Bookzy vs. Scoutly vs. ScoutIQ: The Book Scanning App Breakdown Every Amazon Bookseller Needs to See
For Amazon booksellers, choosing the right book scanning app may dramatically impact sourcing efficiency and profitability. Apps like Bookzy Mobile, Scoutly, and ScoutIQ are designed to help sellers evaluate potential inventory quickly. But how do these tools differ, and which provides the best mix of data accuracy, speed, and usability?
This guide provides an in-depth, data-driven breakdown of the three leading book scanning apps, explaining their core features, pricing, and support options to help sellers make an informed choice.
What a Book Scanning App Does (and Why It Matters)
A book scanning app helps Amazon resellers instantly analyze a book’s sales potential by scanning its barcode. These tools use Amazon’s product data to display:
- Current and historical sales rank
- Average price and Buy Box range
- Profit and ROI estimates
- Account-specific restrictions on ASINs
Free or entry-level tools such as Profit Bandit or the Amazon Seller app rely only on live data, which depends on internet connectivity. They also lack downloadable databases, making them less reliable in low-signal areas and slower when scanning in bulk. Database-based apps like Bookzy Mobile, Scoutly, and ScoutIQ allow offline scanning and access to historical data, improving both accuracy and speed.
Understanding Sales Rank and E-score
Before comparing these apps, it helps to understand two critical performance metrics: Sales Rank and E-score.
- Sales Rank measures how frequently an item sells compared to others in the same category. Lower numbers indicate higher sales frequency.
- Average Sales Rank (ASR) offers a much more credible and reliable measure of long-term demand by averaging a product’s rank over time rather than showing only the current snapshot. While Sales Rank reflects performance at a single moment, it can swing drastically, especially for long-tail books that sell infrequently. A book may appear to have strong demand if its current rank improves briefly after one sale, but the overall average often tells a different story. Making purchase decisions based solely on current rank may lead to overestimating demand, which makes relying more on ASR a wiser move.
- E-score, sold quantity, or the number drops on Keepa sales rank graph shows how many days out of 180 an item has sold — a strong indicator of steady demand.
Unlike Profit Bandit and the Amazon Seller app, which show only current rank, the database-based apps deliver these deeper insights, reducing the risk of making buying decisions based on temporary rank spikes.
Feature Comparison: Scoutly vs. ScoutIQ vs. Bookzy Mobile
Each of these book scanning apps serves the same core purpose, to make the Amazon bookselling journey more efficient and lucrative. In this business, profitability often depends on how quickly a seller can identify the small percentage of books with both strong demand and solid margins. The goal is to eliminate the 95% or more of titles that are unprofitable or have weak demand as quickly as possible. When the same profit can be achieved in two hours instead of twenty, the business becomes far more rewarding. These tools are essential for speeding up that decision-making process and helping booksellers focus only on high-potential inventory. However, each app approaches that mission in a slightly different way.
1. Scoutly
Scoutly supports multiple marketplaces, including the U.S. and Canada. It provides both live and database modes, enabling sellers to work efficiently online or offline. The unlimited database plan costs about $35 per month. Additionally, Scoutly integrates with TurboLister, a companion listing software designed to speed up the listing process.
Customer support is primarily handled through an online knowledge base. While this system provides detailed documentation, users who prefer direct contact options may find it less convenient.
2. ScoutIQ
ScoutIQ, now part of 3Colts, focuses on the U.S. marketplace and is well-known for its simplicity and efficient scanning capabilities. Its unlimited database plan costs around $44 per month. The app includes the E-score metric but does not display average sales rank.
Because 3Colts manages several software solutions for various seller categories, response times for customer support can vary. ScoutIQ users typically communicate via email with troubleshooting issues. Additionally, it is important to note that 3Colts is not primarily focused on the bookselling niche. The company targets all types of Amazon sellers, from retail arbitrage and wholesale to private label, which can sometimes lead to slower innovation or lower prioritization of feature requests specific to book resellers, as their broader focus spans many selling categories.
3. Bookzy Mobile (BM)
Bookzy Mobile is designed specifically for booksellers. It includes both average sales rank and E-score, giving sellers a comprehensive view of demand trends. The unlimited database plan costs about $29 per month.
Bookzy Mobile introduces several features that go beyond typical book scanning capabilities:
- Account-specific restriction alerts: Displays whether a book is restricted for the seller’s account before purchase.
- Quick approval requests: Allows sellers to apply for un-gating directly within the app.
- Seller feedback notifications: Sends alerts when new negative feedback is received.
