Rootread vs Shelv
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Rootread
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Rootread turns your reading journey into a growing forest. Every book you read grows a tree, creating your own forest. Track your reading while watching your progress come to life visually. Key Features: - Reading Tracker β Manage books you've read, are reading, and want to read - Growing Forest β Trees grow as you read, expanding your personal forest - Reading Timer β Track and log your reading sessions - Stats & Insights β Visualize your reading habits with charts - Collections β Create custom reading lists - Barcode Scanner β Scan a book's barcode to add it instantly Upgrade to Rootread Pro: - Ad-free experience - Full access to all statistics - Weather effects Build your reading habit and grow your own forest.
Shelv
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You've stood in a bookstore and guessed. Picked up a volume that felt like a gap in your collection. Got home. Already owned it. That's what Shelv is for. Scan the barcode before you buy. It takes about two seconds. Shelv checks your collection and tells you right then whether you already have it β and if you don't, adds it immediately. No spreadsheet. No trying to remember. Just a straight answer while you're still standing in the aisle. Beyond the scan, Shelv gives you a proper view of what you actually own. Every series you collect, organized by volume, with the gaps clearly visible. You'll know you're missing Chainsaw Man Vol. 4 before you're at a convention speed-buying through a dealer's table. The release calendar is personalized to your collection. Not every upcoming manga release β just the ones from series you're tracking. New volume for something on your shelf? It shows up. Simple. There's also a collection value calculator. Shelv pulls current Amazon pricing for every volume you own and adds it up. Most collectors haven't actually sat down and calculated what their shelf is worth. When you do, especially if you've been collecting for a few years and picked up some volumes that've since gone out of print, the number is usually surprising in a good way. Wishlist keeps the titles you're planning to collect next. You can add volumes without owning them yet, which matters when you're at a sale and want to know what you were supposed to be looking for. Shelv supports English, German, French, and Japanese β including separate edition tracking for each region. If you collect across markets, or you're buying both the English singles and the Japanese originals for the same series, that's handled properly. Not bolted on as an afterthought. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Shelv at none against Rootread's shown. Shelv also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Rootread sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Shelv sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Rootread ships an update every 2 months, Shelv monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Rootread | Shelv |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly β better |
| Ads | Yes | No β better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad β better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 90 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nephia | Joshua Aideloje |
In-app purchases
Rootread
- RootRead Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- RootRead Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- RootRead Pro (Lifetime)$49.99
Shelv
- Shelv Premium1 Month trial$2.991 Month
- Shelv Premium (Yearly)1 Month trial$19.991 Year
- Shelv Pro Lifetime$59.99








