Nextcloud Notes vs PDF Shelf
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Nextcloud Notes
This app allows you to create, edit, and organize notes on your mobile device. It syncs seamlessly with a Nextcloud server, ensuring your notes are accessible across all your devices and the web interface. Supports plain text and markdown formatting for versatile note-taking.
- Syncs with Nextcloud server
- Create and delete notes
- Organize notes in categories
- Plain text editing
- Markdown formatting
- Export notes
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Note: Access to a Nextcloud server with the Notes app installed is required to use this app. Visit https://nextcloud.com for more information. Nextcloud Notes is a notes editor that syncs with the Notes app (https://github.com/nextcloud/notes/releases) on your server. Once you have logged in to your server, all notes will be kept in sync between devices and also the web interface. Optionally supports sync on startup. You can create and delete notes directly on the device. Notes can be organized in categories. Edit as plain text or use markdown for rich formatting. Notes can be copied or exported to other apps or services in several formats. If you have a sync client (optional) installed on your desktop computer all notes will be there too, and can be edited with any text editor.
PDF Shelf
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PDFShelf is the #1 PDF reader and reading tracker app that transforms your documents into a beautiful digital bookshelf — and turns reading into a daily habit you'll love. Whether you're a student managing academic papers, a professional organizing work documents, or a book lover tracking your reading goals, PDFShelf gives you everything in one elegant, powerful app. --- YOUR BEAUTIFUL DIGITAL LIBRARY Import any PDF, Word document (DOCX/DOC), or image and watch it appear on a stunning virtual bookshelf with colorful spines. Organize your entire reading collection at a glance — just like a real bookshelf, but smarter. - PDF reader with dark mode, sepia mode & night reading theme - Word document viewer — open DOCX and DOC files instantly - Organize books into 16+ built-in categories: Academic, Work, Science, Photography & more - Create unlimited custom categories to match your life - Search your entire library in seconds - Beautiful shelf view or clean grid view — your choice --- POWERFUL PDF READER & DOCUMENT VIEWER Read your documents with a feature-rich viewer built for focus and comfort: - Full PDF reader with smooth page scrolling and zoom - Built-in text search with highlighting — find anything instantly - Dark mode, sepia mode, and normal reading themes - Screen brightness control for comfortable night reading - PDF table of contents navigation - Highlight text and add sticky notes with color-coded annotations - Auto-saves your page and reading progress every session --- BUILD A READING STREAK & REACH YOUR GOALS The reading habit tracker that keeps you consistent: - Daily reading goal — set your target in minutes and crush it every day - Reading streak counter — track consecutive reading days and beat your best - Streak protection and milestone badges to keep you motivated - "Continue Reading" carousel — jump back into any book with one tap - Smart reading reminders — schedule notifications on specific days and times - Never lose your reading momentum --- DEEP READING STATISTICS & ANALYTICS Know your reading habits better than ever: - Total reading time across your entire library - 7-day bar chart and 30-day reading heatmap (like GitHub for books) - Books finished, in progress, and not started at a glance - Reading pace: average daily reading over 7 days and 30 days - Time spent per category — see where you focus most - Top books ranked by time read - Reading history preserved even for deleted books - Set and monitor daily reading goals with progress tracking --- NOTES, HIGHLIGHTS & ANNOTATIONS Capture your thoughts as you read: - Write and save personal notes for any book - Create color-coded sticky note stickers on any page - Export your highlights and notes - Your annotations are private and stored locally on your device --- SMART READING REMINDERS Build the reading habit with intelligent reminders: - Schedule recurring reading reminders for any book - Choose specific days of the week and exact times - Tap the notification to open exactly where you left off - Never forget to read again PERFECT FOR: - Students tracking academic reading and research papers - Professionals organizing work documents and reports - Book lovers building a daily reading habit - Language learners reading PDFs and study materials - Writers and researchers managing reference documents - Anyone who wants to read more and procrastinate less WHY READERS LOVE PDFSHELF: - No cloud required — your books and data stay private on your device - Import from Files app, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or any source - Dark, beautiful design that's easy on the eyes - Works offline — read anywhere, no internet needed - Lightweight and fast — no bloat, just reading - Free to download with an optional Pro upgrade THE READING HABIT TRACKER FOR SERIOUS READERS. PDFShelf supports: PDF, DOCX, DOC, and image files. Reading data is stored locally on your device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nextcloud Notes at none against PDF Shelf's 3. PDF Shelf's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. PDF Shelf sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Nextcloud Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Nextcloud Notes | PDF Shelf |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.2 (95 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 27.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 95 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nextcloud GmbH | Youssef Bouhouch |
Bugs and requests
Nextcloud Notes
Reported bugs
19 issues- Notes randomly appear empty and lose content
- Empty files being saved to server
- Login resets to default server address
- 404 errors when getting settings
- Sync fails with large note collections
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- Navigation menu disappears after editing
- Keyboard covers input area
- Search field disappears after closing notes
- Cursor jumps to top of note while typing
- App disconnects during editing
- Session timeout errors with non-dismissible dialogs
- Conflict resolution interface unreadable
- Cannot switch between markdown and preview modes
- Notes don't upload from mobile to server
- Inconsistent note naming behavior
- App overwrites server files without checking versions
- Login fails with self-hosted servers
- App password authentication not supported
- Slow text input with 100ms delay per character
Requested features
17 requests- Text formatting options (bold, underline, italics)
- File and image attachment support
- Note categorization and organization
- Pin important notes to top
- Ability to rename notes easily
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- Offline mode with local caching
- Multi-account/profile switching
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Undo/redo functionality
- App-specific password support
- End-to-end encryption support
- Checkbox functionality in reading mode
- Share to Notes from other apps
- App lock with biometric authentication
- Direct note opening to preview page
- Remember app state on restart
- Mac app availability
PDF Shelf
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Nextcloud Notes
No in-app purchases
PDF Shelf
- PDFShelf Pro — Monthly$2.991 Month
- PDFShelf Pro — Yearly$14.991 Year
- Documents Shelf Life time$49.99
Questions
Is Nextcloud Notes free?
Is PDF Shelf free?
Do Nextcloud Notes or PDF Shelf have ads?
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