- Inventory insights: Shows if a scanned item is already in the seller’s inventory, along with quantity and inventory age.
- Sales overview: Displays daily sales, price points, and order history within the app.
- High pricing error notifications: This shows the percentage of high pricing errors and can notify you that you have a certain amount of high pricing errors or stranded listings.
- Buy box range tracking: Shows where the current price falls within a 90-day historical range.
Bookzy also downloads databases in the background, allowing sellers to continue using their phones for other tasks. Its support channels include live chat (7 days a week, 7am–5pm ET), email, and optional one-on-one Zoom training sessions.
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Customer Support Comparison
- Scoutly: Offers a detailed knowledge base but lacks live chat or phone options.
- ScoutIQ: Provides email-based support through the 3Colts platform. It may take a prolonged time to get issues resolved, and the lack of live chat support can further extend response times.
- Bookzy: Offers live chat, email, and optional Zoom support, with quick response times during business hours.
Reliable support is essential when scanning on the go, as prompt troubleshooting prevents delays and lost opportunities.
Streamline Your Workflow with Bookz Pro
For sellers looking to scale efficiently, Bookz Pro offers a complete ecosystem of tools that complement Bookzy Mobile. From scouting and sorting to real-time tracking, Bookz Pro serves as an all-in-one solution for Amazon booksellers of every size. It is the only platform designed to comprehensively support sellers across every stage of the business. Bookz Pro offers a complete suite of integrated tools, including:
- Listing software
- Automated repricer
- Inventory manager
- Advanced web application for bulk users
- FBA reimbursement tool to help recover lost revenue
Together, these features streamline every stage of the Amazon bookselling process, allowing users to manage sourcing, pricing, inventory, and fulfillment within a single, unified system. Whether starting out or expanding an established business, this system helps sellers work smarter and grow faster.
Amazon Book Reselling Blueprint
Read now, explore our full guide. Your revolution starts here. Subscribe to get the blueprint!
New users can also access the Amazon Book Reselling Blueprint, a comprehensive guide featuring proven strategies, sourcing methods, and practical tips for success in online book reselling. The blueprint provides a structured approach to building a profitable reselling operation from the ground up and is free to download on the website.
Bookz Pro also offers a free 14-day trial, giving sellers the opportunity to test these tools and discover how optimized book sourcing and inventory management can transform their workflow.
Which Book Scanning App Is Best for You?
Each book scanning app caters to slightly different seller needs:
- Scoutly is best for sellers who operate across multiple Amazon marketplaces or sell non-book items like CDs, DVDs, and video games. Its broader marketplace support makes it ideal for those working outside the U.S. or managing diverse product categories.
- ScoutIQ suits sellers who prefer a simple, streamlined interface focused primarily on the U.S. market. It offers reliable performance for users who value efficiency over advanced data metrics.
- Bookzy Mobile is built exclusively for book and media sellers on the Amazon.com U.S. marketplace. It goes beyond standard scanning by being part of the Bookz Pro all-in-one ecosystem, which connects directly to sellers’ Amazon accounts to provide richer data insights. This deep integration allows Bookzy to deliver real-time feedback on inventory performance, restrictions, and sales activity, features that make sourcing and decision-making much more precise.
What makes Bookzy especially powerful is the team behind it. The founders of Bookzy Mobile, the Bookz Pro team, have been reselling books for decades, collectively holding more than 40 years of experience in the Amazon bookselling industry and millions of books sold. Their firsthand understanding of the challenges and inefficiencies booksellers face has shaped Bookzy’s development. The result is an app that anticipates real-world needs, not just data metrics.
Beyond detailed account-level insights, Bookzy provides faster and more responsive customer support compared to other apps, with live chat and real-time assistance available seven days a week. The development team continues to innovate, consistently releasing new features designed to solve common pain points for booksellers. This ongoing evolution, combined with its deep integration, makes Bookzy Mobile a clear leader and an easy choice for sellers serious about scaling their book business efficiently.
All three apps perform well in database scanning and profitability analysis. The best choice depends on marketplace coverage, preferred metrics, and how much integration and support the seller values.
Conclusion
For Amazon book resellers, the right book scanning app is not optional. It is essential for survival in this competitive space. Having a reliable database app can increase sourcing speed by 10x or even 100x, all for an investment of less than $50 per month. The difference between manual lookups and database scanning is the difference between profit and wasted time. Choosing to use one is not a luxury. It is a necessity for anyone serious about building a sustainable business.
