Comparison

Bookshelf.nz vs Booklore

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

Head to head
About

Bookshelf.nz

Features
Read full description

Bookshelf turns your phone into the fastest way to catalogue, track, and actually finish the books you own. Scan to Add — Instantly Point your camera at any barcode and Bookshelf identifies the book in under a second using a rich local catalog plus live metadata sources. Scan multiple books back‑to‑back without waiting. Scan to Wishlist Browsing a bookstore but not ready to commit? Switch to Wishlist mode and scan potential reads to compare later — without adding them to your main library. Your Library, Anywhere Your entire collection is cached on your device, so you can browse and search with zero signal. Pull to refresh whenever you’re back online. Track Your Reading Mark books as To Read, Reading, Read, or DNF. Rate titles 1–5 stars, keep private notes, and track your page progress — or listening time for audiobooks. Reading Sessions Start a session before you settle in and Bookshelf automatically pauses its own notifications for true focus. When you’re done, it asks for your current page and logs your time toward your stats. Reviews See what others thought or write your own, complete with star rating and spoiler warning. Wishlist & Shopping List Keep a running list of books you want so it’s ready when you’re actually standing in a bookstore. Mark a title as “Got it!” the moment you buy it. Make It Yours Choose light, dark, or auto to match your system. Set default reading status and ownership type so adding books is one tap, not four. Secure by Default Lock the app with Face ID or Touch ID. Enable optional push notifications only for the things you want to be interrupted for — you’re in control. Bookshelf syncs with your account at bookshelf.nz, so everything you add on your phone is instantly available on the web too.

About

Booklore

Track your reading privately and offline. Log books, update progress, rate finished titles, and add notes. Features include a reading timer with ambient sounds, habit-building tools like streaks and goals, and insightful year-end summaries.

Highlights
  • Offline reading log
  • Track reading progress
  • Rate and review books
  • Reading timer with ambient sounds
  • Reading streaks and goals
  • Import/export library data
  • Yearly reading summaries
Features
Read full description

Every book you read, one tap away. Booklore is a reading log for people who would rather be reading: add a book, log your page, close the app. No sign-up stands between you and your first book, and your library lives on your phone. On the shelf • Find books by title, author or ISBN, or scan the barcode on the back cover • Shelves for Reading, Want to Read, Read, Paused and Did Not Finish, plus your own shelves and tags • Rate in half-stars, from ½ to 5, and tag a book's mood and pace • Print books, e-books and audiobooks side by side, with rereads counted At the page • Log progress with one tap (¼, ½, ¾, Finished) or type the exact page • Reading an e-book or listening to an audiobook? Enter the percentage your reader or player shows • See how much reading time is left in a book, at your own measured pace • Time a session and add ambient sound: rain, ocean, forest, café, fireplace and more, generated on your device • A Live Activity keeps the running session on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island • Write notes and a review, and capture a quote straight off the page with your camera Over the year • A reading calendar that fills in every day you read • Streaks with a best-streak record, and a yearly goal that paces you from the day you set it • A daily reminder that skips the days you already read, scheduled on your device • Home Screen widget, Apple Watch app and Siri ("Start reading in Booklore") • Your Year in Books and monthly wrap-up cards to share, plus all-time stats Your library, your phone • Bring your library over from a CSV export and export everything whenever you like • Optional backup to your own iCloud • Book search and one-time cover downloads are the only network use, and cover downloads can be switched off • Your reading is never sold or used to build a profile of you Happy reading.

Screenshots

Bookshelf.nz3 screens
Booklore4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Booklore at 3 against Bookshelf.nz's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bookshelf.nz ships an update every 9 days, Booklore fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Bookshelf.nz versus Booklore: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookshelf.nzBooklore
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB7 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHayden SearleHazem Abdeltawab

In-app purchases

None

Bookshelf.nz

No in-app purchases

None

Booklore

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bookshelf.nz free?
Bookshelf.nz is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Booklore free?
Booklore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bookshelf.nz or Booklore have ads?
Neither Bookshelf.nz nor Booklore shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bookshelf.nz or Booklore?
Bookshelf.nz ships an update every 9 days, and Booklore fortnightly. Most recently, Bookshelf.nz was updated on October 14, 2026 and Booklore on October 25, 2026.

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