Comparison

GridIQ vs ComicShelf

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

Head to head
About

GridIQ

Track your New York Times crossword puzzle performance with detailed analytics. See daily stats, solve trends, and personal records. All your solve history is stored locally for privacy.

Highlights
  • Syncs NYT Crossword solve history
  • Detailed analytics by day of week
  • Personal records tracking
  • Filter by Daily, Mini, or clean solves
  • Browse and search full solve history
  • Weekly performance reports
  • Local data storage for privacy
Features
Read full description

A stats tracker built for avid NYT Crossword solvers. GridIQ connects to your New York Times account and automatically syncs your full solve history, then turns it into the deep analytics the NYT app never gave you. TODAY AT A GLANCE See how today's solve stacks up. GridIQ shows your time, your current streak, and how you compare to your personal best and average for that day of the week. STATS THAT MEAN SOMETHING Average solve times broken down by day of the week Solve trends over time Personal records tracked automatically Filter by Daily, Mini, or clean (gold) solves only YOUR FULL HISTORY Browse every solve you've ever completed. Search by constructor, filter by day of the week, sort by time or date, and tap any entry for a full breakdown — time, clean status, checks and reveals used, and more. WEEKLY REPORTS See how your week shaped up at a glance — total solves, average times, and how this week compared to your recent history. PRIVACY FIRST GridIQ stores everything on your device. No accounts, no servers, no tracking. Your NYT credentials are stored securely in the iOS Keychain and never leave your phone. Export your data anytime as a CSV. How it works: Sign in with your existing NYT account. GridIQ syncs your history directly from the NYT Crossword API and stores it locally. That's it. Note: GridIQ requires an active New York Times Crossword subscription. GridIQ is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The New York Times Company.

About

ComicShelf

Easily track your comic book collection, discover new and upcoming releases, and manage your wishlist. Stay updated on your favorite series with personalized feeds and weekly digests. Explore detailed comic and creator information, and connect with a community of fellow comic lovers.

Highlights
  • Track owned comic issues
  • Discover new and upcoming releases
  • Manage comic wishlists
  • Follow favorite comic series
  • Detailed comic and creator info
  • Rate issues and read community comments
Features
Read full description

ComicShelf is the comic book app you've been waiting for. Whether you're a lifelong collector or just getting into comics, ComicShelf makes it easy to track what you own, discover what's new, and stay connected to the stories you love. NEW RELEASES & UPCOMING ISSUES Browse new and upcoming comics from every major publisher, updated weekly. See standard issues and variant covers all in one place — so you never miss a cover worth hunting down. BUILD YOUR COLLECTION Log every issue you own with ease. Single issues, trades, variants — your entire collection organized and synced to your account. Finally know exactly what you have. WISHLIST & FIND IT Spot an issue you need? Add it to your wishlist and find it for sale on eBay with one tap. Back issue hunting has never been this easy. FOLLOW YOUR FAVORITE SERIES Follow any series and get a personalized feed of everything hitting shelves. Turn on the weekly newsletter and get a Monday morning digest of new issues from the series you follow — straight to your inbox. RICH COMIC & CREATOR INFO Dive deep into any issue with full credits, story arcs, characters, variant covers, and more. Tap any creator to explore their full bibliography. Powered by Metron, the most comprehensive comic database available. RATINGS & COMMUNITY Rate issues with stars and leave comments. See what other readers think, share your take, and be part of a community that loves comics as much as you do. ComicShelf is free to download and use. Sign up to sync your collection, follow series, and join the conversation.

Screenshots

GridIQ4 screens
ComicShelf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: GridIQ at none against ComicShelf's shown. GridIQ also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). ComicShelf's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for GridIQ against 5.0 for ComicShelf. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GridIQ ships an update fortnightly, ComicShelf weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
GridIQ versus ComicShelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGridIQComicShelf
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEric RibbeckThomas Eggenberger

Customer experience

GridIQ

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ComicShelf

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

GridIQ

No in-app purchases

None

ComicShelf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GridIQ free?
GridIQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ComicShelf free?
ComicShelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GridIQ or ComicShelf?
GridIQ and ComicShelf are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do GridIQ or ComicShelf have ads?
ComicShelf shows ads; GridIQ does not.
Which is updated more often, GridIQ or ComicShelf?
GridIQ ships an update fortnightly, and ComicShelf weekly. Most recently, GridIQ was updated on October 12, 2026 and ComicShelf on October 7, 2026.

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