# Better Bookshelf vs Readerly

The clearest difference is rating: Readerly at 5.0 against Better Bookshelf's 4.2. Better Bookshelf's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Better Bookshelf sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Readerly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Readerly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Better Bookshelf has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Better Bookshelf ships an update every 3 days, Readerly weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Better Bookshelf | Readerly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/better-bookshelf/id6791765002/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readerly-book-tracker/id6805789090/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 42 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Matthew Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791765004) | [Jovanne Villarino](https://appshunter.io/developer/6805789092) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Readerly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readerly-book-tracker/id6805789090)

Track your reading habits with detailed statistics and insights. Log books, notes, and quotes, and visualize your reading life over time. Offers advanced analytics for a deeper understanding of your reading patterns.

**Highlights:** Detailed reading statistics, Log books, notes, and quotes, Visualize reading pace and trends, Private data storage on device, Barcode scanning for books, Import reading data from files, Shareable reading insights

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Readerly Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Readerly Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Better Bookshelf free?

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

### Is Readerly free?

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

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

Readerly is rated higher. Better Bookshelf averages 4.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Readerly averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Better Bookshelf or Readerly have ads?

Neither Better Bookshelf nor Readerly shows ads.

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

Better Bookshelf ships an update every 3 days, and Readerly weekly. Most recently, Better Bookshelf was updated on October 31, 2026 and Readerly on October 31, 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.*