Comparison

Book Tracker vs ShelfLog

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

Head to head
About

Book Tracker

Features
Read full description

A private reading log that respects your books and your privacy. If you have ever felt your reading habits turned into a public timeline, or watched a social book app share what you finished without asking, ShelfLog is the quiet alternative. It is a personal bookshelf and book tracker for readers who want every title they finish, every page count, every quote and every shelf to live only on their own device. No account, no algorithmic feed, no recommendation engine telling you what to read next. The book log stays on this device, the book journal is yours alone, and you decide if and when any of it leaves your phone. It is built for readers who want a private library, not a leaderboard — people migrating away from Goodreads, people who never wanted a public profile in the first place, and anyone keeping a TBR that should not be anyone else's business. Every feature described below is unlocked only with an auto-renewable subscription purchased inside the app. New users receive a 3 day free trial; you may cancel anytime during the trial to avoid being charged. Scan a barcode with the book scanner or search by title to prefill cover, author and page count from Google Books, then set a reading status — Want to read, Reading, Finished or DNF — and drop the book on any custom shelf, from favorites and fiction to non-fiction, comics, audio or romance. Star ratings, quotes and free-form notes live on each entry, a page counter and reading sessions keep your TBR honest, and a yearly reading goal turns daily progress into clear charts with books per month, average rating and top genres. The reading log treats short stories, novellas and comics with the same care as a 900-page biography. Search spans your full library including notes and quotes, so a half-remembered line from a memoir is one query away. Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets keep the current book and your reading goal glanceable, Apple Watch logs a reading session from your wrist, and a book diary mode captures mood, location and a few lines per session. Goodreads CSV import is supported so years of ratings and shelves move over in one step, and you can re-export everything as CSV any time. The reader app side of ShelfLog gives you reading stats — pages per week, finish rate, average book length, top genres — without turning them into pressure. The interface ships in 39 languages with VoiceOver and Dynamic Type, and the entire reading log stays fully offline. Privacy is the default: no account, no cloud upload, no analytics, no third-party server reading your shelves. ShelfLog is the bookshelf for the long haul — quiet enough to live with for ten years of reading, never a feed. Unlock with Pro: • Unlimited books on your shelves beyond the free 30 • Advanced statistics, yearly review and reading streaks • All Home Screen, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets • Cover collage and shareable end-of-year card • PDF and CSV export of your full library Subscription Pricing & Terms Features require a subscription. Pricing and terms available in-app. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Manage or cancel your subscription and free-trial conversion in Settings > Apple ID after purchase. Any unused portion of the free-trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription.

About

ShelfLog

Features
Read full description

ShelfLog turns your personal library into a social lending circle. Catalogue the books you own, connect with friends, and track every book you lend or borrow — so you never lose a book to a forgotten loan again. ADD YOUR SHELF IN SECONDS • Search any title or author • Scan a book's barcode with your camera • Snap a photo of your bookshelf and let AI identify the books for you LEND WITH CONFIDENCE • Log who borrowed each book and when it's due • Approve or decline borrow requests from friends • Get reminders before a loan runs overdue • See your full lending history at a glance BORROW FROM FRIENDS • Browse your friends' shelves • Request a book in one tap • Join a waitlist when a book is already out • Ask for an extension when you need more time CONNECT YOUR CIRCLE • Invite friends with a personal link • Find friends already on ShelfLog • Discover people you may know through mutual friends • Keep a wishlist of books you're hoping to read EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE • Rate and review the books you've read • Follow an activity feed of what friends add and return • Your library stays private — visible only to friends you approve ShelfLog is free. Sign in with Apple, Google, or email. Lend books. Stay friends. Never lose track.

Screenshots

Book Tracker4 screens
ShelfLog3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShelfLog at none against Book Tracker's 2. ShelfLog also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Book Tracker sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. ShelfLog asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Book Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, ShelfLog every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Book Tracker versus ShelfLog: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBook TrackerShelfLog
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBahattin DuranMax Shemtob

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Book Tracker

Subscriptions2
  • ShelfLog Premium — Weekly3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • ShelfLog Premium — Monthly3 Days trial$6.991 Month
None

ShelfLog

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Book Tracker free?
Book Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ShelfLog free?
ShelfLog is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Book Tracker or ShelfLog have ads?
Neither Book Tracker nor ShelfLog shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Book Tracker or ShelfLog?
Book Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, and ShelfLog every 3 weeks. Most recently, Book Tracker was updated on October 31, 2026 and ShelfLog on October 31, 2026.

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