Among the top options, Bookzy Mobile clearly outperforms ScoutIQ in every key area for selling books on the U.S. marketplace. From deeper Amazon account integration to faster updates, better customer support, and more comprehensive data metrics, Bookzy provides unmatched value for booksellers who want to maximize efficiency and results.
Whether using Scoutly, ScoutIQ, or Bookzy Mobile, sellers benefit from faster scanning, better decision-making, and improved sourcing accuracy. But for Amazon booksellers, Bookzy Mobile stands out as the best, most complete solution.
Selecting the right app comes down to business goals: accuracy, speed, and the depth of insights needed for sourcing success.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a book scanning app for Amazon sellers?
A book scanning app lets Amazon resellers scan barcodes to instantly check a book’s profitability, sales rank, and restrictions before purchase.
Why do Amazon booksellers need a scanning app?
It saves time and reduces risk by showing real-time or database-based profit data, helping sellers make faster sourcing decisions.
What’s the difference between live and database scanning?
Live scanning uses real-time Amazon data and requires an internet connection, while database scanning stores data offline for faster performance in low-signal areas.
Which is better — live data or database mode?
Database mode is generally better for bulk scanning and offline sourcing because it’s faster and unaffected by signal issues.
How does a scanning app calculate profit and ROI?
These apps use current and historical pricing data, Amazon fees, and shipping costs to estimate potential profit per book.
What is Sales Rank on Amazon?
Sales Rank shows how often a book sells compared to others in its category. The lower the rank, the higher the sales frequency.
What is Average Sales Rank (ASR)?
ASR averages a book’s sales rank over time, giving a more stable view of long-term demand instead of short-term spikes.
What is E-score in book scanning apps?
E-score represents how many days out of 180 a book has sold, helping sellers identify consistent, in-demand titles.
Why does E-score matter for booksellers?
It helps sellers avoid misleading short-term sales rank drops and focus on books with proven sales history.
Do all scanning apps display E-score and ASR?
No. Bookzy Mobile includes both E-score and ASR, while ScoutIQ only shows E-score, and Scoutly does not display either natively.
What makes Bookzy Mobile different from ScoutIQ and Scoutly?
Bookzy Mobile includes both key demand metrics, live chat support, restriction alerts, and built-in sales insights, all at a lower monthly price.
Which scanning app is most affordable?
Bookzy Mobile offers the most affordable unlimited database plan at around $29/month.
Which scanning app has the best customer support?
Bookzy Mobile provides the most responsive support, including live chat, email, and optional Zoom training.
How do I get started with a book scanning app?
Download the app, log in with your Amazon seller credentials, and start scanning barcodes to view pricing, restrictions, and profit estimates.
Do I need Amazon Pro Seller status to use these apps?
Yes, most book scanning apps require a Professional Seller account to access full Amazon data and API permissions.
How often should I update my database?
It’s recommended to update your database daily to ensure the latest pricing and ranking data.
Can I scan books without an internet connection?
Yes, if you’re using a database-based app like Bookzy Mobile, Scoutly, or ScoutIQ, you can scan offline with preloaded data.
What tools pair best with scanning apps for booksellers?
Pair your scanning app with listing software like Bookz Pro, inventory trackers, and repricers to streamline your workflow.
Can scanning apps connect to Amazon listing software?
Yes. Scoutly connects with TurboLister, and Bookzy Mobile integrates directly with Bookz Pro for listing and inventory tracking.
How does Bookzy Mobile integrate with Bookz Pro?
Bookzy syncs scans, restrictions, and pricing data directly into Bookz Pro, allowing sellers to list, track, and analyze books in one system.
What are restriction alerts in Bookzy Mobile?
They notify you if a book is gated for your Amazon account before you purchase it, preventing wasted inventory buys.
Can these apps show if I already own a scanned book?
Yes. Bookzy Mobile displays if a scanned book is already in your inventory, along with quantity and age details.
How much do the top book scanning apps cost?
ScoutIQ: $44/month, Scoutly: $35/month, Bookzy Mobile: $29/month for unlimited database access.
Which scanning app offers live customer support?
Bookzy Mobile offers 7-day live chat support and optional Zoom onboarding, while Scoutly and ScoutIQ rely mainly on email or self-help articles.
Are there free book scanning apps?
Yes, the Amazon Seller app is free, but it relies on live data and lacks offline database features.
Is Bookzy Mobile suitable for beginners?
Yes. Its user-friendly interface, visual metrics, and live support make it ideal for both new and experienced book resellers.
