Comparison

BookBub vs Little Free Library

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BookBub

Discover daily deals on bestselling and free ebooks across all genres. Track your wishlist and receive price alerts for your favorite titles, ensuring you never miss a sale on books you want to read.

Highlights
  • Daily ebook deals
  • Hundreds of free ebooks
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Wishlist tracking
  • Price alerts
  • Genre and price filtering
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Discover amazing deals on bestselling ebooks, plus hundreds of free ebooks. Track your wishlist and get alerts when your most wanted titles go on sale. BookBub helps millions of readers save money on ebooks they'll love. Our expert editors hand pick incredible ebook deals every day across all major genres — romance, mystery, thrillers, women's fiction, fantasy, contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and many more — from bestselling authors to hidden gems. WHY READERS LOVE BOOKBUB: THE BIGGEST EBOOKS, UP TO 95% OFF We feature limited-time ebook deals from all major retailers. Get huge savings on the biggest books and authors, including #1 New York Times bestsellers. HUNDREDS OF FREE EBOOKS Unlock a vast selection of free ebooks across 40+ genres, with new titles added each day YOUR PERSONAL BOOK TRACKER Build your reading wishlist and never miss a sale. Add any book you want to read, and we'll notify you when it's discounted. Track your TBR (to-be-read) list, sort by release date or author, and mark it as read when you're done. PERSONALIZED TO YOUR READING TASTE Our editorial team hand picks from thousands of ebooks to bring you only the best — from BookTok favorites to award-winning fiction. FEATURES: - Browse daily ebook deals personalized to your reading preferences - Track unlimited books on your wishlist - Get price alerts for specific titles or favorite authors - Discover popular titles to add to your list - Filter deals by genre and price - Buy from your favorite ebook store "When we say 'deal,' we mean it — many of BookBub's titles are free entirely, $0.99, or just a couple of bucks." — Lifehacker "Bargain-basement deals on ebooks." — The New York Times Join millions of happy readers saving money on ebooks every day. Questions? Visit bookbub.com/apphelp

About

Little Free Library

Discover nearby book-sharing locations with this app. Find libraries using filters, get directions, and save your favorites. Track your visits and leave notes for stewards. If you manage a library, update its details directly.

Highlights
  • Find nearby book-sharing locations
  • Search filters by location
  • Get directions and create routes
  • Favorite and track visited libraries
  • Leave notes in guest books
  • Edit library listings in real-time
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Little Free Library app makes it easy to find little library locations near you! Use the search filters to narrow in on little libraries you want to visit, easily get directions to the nearest ones, or create a route. See a library you like? Add it to your list of favorites. Track the libraries you visit using the handy check-ins feature. If you’re a Little Free Library steward, there’s a section of the app just for you that lets you edit your library’s listing in real time! Little Free Library Map:  Easy-to-use search filters help you find Little Free Libraries by zip code, city/state, charter number, or your current location. Favorite and Track the Little Libraries You Visit:  Keep a list of your favorite little libraries and track the ones you visit using check-ins. Get Directions or Create Routes:  Tap the Get Directions button to get step-by-step directions to the nearest Little Free Library book-sharing box, or add multiple little libraries to a route. Sign the Guest Book:  After you stop by a particular little library, leave a note for the steward (aka caretaker) in its guest book! The guest book is a fun way to connect with the little library steward and see what other visitors have to say. Features for Little Free Library Volunteer Stewards: If you’re the steward of a registered Little Free Library, the app lets you edit your library’s listing in real time! Add new photos, update your library’s story, include social media links, enable a guest book for your visitors, and much more… all from within the app.

Screenshots

BookBub4 screens
Little Free Library4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BookBub at 4.7 against Little Free Library's 3.8. BookBub also leads on ratings volume (962 vs 199) and chart position (#28 vs #90). Little Free Library's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BookBub holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 962 and 199 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of BookBub's written reviews are positive against 47% of Little Free Library's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
BookBub versus Little Free Library: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookBubLittle Free Library
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (962 ratings) — better3.8 (199 ratings)
Positive reviews53.8% of reviews — better47.3% of reviews
Number of ratings962 — better199
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#28 — better#90
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB17 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPubmark Inc.Little Free Library, Ltd

Customer experience

BookBub

All ratings960 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.5%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews182 reviews
Positive53.8%
Neutral8.8%
Negative37.4%

Little Free Library

All ratings169 ratings
Positive59.2%
Neutral7.7%
Negative33.1%
Written reviews112 reviews
Positive47.3%
Neutral8.0%
Negative44.6%

User reviews

BookBub

From 962 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤩 Great deals on books
  • 📚 Variety of genres and authors
  • 💰 Affordable and free books
  • 🔍 Personalized recommendations

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Limited to Apple Books only
  • 🔍 Lack of search functionality
  • 📝 Inability to leave reviews
  • 🔁 Repeated email subscriptions

Little Free Library

From 199 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🗺️ Excellent map feature for locating libraries
  • 📍 GPS-based location discovery
  • ⭐ Ability to favorite and track visited libraries
  • 🧭 Driving directions integration
  • 📱 User-friendly interface design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent and persistent crashes
  • ⚠️ App won't open or load
  • 🔄 Endless loading screens
  • 📵 Incompatible with recent iOS updates
  • ❌ Check-in feature consistently fails

Bugs and requests

BookBub

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes or freezes during use
  • Sign-up and login issues
  • Incompatibility with certain devices or operating systems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for Kindle and other ebook platforms
  • Implement search and filtering options
  • Allow users to manage their reading lists and leave reviews
  • Improve email subscription management

Little Free Library

Reported bugs

18 issues
  • App crashes on startup or after 2-3 clicks
  • Instant crash when opening app
  • Loading screen freezes indefinitely
  • Check-in submit button spins forever without submitting
  • Favorite feature causes immediate crash
Show 13 more
  • Search this area button disappears after use
  • Map not loading or displaying libraries
  • Login causes app to crash
  • App kicks user out after few seconds
  • Email confirmation links non-functional
  • Help ticket submission page broken
  • Check-in notifications appear but don't display in app
  • Dark mode purple text unreadable
  • Steward registration stuck in infinite loop
  • Location services not working
  • App incompatible with iOS updates
  • Routing doesn't follow selected library order
  • Incomplete form loading for stewards

Requested features

14 requests
  • Ability for non-stewards to add missing libraries
  • Retroactive check-in date editing
  • Children's book category indicator
  • Book genre/category specifications
  • Want-to-visit list separate from favorites
Show 9 more
  • Photo update capability for all users
  • Library condition status tracking
  • Goodreads integration
  • Little Pantry location support
  • Book availability search feature
  • Improved routing that respects selected order
  • Better steward portal UX for adding comments
  • Reduced banner size on map display
  • Full Google Maps integration

In-app purchases

None

BookBub

No in-app purchases

None

Little Free Library

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BookBub free?
BookBub is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Little Free Library free?
Little Free Library is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BookBub or Little Free Library?
BookBub is rated higher. BookBub averages 4.7 out of 5 from 962 ratings, while Little Free Library averages 3.8 from 199 ratings.
Do BookBub or Little Free Library have ads?
Neither BookBub nor Little Free Library shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BookBub or Little Free Library?
BookBub ships an update every 3 weeks, and Little Free Library every 3 weeks. Most recently, BookBub was updated on November 11, 2026 and Little Free Library on November 11, 2026.
Which is more popular, BookBub or Little Free Library?
BookBub currently peaks at #28 in the App Store charts, and Little Free Library at #90. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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