# Bibliotheca vs ShelfStream

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bibliotheca at none against ShelfStream's 2. Bibliotheca also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). ShelfStream's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 10 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ShelfStream sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Bibliotheca asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bibliotheca ships an update every 10 months, ShelfStream weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bibliotheca | ShelfStream |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfstream-comic-reader/id6757660174/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 13 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tomohiko Shimizu](https://appshunter.io/developer/436129129) | [株式会社リモシア](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639657831) |

## What reviewers say

### Bibliotheca

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bibliotheca/id703760945)

Discover and borrow books from nearby libraries in Japan. Search by title or ISBN, check availability, and reserve titles. You can also find library information and bookmark your favorites.

**Highlights:** Search books by title or ISBN, Barcode scanning for book search, Find nearby libraries, Check book availability, Reserve books for borrowing, Bookmark books and libraries

**In-app purchases:** none


### ShelfStream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelfstream-comic-reader/id6757660174)

This app is a powerful comic and manga viewer that supports a wide range of file formats and cloud storage services. It offers a premium reading experience with intelligent prefetching and multiple viewing modes, along with easy library management.

**Highlights:** Cloud storage integration (iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box), NAS and server connection (SMB, WebDAV, FTP/SFTP), Zero load time prefetching, Multiple reading modes (single, spread, vertical scroll), Support for ZIP, CBZ, RAR, CBR, PDF, 7z, Library organization and bookmarks

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plan | $0.49 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $5.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bibliotheca free?

Bibliotheca is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ShelfStream free?

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

### Do Bibliotheca or ShelfStream have ads?

Neither Bibliotheca nor ShelfStream shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bibliotheca or ShelfStream?

Bibliotheca ships an update every 10 months, and ShelfStream weekly. Most recently, Bibliotheca was updated on September 30, 2026 and ShelfStream on October 2, 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.*