# Stacks vs Better Bookshelf

The clearest difference is rating: Better Bookshelf at 3.8 against Stacks's 3.0. Better Bookshelf also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium) and ratings volume (6 vs 2). Stacks's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 33%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Stacks sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Better Bookshelf sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Better Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Stacks's written reviews are positive against 33% of Better Bookshelf's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Stacks ships an update every 5 days, Better Bookshelf every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stacks | Better Bookshelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stacks-book-scanner-and-library/id6778984902/reviews) | **[3.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/better-bookshelf/id6791765002/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 23 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zenmonkeys Digital LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1868802546) | [Matthew Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791765004) |

## What reviewers say

### Stacks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stacks-book-scanner-and-library/id6778984902)

Digitally catalog your physical book collection by scanning shelves or barcodes. Track reading progress, organize by genre or color, and discover new books based on your taste. Features include AI-powered spine recognition and a lending tracker.

**Highlights:** Shelf scanning for bulk book entry, Barcode scanning with auto-add, Import/export from Goodreads/StoryGraph, Visual shelf and spine rendering, Reading progress tracking, Book scouting and wishlist building, Personalized reading recommendations

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| 3 Scans | $0.99 | one-time |
| 15 Scans | $3.99 | one-time |


### Better Bookshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/better-bookshelf/id6791765002)

Consolidate all your books from physical shelves, Kindle, and Audible into a single, private digital library. Easily add books by scanning barcodes, taking photos, or importing existing libraries. Revisit your favorite highlighted passages and track your reading progress.

**Highlights:** Scan barcodes or covers to add books, Import Kindle and Audible libraries, Consolidate books across multiple formats, Save and revisit highlighted passages, Track reading status and personal ratings, Mark books as lent

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium — Unlimited Library | $9.99 | one-time |
| 6 Whole Shelf AI Scans | $10.00 | one-time |
| Premium — Unlimited Library | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stacks free?

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

### Is Better Bookshelf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Stacks or Better Bookshelf?

Better Bookshelf is rated higher. Stacks averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Better Bookshelf averages 3.8 from 6 ratings.

### Do Stacks or Better Bookshelf have ads?

Neither Stacks nor Better Bookshelf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stacks or Better Bookshelf?

Stacks ships an update every 5 days, and Better Bookshelf every 4 days. Most recently, Stacks was updated on November 7, 2026 and Better Bookshelf on November 6, 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.*