What is Yomu?
Yomu is an indie ebook reader for macOS, iPhone, and iPad. The name is Japanese for “to read,” and the app has been around since 2013 — one of the longest-running third-party ebook readers on the Apple platform.
Yomu reads EPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW, AZW3, and comic book formats (CBZ/CBR). It supports iCloud sync for books and annotations across devices, and offers a clean, distraction-free reading experience with multiple themes and customizable typography.
It’s a solid reader with a loyal user base — especially among readers who value a simple, focused app that stays out of the way.
Where they overlap
BookShelves and Yomu are remarkably similar in concept: both are indie-developed, Apple-only ebook readers with iCloud sync, multi-format support, and a freemium model. If you’re choosing between them, the differences matter more than the similarities.
What they share:
- Universal Apple app — Mac, iPhone, iPad
- Multi-format support — EPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW, AZW3
- iCloud sync — books, reading positions, and annotations
- Themes — day, sepia, night modes
- Customizable typography — font size, line spacing, margins
- DRM-free only — neither opens DRM-protected books
- Freemium pricing — free tier with a one-time Pro upgrade
Feature comparison
| Feature | BookShelves | Yomu |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS, iOS, iPadOS | macOS, iOS, iPadOS |
| EPUB | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes | |
| MOBI / PRC / AZW / AZW3 | Yes — auto-converted on import | Yes |
| KEPUB | Yes — auto-converted on import | No |
| Comics (CBZ/CBR/CB7) | Yes | Yes (CBZ/CBR) |
| Import sources | Drag-and-drop, file picker, folder import | iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OPDS, Calibre, iTunes |
| Metadata lookup | Automatic on import (title, author, cover) | No |
| Library organization | Shelves, grid/list views, sort by multiple fields | Collections by author, series, genre |
| iCloud sync | Yes — books, position, bookmarks, highlights (Pro) | Yes — Cloud Library (Pro) |
| Reading customization | Themes, fonts, line spacing, margins | Themes, font size, line height, margins |
| Highlights & notes | Yes — multi-color, synced, all formats | Yes — text formats only (no PDF/comic annotations) |
| Export highlights | Yes — Markdown, JSON, CSV (Pro) | Apple Shortcuts, Readwise |
| Free book catalogs | Built-in (Standard Ebooks, Internet Archive) | No — import books yourself |
| OPDS | OPDS client + OPDS v1.2/v2.0 server (Pro) | OPDS client (browse external catalogs) |
| Full-text search | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-window (macOS) | Yes — open multiple books side-by-side | No |
| Email to device | Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook, reMarkable (Pro) | No |
| Text-to-speech | Yes — Read Aloud (Pro) | No |
| Pro price | $2.99 (one-time) | $7.99 (one-time) |
What BookShelves does differently
Free book discovery
BookShelves has a built-in catalog with thousands of free, public domain classics from Standard Ebooks and Internet Archive. Browse by subject, search by author, and download directly into your library with one tap. Yomu doesn’t include any book discovery — you need to find and import books yourself.
OPDS server
BookShelves runs an OPDS server on your Mac that shares your library on the local network. Any OPDS-compatible reader — KOReader on a Kindle, Thorium on a PC, KyBook on an iPad — can browse and download your books over Wi-Fi. Yomu has an OPDS client for browsing external catalogs, but can’t serve your library to other devices.
For setup details, see the OPDS guide.
Automatic metadata
Drop a book into BookShelves and it looks up the title, author, and cover art automatically. In Yomu, imported books show whatever metadata the file contains — if the cover is missing or the author field is wrong, it stays that way.
Highlight export formats
BookShelves exports highlights to Markdown, JSON, or CSV — standard formats you can use anywhere. Yomu exports through Apple Shortcuts or Readwise, which is useful if you’re in that ecosystem but less flexible otherwise.
Multi-window on Mac
Open multiple books side-by-side in separate macOS windows. Useful for comparing texts or keeping reference material open. Yomu is single-window only.
Lower Pro price
BookShelves Pro is $2.99, Yomu Pro is $7.99. Both are one-time purchases covering all Apple devices.
Where Yomu is the better choice
You use Dropbox or Google Drive for book storage
Yomu imports directly from Dropbox and Google Drive. BookShelves uses iCloud or local files — if your ebook library lives in Dropbox, Yomu integrates more naturally with your existing setup.
You export highlights to Readwise
Yomu has direct Readwise integration through Apple Shortcuts. If Readwise is central to your reading workflow, that’s a smoother path than exporting CSV from BookShelves and importing manually.
You’ve been using it for years
Yomu has been around since 2013. If your library, annotations, and reading history are already in Yomu and everything works, there may not be a compelling reason to switch.
Switching from Yomu
If you want to try BookShelves alongside Yomu:
- Export your books — find your book files in iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or wherever Yomu stores them
- Drag into BookShelves — drop the EPUB, PDF, or MOBI files onto the BookShelves window
- Metadata fills in automatically — titles, authors, and covers are looked up on import
Both apps can coexist on the same device. Your book files aren’t locked to either app — they’re just files.
Note: Highlights and annotations don’t transfer between apps. If you have extensive notes in Yomu, you may want to export them through Yomu’s Shortcuts integration before switching.
See the full feature list to explore everything BookShelves offers.
