# Penny vs Shelfd

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Penny at 100% against Shelfd's 50%. Penny also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.2). Shelfd's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 9 days). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penny sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Shelfd sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Penny holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Penny's written reviews are positive against 50% of Shelfd's.

Penny ships an update every 9 days, Shelfd daily. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penny | Shelfd |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penny-book-and-reading-tracker/id6760545686/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfd-reading-tracker/id6792915143/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 39 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Claudiu Valentin Sararu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884891322) | [Zachary Selburg](https://appshunter.io/developer/6792915145) |

## What reviewers say

### Penny

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penny-book-and-reading-tracker/id6760545686)

This app helps you build a consistent reading habit by tracking your books, timing your reading sessions, and allowing you to take notes. It offers ambient soundscapes to enhance your reading atmosphere and provides detailed progress statistics. The app prioritizes user privacy and works offline.

**Highlights:** Build and organize your book library, Track reading sessions with a timer, Ambient soundscapes for atmosphere, Take notes and track characters, View detailed reading progress stats, Syncs with iCloud, Offline functionality

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


### Shelfd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfd-reading-tracker/id6792915143)

Organize your reading life with a charming book tracker. Log what you're reading, discover your next book with a spin of a wheel, and visualize your reading habits with personalized stats and achievements. Enjoy a cozy, ad-free experience with optional premium features for advanced tracking.

**Highlights:** Track current, finished, and to-be-read books, Spin a wheel to pick your next read, Organize books by genre with custom colors, Set reading goals and view yearly stats, Earn achievements narrated by an Archivist, Import libraries from other apps (CSV), Backup and restore your library

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| Shelfd Founders Group | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penny free?

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

### Is Shelfd free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Penny or Shelfd?

Penny is rated higher. Penny averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Shelfd averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Penny or Shelfd have ads?

Neither Penny nor Shelfd shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penny or Shelfd?

Penny ships an update every 9 days, and Shelfd daily. Most recently, Penny was updated on October 25, 2026 and Shelfd on October 24, 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.*