Comparison

Reader Alive vs Book Shelf

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

Head to head
About

Reader Alive

Features
Read full description

Reader Alive is an AI-powered ebook reader for iPhone and iPad. Import EPUB, PDF, AZW3, and MOBI books from Files, Finder, AirDrop, Wi-Fi transfer, or iCloud Drive. Read in paged or continuous scrolling modes, tune fonts and themes, adjust size and spacing, and keep your library and reading position in sync with iCloud. Reader Alive helps books feel alive: โ€ข Translate selected text or full chapters โ€ข Listen with natural text-to-speech โ€ข Chat with a book and ask questions grounded in its content โ€ข Generate chapter summaries โ€ข Explore key ideas, characters, timelines, arguments, and action lists โ€ข Sync your library and reading progress across devices with iCloud Full translation, listening, and AI chat features require a subscription. Reader Alive is built for deep reading, foreign-language reading, study, research, and faster understanding of long books. Privacy Policy: https://readeralive.pages.dev/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Book Shelf

Features
Read full description

Book Shelf is the ultimate reading companion. Rate and review every book you read, track your reading timeline, and keep personal notes on each title. Follow friends and see what they're reading. Get personalized book recommendations based on your library and the people you follow. Features: - Score books on a 0-100 scale - Track start and finish dates - Write personal notes and reviews - Follow friends and see their reads - Get personalized recommendations - View your reading stats and top genres

Screenshots

Reader Alive4 screens
Book Shelf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Book Shelf at none against Reader Alive's 2. Book Shelf also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Reader Alive sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Book Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Reader Alive versus Book Shelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReader AliveBook Shelf
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysโ€”
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS17.015.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size289 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNocoly.comJordan Archer

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Reader Alive

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$59.991 Year
None

Book Shelf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reader Alive free?
Reader Alive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Book Shelf free?
Book Shelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Reader Alive or Book Shelf have ads?
Reader Alive shows ads; Book Shelf does not.

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