Comparison

Books Tracker vs TBR Book Jar

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

Head to head
About

Books Tracker

Organize your personal library across devices with automatic syncing. Add books manually, by search, or by scanning barcodes. Track reading progress, manage collections, and customize the app's appearance.

Highlights
  • Cross-device syncing via Google Drive
  • Add books by manual entry, search, or barcode scan
  • Track reading status and time spent
  • Organize books into collections and series
  • Customizable themes and display modes
  • Import and export library data
Features
Read full description

Books Tracker keeps your personal library organized, beautiful, and always in sync across your devices. No account required. No subscription. Just your books. SYNC ACROSS DEVICES Connect via Google Drive and your entire library stays up to date on every phone or tablet you own. Changes sync automatically in the background — add a book on one device, find it on the other. Your data is stored in a private app-only folder: no one else can see it, not even in your Drive. YOUR WHOLE LIBRARY Add books manually, search online by title, author or ISBN, or scan a barcode with your camera. Every book can carry a cover, rating, reading status, notes, genre, publisher, page count, series info, and more. TRACK YOUR READING Three reading states: To Read, Reading, and Read. Reading start and end dates are recorded automatically. See how long it took you to finish a book — hours, days, weeks, or months. COLLECTIONS & SERIES Organize your books into as many collections as you like. Number them, detect missing entries, manage your wishlist. Group books into series and browse all volumes in one place. READING STACK Your personal "to read next" list. Reorder by drag and drop, move books up or down, and always know what's coming next. FIND ANYTHING FAST Real-time search by title or author. Filter by rating or reading status. Switch between list, compact, and grid view. Everything persists across restarts. MAKE IT YOURS 12 color themes, two header styles (Bold or Subtle), and full light/dark/system mode support. The entire app adapts instantly — colors, gradients, cards, everything. IMPORT & EXPORT Back up your library or move it to another app with CSV export. Import from a file with a full preview before committing — choose how to handle conflicts book by book. No ads. No tracking. No subscription. Books Tracker is built and maintained by a solo developer who loves books.

About

TBR Book Jar

This app helps you decide what to read next with over 190 prompts and a customizable digital bookshelf. Track your reading progress, view stats, and personalize your virtual library.

Highlights
  • 190+ reading prompts
  • Customizable digital bookshelf
  • Page progress tracking
  • Reading timer and speed tracking
  • Reading stats and goals
  • Goodreads import
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

Can't decide what to read next? Reach into the jar. TBR Book Jar is the reading app BookTok has been waiting for — a digital TBR jar, a gorgeous customizable bookshelf, an AI book buddy, audiobook magic… and now the biggest thing we've ever shipped: a built-in community of readers. Book clubs, forums, a used-book marketplace, and your shelf synced to the web. Built by a reader who was tired of staring at the TBR pile — now with company. NEW — TBRTALK, YOUR READING COMMUNITY · Book clubs with their own themed rooms — join one or start your own · Forums for every bookish conversation, plus direct messages · A used-book marketplace: list your finished copies, browse everyone else's — buyers and sellers arrange everything directly · Wishlist a book and get alerted when someone lists a used copy · Every book gets its own page: reviews, ratings, clubs reading it, copies for sale · Your library and wishlist sync with tbrtalk.com — your shelf, on the web NEW — YOUR HOME DASHBOARD Pick up right where you left off: a continue-reading carousel, streaks and goals at a glance, quick doors to everything. AUDIOBOOK MODE Your paperbacks just learned to talk. Snap photos of any pages — they're transcribed and read aloud with karaoke-style highlighting that follows along. Studio Voices sound remarkably human and run entirely on your iPhone: downloaded once, private, offline. Have a DRM-free EPUB? Drop it in and listen to the whole book. THE JAR 190+ creative prompts across 17 categories. Tap to pick and let fate decide — or hit Mystery Book to pull randomly from your own shelf. DISCOVER An endless deck of book suggestions dealt from the genres you actually love. Swipe right to wishlist, left to pass — it quietly learns your taste. YOUR BOOKSHELVES Not a list — real bookshelves. Books stand as spines or face-out covers on wooden shelves, sized to their true cover shape. Stack them into piles, drag to rearrange, decorate with wallpapers, stickers and animated GIFs. Unlimited shelves, smart shelves that fill themselves, and a Wishlist shelf for the books you want next. BOOK BUDDY — YOUR AI READING COMPANION Give it a name, then ask for recommendations, chat about books, describe a vibe or "books like ___" — grounded in real, current titles and tuned to what's on your shelf. READING TIMER & FOCUS SCENES The timer is free for every reader. Go Pro and read beside a crackling campfire, rain on the window, ocean waves — seven looping nature scenes plus ambient sound. ADD BOOKS IN SECONDS Search millions of titles with auto-filled covers and summaries · scan a barcode or snap the cover · import your whole Goodreads library via CSV. TRACK & CELEBRATE Page progress, reading speed, ratings and reviews, streaks, a yearly goal ring, genre charts and an activity heatmap. FREE The whole community · 10 books on your shelf · unlimited wishlist · 30 prompts · reading tracker & timer · a daily taste of Book Buddy and page scanning PRO — Monthly, Yearly or Lifetime (start with a 14-day free trial) · Unlimited books & shelves · full Audiobook Mode · All 190+ prompts + custom prompts · Unlimited Book Buddy, Discover deck & smart wishlist · Stats, focus scenes & sounds, goals & reminders · Goodreads import · every wallpaper, theme & decoration Your TBR pile just got fun — and it brought friends. Reach in and start picking. Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled 24 hours before the period ends. Manage in App Store settings. Privacy: https://damobo.com/tbrbookjar/privacy Terms: https://apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Support: support@damobo.com

Screenshots

Books Tracker4 screens
TBR Book Jar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: TBR Book Jar at none against Books Tracker's shown. TBR Book Jar also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days). Books Tracker's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. Books Tracker sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and TBR Book Jar sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Books Tracker ships an update every 11 days, TBR Book Jar every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Books Tracker versus TBR Book Jar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBooks TrackerTBR Book Jar
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB118 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonathan ANTOINEChristopher Mayberry

Customer experience

Books Tracker

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

TBR Book Jar

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Books Tracker

One-time3
  • Thank you$2.99
  • Bulk cover edit$3.99
  • Bigger thank you$8.99
4 purchases

TBR Book Jar

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Monthly (One-Time Offer)$3.991 Month
  • TBR Book Jar Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • TBR Book Jar Pro Annual14 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • TBR Book Jar Pro Lifetime$69.99

Questions

Is Books Tracker free?
Books Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TBR Book Jar free?
TBR Book Jar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Books Tracker or TBR Book Jar have ads?
Books Tracker shows ads; TBR Book Jar does not.
Which is updated more often, Books Tracker or TBR Book Jar?
Books Tracker ships an update every 11 days, and TBR Book Jar every 4 days. Most recently, Books Tracker was updated on October 28, 2026 and TBR Book Jar on October 28, 2026.

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