# KCLS vs Bookshop.org

The clearest difference is rating: Bookshop.org at 4.8 against KCLS's 3.8. Bookshop.org also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (57% vs 28%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Bookshop.org holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshop.org has 2.1K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of KCLS's written reviews are positive against 57% of Bookshop.org's.

KCLS ships an update every 3 months, Bookshop.org every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | KCLS | Bookshop.org |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kcls/id746221889/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **2.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 27.5% of reviews | **56.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#171** |
| Size | 22 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [King County Library System](https://appshunter.io/developer/470795180) | [Bookshop, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706515971) |

## What reviewers say

### KCLS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kcls/id746221889)

Manage your library account conveniently from your mobile device. Discover new books, place holds, renew borrowed items, and easily locate library branches and their hours.

**Highlights:** Discover and search library collection, Place, manage, and cancel holds, Renew borrowed items, Rate and save titles, Find library locations and hours, Browse bestsellers and new arrivals

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to log in
- 👍 Fun books to read
- 👍 Excellent app
- 👍 Helpful for all ages
- 👍 Convenient for managing holds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable app
- 🐛 Constant sign in issues
- 🐛 Failed sign in attempts count against user
- 🐛 Return book function doesn't work
- 🐛 Search bar coded too narrowly

**Reported bugs**

- Keeps logging out
- Constant sign in issues
- Failed sign in attempts count against user
- Return book function doesn't work
- Search bar coded too narrowly

**Requested features**

- Correct misspellings in search
- Allow less than exact search terms
- Auto-correction in search
- Word suggestion in search
- Dark mode option


### Bookshop.org

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshoporg-ebook-reader/id6465290096)

**Currently charting:** #171 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Read your ebooks and discover new titles while supporting independent bookstores. All ebook purchases made through this platform directly benefit local bookshops, ensuring their continued success in the digital age.

**Highlights:** Read ebooks from your library, Browse millions of ebooks, Add titles to wishlist, Support local bookstores with purchases, Connect seamlessly with Bookshop

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Wonderful app
- 👍 Great alternative to Amazon
- 👍 Supports local bookstores
- 👍 Clean and pleasing interface
- 👍 Solid app for a new release

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Formatting issues (lack of italics, poor paragraph spacing, etc.)
- 🐛 Buggy page turning and navigation
- 🔧 Limited customization options (fonts, themes, brightness, etc.)
- 🔧 Missing essential features (highlighting, note-taking, search, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to remember last page read
- Scrolling issues and unexpected page skipping
- Formatting problems (stripped italics, weird paragraph spacing)
- Settings not persisting between app sessions

**Requested features**

- More font and theme options
- Ability to adjust line spacing, margins, and other formatting
- Implement highlighting, annotation, and note-taking features
- Add search functionality
- Improve page turning and navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is KCLS free?

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

### Is Bookshop.org free?

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

### Which has better reviews, KCLS or Bookshop.org?

Bookshop.org is rated higher. KCLS averages 3.8 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Bookshop.org averages 4.8 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do KCLS or Bookshop.org have ads?

Neither KCLS nor Bookshop.org shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, KCLS or Bookshop.org?

KCLS ships an update every 3 months, and Bookshop.org every 5 days. Most recently, KCLS was updated on October 21, 2026 and Bookshop.org on October 20, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*