Pricing
ShelfLife is free.
Every shelf, every theme, every feature on this page. No ads, no subscription, and no in-app currency or microtransactions.
Download the appWhat you get
- Visual shelves you arrange yourself, with spines, stacks, and shelf objects
- Shelf backdrops, plus custom themes you build and name
- Spine photography, so a book on your shelf looks like the copy you own
- Adding books by barcode, ISBN, title, or author
- Goodreads and StoryGraph imports, with ratings, dates, and reviews
- Separate dated, rated reviews for every reread supporting half-star ratings
- Spoiler masking inside reviews
- Your Top 12
- Book Signal recommendation requests and replies
- Following, a chronological feed, and public shelf browsing in Explore
- Reading goals, monthly recaps, and shareable shelf cards
- The web app at app.theshelflifeapp.com
How a free app pays for itself
ShelfLife is built by two people, Macy and Alex, in Northern Virginia. We are funding it ourselves while it grows, which is why it costs nothing to use and carries no advertising.
We may add an optional supporter tier later for more advanced sharing features. The core will stay free: your shelves, your reading life, your people. You will always be able to download and share your shelves for free.
Reading is a private thing, so we do not sell personal information or build advertising profiles, and our analytics cannot receive book titles, authors, or ISBNs by design. If you would rather send nothing at all, there is a switch for that in Privacy settings.
Questions about cost
Is ShelfLife really free?
Yes. ShelfLife is free on iOS, Android, and the web. There is no paid tier, no in-app currency, and no ads. Every feature listed on this page and shown in our marketing is included for everyone.
Will ShelfLife stay free?
Everything in ShelfLife today will stay free forever. We may add an optional supporter tier later with more niche features and customizations, but the things that make ShelfLife itself, your shelves, your reading life, and your people, will stay free. You will always be able to download and share your shelves for free.
Do you show ads or sell reading data?
No. ShelfLife shows no ads, sells no personal information, and does not build advertising profiles. Analytics are limited to product events and cannot receive book titles, authors, or ISBNs by design. You can turn analytics off in Privacy settings.
Is there a limit on how many books I can add?
No. Add as many books and build as many shelves as you like, both public or private. A single shelf holds up to twenty decorative objects (for now, but this number will only go up as we expand), and you can save up to thirty custom themes.
What does it cost to import my Goodreads or StoryGraph library?
Nothing. Imports are part of the free app. Export your library from Goodreads or StoryGraph and bring the file straight in.
Nothing to decide
Build one shelf and see.
It is free, it takes a few minutes, and your Goodreads or StoryGraph history can come with you.
Download the appQuestions? info@fisherbirdsoftware.com