Sotheby's vs Harvard Library Checkout
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sotheby's
Access extraordinary art, precious objects, wine, and jewelry from auctions worldwide. Track bids, register for auctions, and explore past and upcoming sales with expert insights.
- Bid in live and online auctions
- Track bids and registrations
- Browse open, upcoming, and past auctions
- Search past and present lots
- Manage profile and view purchases
- Access favorite auctions and lots
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Extraordinary auctions. Exceptional finds. Anytime, anywhere. The Sotheby’s iOS app provides collectors with exceptional access to the world’s most extraordinary art, precious objects, wine and jewellery, together with the unparalleled expertise of our world-class specialists. Track your bids and registrations effortlessly. Bid in live and online auctions. Browse open, upcoming, and past auctions. Browse fixed price retail items in search results. Quickly access your favorite auctions and lots. Search past and present lots. Manage profile, view purchases, and customize your settings.
Harvard Library Checkout
This app allows Harvard Library patrons to check out items from select libraries using their phone's camera to scan barcodes. It automatically recognizes your library location and requires a Harvard ID for login. Some libraries may require additional deactivation steps.
- Barcode scanning for checkout
- Automatic library location recognition
- Harvard ID login
- Item deactivation guidance
- Supports multiple Harvard libraries
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All patrons with a Harvard Library borrowing account may use the Harvard Library checkout app to check out items from Cabot Science, Tozzer, and Countway Libraries and the Biblioteca Berenson The app will automatically recognize your library location. Download the app to your phone, open the app and login with your with your Harvard ID number (located on the front of your Harvard ID or Harvard Library borrower card) and use your phone’s camera to take pictures of the barcodes on the items you want to check out. Note that at Tozzer Library you will also need to deactivate the checked-out item at the deactivation station before leaving the library.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Harvard Library Checkout at 100% against Sotheby's's 24%. Harvard Library Checkout also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.4) and ads (none vs shown). Sotheby's's advantage is ratings volume (95 vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Harvard Library Checkout holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sotheby's has 95 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of Sotheby's's written reviews are positive against 100% of Harvard Library Checkout's.
Sotheby's ships an update every 2 weeks, Harvard Library Checkout monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sotheby's | Harvard Library Checkout |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (95 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 24.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 95 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 53 MB | 408 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Sothebys | Meescan Inc. |
Customer experience
Sotheby's
Harvard Library Checkout
Bugs and requests
Sotheby's
Reported bugs
10 issues- Cannot sort auction lots
- Cannot follow, view, or bid
- App crashes on launch
- ID verification camera not focusing
- Photo upload issues
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- Saved objects not displaying correctly
- App freezes or crashes during use
- Lot details never load
- AppleTV app fails to open
- App thinks it's on an iPhone on iPad
Requested features
8 requests- Allow sorting of auction lots
- Improve search functionality
- Enable calendar integration
- Make app landscape compatible
- Simplify personalization options
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- Improve account integration
- Allow file uploads for ID verification
- Fix AppleTV app issues
Harvard Library Checkout
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sotheby's
No in-app purchases
Harvard Library Checkout
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sotheby's free?
Is Harvard Library Checkout free?
Which has better reviews, Sotheby's or Harvard Library Checkout?
Do Sotheby's or Harvard Library Checkout have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sotheby's or Harvard Library Checkout?
Other comparisons
