Comparison

Readiary vs Meow Shelf

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

Head to head
About

Readiary

Features
Read full description

Every page you read today, and every book you hope to read someday keep them all organized with Readiary. Readiary is a reading journal app that helps you manage the books you’re currently reading, the books you’ve finished, and the books you want to read - all in one place. Add books to your library, organize them by reading status, and keep track of your reading habits through your personal bookshelf and reading activity. Mark the days you finish a book on your reading calendar, and capture your thoughts along the way with notes and photos. You can also see your yearly reading goal, monthly reading progress, and recent reading activity at a glance from the Home screen. Key Features * Manage books by status: Reading, Finished, Want to Read, and Stopped Reading * Search for books or add them manually * Organize your bookshelf with custom categories * Filter your library by reading status, category, and sorting options * Set a yearly reading goal and track your progress * View monthly and yearly reading calendars * See which books you finished on each date * Save reading notes with text and photos * View all reading records for each book * Customize the cards displayed on your Home screen * Sign in with email, Apple, Google, or Kakao Readiary is perfect for readers who want to: * Keep track of books they’ve read and books they want to read * Build a consistent reading journal * See finished and currently reading books at a glance * Set and manage a yearly reading goal * Build a personal bookshelf and develop lasting reading habits Record what you read today, and slowly build a bookshelf that’s uniquely yours. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Meow Shelf

Read full description

Meow Shelf is a reading journal that turns the lines you love into text. Just take a photo of the page. β–ͺ Snap a page, get the text Point the camera at a book page and the sentences are recognized and typed out for you. No more typing by hand β€” save the passage you like in seconds. β–ͺ Everything works without signing in Your library, quotes and memos all stay on your device. You don't need an account. β–ͺ My Library Sort your books into To read, Reading and Finished, and track your page progress. β–ͺ Memos Add your own thoughts to any quote. β–ͺ Character maps Keep track of who's who in a novel by drawing the relationships between characters. β–ͺ Share as a quote card Turn a saved quote into a pretty card image and share it anywhere. β–ͺ Reading timer and widget Set a goal time and time your reading. A countdown shows on your Lock Screen, and a widget keeps your cats on your Home Screen. β–ͺ Grow your cat tower Every time you add a book, another cat moves into your cat tower. Watch your shelf fill up with cats. β–ͺ Share only when you want If you'd like to share a quote with other readers, you can post it to the feed after signing in. You can change this any time. Some advanced features (unlimited characters, the full tag graph, card templates, and more) are offered as a one-time optional purchase.

Screenshots

Readiary4 screens
Meow Shelf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Meow Shelf at none against Readiary's 2. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. Readiary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Meow Shelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Readiary ships an update every 3 days, Meow Shelf every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Readiary versus Meow Shelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadiaryMeow Shelf
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 2 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size77 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReadiaryHajun Lee

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Readiary

Subscriptions2
  • Readiary Plus Monthly14 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Readiary Plus Yearly14 Days trial$17.991 Year
None

Meow Shelf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Readiary free?
Readiary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Meow Shelf free?
Meow Shelf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Readiary or Meow Shelf have ads?
Neither Readiary nor Meow Shelf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Readiary or Meow Shelf?
Readiary ships an update every 3 days, and Meow Shelf every 2 days. Most recently, Readiary was updated on November 5, 2026 and Meow Shelf on November 8, 2026.

Other comparisons