# LibraryThing vs Bookshelf

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bookshelf at 94% against LibraryThing's 48%. Bookshelf also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (3K vs 278). LibraryThing's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bookshelf sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. LibraryThing asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bookshelf holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookshelf has 3K ratings behind it against 278, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of LibraryThing's written reviews are positive against 94% of Bookshelf's.

LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, Bookshelf every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LibraryThing | Bookshelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (278 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489/reviews) | **[4.8 (3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-your-virtual-library/id1464032274/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 278 | **3K** |
| Positive reviews | 48.2% of reviews | **93.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#167** |
| Size | 9 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LibraryThing.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/397718884) | [SquidBit d.o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464032273) |

## What reviewers say

### LibraryThing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489)

Catalog your personal book, DVD, and CD collections. Easily add items by searching or scanning barcodes. Enhance your catalog with high-resolution cover photos and browse your collection visually.

**Highlights:** Catalog books, DVDs, and CDs, Search for media items, Scan ISBN barcodes, Add high-resolution cover photos, Browse collection by cover type

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick barcode scanning
- 👍 Useful for cataloging library
- 🚀 Fast book addition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔍 Limited search and editing capabilities
- 🤖 Outdated and dated UI

**Reported bugs**

- Barcode scanner not working
- Books disappearing from catalog
- Editing and saving issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to create custom collections
- Offline access to library
- Integration with other book apps
- Lending/loan tracking feature


### Bookshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-your-virtual-library/id1464032274)

**Currently charting:** #167 Top Grossing · Book (US App Store)

Organize your book collection with virtual shelves and tags. Track reading progress, set goals, and manage your TBR list. Discover new books, share recommendations, and connect with friends' reading journeys.

**Highlights:** Virtual bookshelves and tags, ISBN barcode scanner, Reading progress tracking, TBR wishlist management, Social reading profiles, Book statistics and insights, OCR text scanning for quotes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bookshelf (1 Month) | $2.99 | per month |
| Bookshelf (1 Year) | $19.99 | per year |
| Bookshelf (Lifetime) | $59.99 | one-time |
| Bookshelf (Lifetime) | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Batch scanning feature
- 📚 Excellent for organizing book collections
- 💰 Free app with no limits
- 🔍 Helpful for avoiding book duplicates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Search function could be improved
- 🔢 Inability to add multiple copies of the same book
- 📷 Limited cover image options for some books

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional issues with scanning barcodes
- Trouble accessing app after account creation

**Requested features**

- Ability to organize books by author and series
- Option to filter statistics by bookshelf
- Manual page count entry
- Borrowing/lending tracking system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LibraryThing free?

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

### Is Bookshelf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LibraryThing or Bookshelf?

Bookshelf is rated higher. LibraryThing averages 3.5 out of 5 from 278 ratings, while Bookshelf averages 4.8 from 3K ratings.

### Do LibraryThing or Bookshelf have ads?

Bookshelf shows ads; LibraryThing does not.

### Which is updated more often, LibraryThing or Bookshelf?

LibraryThing ships an update every 4 weeks, and Bookshelf every 2 weeks. Most recently, LibraryThing was updated on September 29, 2026 and Bookshelf on October 3, 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.*