browse forms shared by authors for ARC applications, teams, campaigns, and other opportunities. TBR TOOLS Not sure what to read next? Use the TBR Spin Wheel, reading challenges, and other tools to make choosing your next book a little more fun. FOR AUTHORS MANAGE YOUR BOOKS Keep your books and their ARC information organized in one place. RUN ARC CAMPAIGNS Create and manage ARC campaigns, organize applications, work with readers, and keep track of your campaign from start to finish. FIND ARC READERS Use the Reader Database to discover readers based on genres, tropes, social platforms, activity, and other information they choose to share. CREATE AND SHARE FORMS Create forms for ARC applications, reader teams, PR campaigns, and more. Share them directly or make them discoverable through the ARC Library Form Catalog. MANAGE YOUR READERS Keep your ARC readers and campaign information organized without relying on scattered spreadsheets, forms, messages, and notes. BUILD YOUR TEAMS Create and manage reader teams and keep the people supporting your books connected to your campaigns. ONE LIBRARY, TWO SIDES OF THE ARC EXPERIENCE ARC Library brings readers and authors together while giving each side the tools they need. Readers get a home for their ARCs, reviews, deadlines, statistics, teams, and content. Authors get tools to manage books, campaigns, applications, readers, and ARC teams. FREE TO START Get started with ARC Library for free, with optional Premium plans unlocking additional tools, customization, statistics, and features. Built by a reader who wanted a better way to manage the beautifully chaotic world of ARCs. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms & Conditions: https://arc-library.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://arc-library.com/privacy

About

ChapterPals

This app helps you track your reading progress and manage your book club. Organize your reading lists, log progress, and discover new books. It also facilitates book club discussions, voting on the next read, and tracking member progress.

Highlights
  • Track reading progress by page or percent
  • Organize books into custom shelves
  • Set and track reading goals
  • Create and manage book clubs
  • Vote on next book selections
  • Chapter-based discussion threads
  • Daily 'Guess the Book' puzzle
Features
Read full description

Track every book you read, and keep your book club actually running. ChapterPals does both in one calm, friendly place. Most reading apps track books alone. Most club tools are a group text that slowly goes quiet. ChapterPals puts the two together, so the book you are reading and the people you are reading it with live side by side. TRACK YOUR READING Shelves for what you are reading, what you finished, and what you want to read next, plus custom shelves for anything else you want to keep. Log your progress by page or percent, rate books when you finish, and write reviews you will actually want to reread later. Set a reading goal and watch it fill in over the year. Already have a list somewhere else? Import it and pick up where you left off. Point your camera at a real bookshelf and ChapterPals will read the spines and find the titles, or scan a barcode to add a single book fast. Browse by genre, follow an author, or see a whole series in order. RUN YOUR BOOK CLUB Start a club in under a minute, or join one with an invite code from a friend. You can also browse public clubs by city, filter for in person or virtual, and search by the vibes you are after. Pick the next book together with a vote, so nobody has to be the one who decides. Set the night and the place, let everyone RSVP going, maybe or cannot make it, and add it to your calendar in a tap. See how far along everyone is, so nobody arrives half a book behind. Discussion threads stay organized by chapter, so you can talk about what you have read without spoiling what you have not. Stuck for something to say? Starter questions are ready when you need them. Every book your club has read together is kept as a history you can look back on. READ WITH FRIENDS Add pals and see what they are reading right now. Share a shelf, recommend a book straight to someone, and get a nudge when a friend finishes something you have been eyeing. AND A LITTLE FUN Guess the Book is a new puzzle every day. A blurred cover, five tries, and a fresh clue with every guess. Build a streak and compare notes with your club. Tier boards let you rank everything you have read exactly how you want, then share the result. ChapterPals is free to use, works on your phone and in your browser, and never sells your reading history. Reading is better with friends.

Screenshots

The ARC Library4 screens
ChapterPals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ChapterPals at none against The ARC Library's 4. ChapterPals also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 days). The ARC Library's advantage is ratings volume (10 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. The ARC Library sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ChapterPals asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for The ARC Library against 5.0 for ChapterPals. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The ARC Library has 10 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The ARC Library ships an update every 9 days, ChapterPals every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
The ARC Library versus ChapterPals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe ARC LibraryChapterPals
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (10 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings10 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB55 MB
Age rating9+9+
DeveloperRomana AdamkaEdward Buchholz

Customer experience

The ARC Library

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ChapterPals

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

The ARC Library

Subscriptions4
  • ARC Addon (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • ARC Library Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • ARC Addon (Yearly)$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • ARC Library Premium (yearly)7 Days trial$79.991 Year
None

ChapterPals

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The ARC Library free?
The ARC Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ChapterPals free?
ChapterPals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The ARC Library or ChapterPals?
The ARC Library and ChapterPals are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 10 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do The ARC Library or ChapterPals have ads?
Neither The ARC Library nor ChapterPals shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The ARC Library or ChapterPals?
The ARC Library ships an update every 9 days, and ChapterPals every 2 days. Most recently, The ARC Library was updated on October 12, 2026 and ChapterPals on October 9, 2026.

Other comparisons