Comparison

SlowRead vs ShelfTime

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

Head to head
About

SlowRead

This app helps you build a visually appealing digital bookshelf and encourages focused reading sessions by blocking distracting apps. Track your reading progress, organize your library, and create a personalized reading ritual.

Highlights
  • Customizable 2.5D digital bookshelf
  • Distraction-blocking focus sessions
  • Reading streak tracking
  • TBR and library organization
  • Effortless book addition (scan, search, photo)
  • Import from Goodreads (CSV)
  • Private, local-first library
Features
Read full description

SlowRead is the book tracker with a bookshelf you will want to show off. Every book you read stands on your own shelf, with its real spine and cover. Keep your TBR, your reading journal and your reading log in one place, and share your bookshelf on BookTok and Instagram. YOUR BOOKSHELF • Every book stands on the shelf as a spine or as a cover. • Photograph your own copy to show its real spine, cover and sprayed edges, or use a photo another reader already shared. • Arrange your books by hand, lay them flat in piles and keep a series together. • Decorate with plants, candles, lights and more, and pick a theme for the wall and the wood. • Share a picture of your bookcase to your Stories on TikTok or Instagram. • Get a public profile at slowreadapp.com/@you with the bookcases you choose to show. BOOK CLUBS • Create a club or join one and read the same book together. • Talk in a channel for each part of the book, so nobody spoils what comes next. • Hide the parts of a message that are spoilers. • Vote on the club's next book. YOUR READING YEAR • Monthly and yearly wrap ups: cards to swipe through and share. • Your reader type, worked out from the books you finish. • A yearly reading challenge, and your year next to the last one. • Stats for pages, time and books, your reading speed and your top genres. • A reading streak, with past days you can fill in by hand. TRACKING WITHOUT EFFORT • Search millions of books or scan the barcode to add one in seconds. • Import your library from Goodreads, The StoryGraph, Bookmory, Fable or Libib. • Paperback, ebook and audiobook, even for the same book. • Track library loans with the due date and a reminder the day before. • Series grouped together, with your progress through each one. • Notes, quotes scanned from the page with your camera, and characters with a portrait and their relationships. • Half star ratings, rereads and did not finish. WIDGETS • Your bookshelf, what you are reading, your streak, your challenge and a daily quote on your Home Screen and Lock Screen. READING SESSIONS • Start a timed session from any book and log the page where you stop. • If you want, block the apps that distract you while you read, with Screen Time. All features described above require a subscription. A free trial is included, so you can try everything before paying. TERMS: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ShelfTime

Features
Read full description

ShelfTime keeps your reading life in one quiet place. YOUR SHELF, YOUR PACE - Add books in seconds: title, author, pages - The "reading now" card starts a session timer with one tap - Update your page when you stop - progress fills in automatically REMEMBER WHAT MATTERED - Save quotes and thoughts per book - Finish dates, ratings and collections SEE YOUR READING YEAR - Monthly reading time and books finished (Pro) - Unlimited shelf and quotes, CSV export (Pro) PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no cloud, no ads. 100% offline. HONEST PRICING ShelfTime Pro is $1.99/month or $9.99/year with a 7-day free trial. Free tier: 5 books with full timer and quotes. Privacy Policy: https://goonobu-dot.github.io/batch21-pages/shelftime/privacy.html Support: https://goonobu-dot.github.io/batch21-pages/shelftime/support.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SlowRead4 screens
ShelfTime4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: ShelfTime at none against SlowRead's shown. SlowRead's advantage is chart position (#17 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. SlowRead sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $8.39 per 7 days and ShelfTime sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
SlowRead versus ShelfTime: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSlowReadShelfTime
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (752 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews22.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings752 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#17 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdrian Martinez MorenoSHINOBU MIYAHIRA

In-app purchases

4 purchases

SlowRead

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Weekly$8.397 Days
  • Premium Annual Offer$32.991 Year
  • Premium Annual3 Days trial$44.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime access to Slowread$149.99
2 purchases

ShelfTime

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is SlowRead free?
SlowRead is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ShelfTime free?
ShelfTime is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SlowRead or ShelfTime have ads?
SlowRead shows ads; ShelfTime does not.

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