Reading shelf price index

The index

How to read the index

"Rough cost of a year" assumes you keep paying for twelve months, which is exactly what forgetful subscribers end up doing. For monthly plans it is twelve times the monthly price; for plans with a yearly option it is the yearly price. Magic Bookmark has no subscription, so its yearly cost depends on how many books you need a recap for. Twelve books a year means the free first book plus 11 credits: a 10-pack and one single credit come to $39.98, or a 50-pack is $69.99 and leaves 39 credits that never expire.

• Free covers most people: Libby plus Speak Screen plus, if you read Kindle ebooks in the US, Story So Far.
• Per-book pricing fits readers who need a recap for a handful of books a year, not every book.
• Subscriptions fit daily users. If you are not using one weekly, pause or cancel it; see the subscription audit checklist.

Prices that changed recently, and what to watch

Pocket no longer has a price: it shut down on 8 July 2025, and exports ended 8 October 2025. Audible Premium Plus credits expire 12 months after issue or on cancellation, which is a cost if you bank them; see Audible credits expire. Magic Bookmark is a young app that ships updates often, so check its App Store listing for current pack prices before buying.

How we check prices

Every price above comes from the tool's own App Store listing, pricing page or help center on the date in the caption, not from third-party roundups. We re-check reading shelf prices quarterly, as set out in the desk rules. If a seller's page shows a different price, the seller's page is right; we update ours at the next check and date the change.

Free first, then pay for the one gap

Most readers do not need more than one paid tool. Work out which gap you actually have: no books (pay for audiobooks), no voice you can stand (pay for text-to-speech), or no memory of the plot (pay per book for recaps). Pay for that one, and check again in three months whether you still use it.