Comparison

Folio vs Shelfd

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

Head to head
About

Folio

Features
Read full description

Folio is the calm, beautiful home for your reading life. Track every book, build a daily reading streak, and watch a year of pages turn into a story worth keeping. Whether you're a one-book-a-month reader or racing through a series, Folio makes the habit feel effortless — and a little bit magical. TRACK WHAT YOU READ • Log reading sessions in seconds — pages, minutes, or audiobooks • Add books instantly by scanning the barcode, or search any title • Organize your shelf: currently reading, finished, and your TBR pile BUILD A READING HABIT • Keep a daily streak going — with freeze protection for the days life gets busy • Set a yearly book goal and a daily page goal that fit your pace • Gentle reminders nudge you back to your book, never nag A JOURNAL FOR YOUR THOUGHTS • Save favorite quotes and reflections as you read • Turn any quote into a beautiful shareable card • Look back on what moved you, book by book YOUR YEAR IN BOOKS • Folio Wrapped turns your reading into stunning year-in-review stats • See pages read, reading days, your busiest months, and more • A reading heatmap that fills in as your year unfolds BEAUTIFUL BY DESIGN • A warm, paper-inspired interface made for book lovers • Full dark mode for late-night chapters • Your real book covers, everywhere you look YOUR DATA IS YOURS • Export your full library and reading history anytime — free, no lock-in • Import a backup to move or restore your shelf • Optional sign-in to sync across devices FOLIO+ Go further with Folio+: • Unlimited books on your shelf • Pace & finish-date projections — know when you'll turn the last page • Deeper Wrapped insights into your reading life Try Folio+ free for 3 days, then $4.99/month or $39.99/year (save ~33%). Start free and upgrade anytime. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID account settings. Happy reading. — Questions or ideas? We read every one — reach us right inside the app under Settings. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Shelfd

Organize your reading life with a charming book tracker. Log what you're reading, discover your next book with a spin of a wheel, and visualize your reading habits with personalized stats and achievements. Enjoy a cozy, ad-free experience with optional premium features for advanced tracking.

Highlights
  • Track current, finished, and to-be-read books
  • Spin a wheel to pick your next read
  • Organize books by genre with custom colors
  • Set reading goals and view yearly stats
  • Earn achievements narrated by an Archivist
  • Import libraries from other apps (CSV)
  • Backup and restore your library
Features
Read full description

A warm, unhurried home for your reading life. Shelfd keeps a quiet record of everything you've read and everything still waiting — without turning your hobby into a job. No leaderboards. No guilt for the week you didn't finish anything. HOWEVER YOU READ IT Paper, ebook, or audiobook — track them side by side on the same shelf. Audiobooks count down in hours and minutes remaining, the way your listening app shows them, so there's no maths to do when you log your progress. YOUR SHELF, ACTUALLY SHELVED Finished books stand as real spines, coloured from their own covers. Browse them as a shelf or a list, and build your own collections for classics, comfort rereads, or whatever you're hoarding this month. SPIN THE WHEEL Too many books, not enough decisions. Load up your TBR, give it a spin, and let fate choose your next read. A GOAL WORTH HITTING Set a books-per-year target and watch the arrow move toward the bullseye. Miss it and nothing bad happens. Hit it and something rather nice does. THE SHAPE OF YOUR TASTE See which genres you actually gravitate to, how you read — paper, screen, or headphones — and the quiet trends across your year. ACHIEVEMENTS, STAMPED Every finished book earns a mark from the Archivist, who keeps your records in impeccable order and is quietly more invested than he lets on. BRING YOUR LIBRARY Coming from Goodreads or StoryGraph? Import your whole history from a single file and pick up where you left off. Back up your shelf whenever you like — your library is yours, and it stays on your device. SCAN AND GO Point the camera at a barcode and the book is on your shelf, page count and cover included. SHELFD PREMIUM Read up to three books at once, unlock the Ratings Card with half-stars and emoji vibes for how a book actually felt, get the deeper genre breakdown, and build unlimited shelves and lists. "Keep reading. That's all I ask." — The Archivist SHELFD PREMIUM — SUBSCRIPTION TERMS Shelfd Premium is available as a monthly or annual auto-renewing subscription, or as a one-time Founders Group purchase. A 7-day free trial is included with the subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://joinshelfd.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

Folio4 screens
Shelfd4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Folio at 15.5 against Shelfd's 26.2. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Folio sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Shelfd sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Folio versus Shelfd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFolioShelfd
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequency—Every 2 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.5 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDylan EzzellZachary Selburg

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Folio

Subscriptions2
  • Folio+ Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Folio+ Yearly3 Days trial$39.991 Year
3 purchases

Shelfd

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Shelfd Founders Group$59.99

Questions

Is Folio free?
Folio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shelfd free?
Shelfd is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Folio or Shelfd have ads?
Neither Folio nor Shelfd shows ads.

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