Comparison

Libby, the library app vs Biblio Library

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

Head to head
About

Libby, the library app

Access millions of free ebooks and audiobooks from your local library. Borrow titles instantly with your library card, download for offline enjoyment, and enjoy a customizable reading and listening experience.

Highlights
  • Borrow ebooks and audiobooks
  • Download for offline access
  • Send ebooks to Kindle
  • Adjust reader settings
  • Customize audio player
  • Create book lists
Currently charting
Read full description

All over the world, local libraries offer millions of ebooks and audiobooks. You can borrow them — for free, instantly — with a library card and Libby: the award-winning, much-loved app for libraries. • Browse your library’s digital catalog of books — from classics to NYT best-sellers • Borrow and enjoy ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines • Download titles for offline reading, or stream them to save space • Send ebooks to your Kindle (U.S. libraries only) • Listen to audiobooks via Apple CarPlay • Use tags to create your must-read list and any other book lists you want • Keep your reading position automatically synced on all your devices In our beautiful, intuitive ebook reader: • Adjust text size, background color, and book design • Zoom into magazines and comic books • Define and search for words and phrases • Read and listen to read-alongs with your kids • Add bookmarks, notes, and highlights In our ground-breaking audio player: • Slow down or speed up the audio (0.6 to 3.0x) • Set a sleep timer • Simply swipe to skip forward and backward • Add bookmarks, notes, and highlights Libby is built by the team at OverDrive, in support of local libraries everywhere. Happy reading!

About

Biblio Library

Access and enjoy your library's digital audiobooks and e-books in one convenient application. Stream or download titles for offline listening and reading, making literature accessible anywhere.

Highlights
  • Borrow digital books
  • Read and listen to literature
  • Offline access
  • Explore top lists and categories
  • Search for favorite titles
  • Pause playback for calls
Features
Read full description

All digital books in one app! Biblio makes it easy to read and listen to your library's literature wherever you are. Biblio is the library app where you can borrow, read and listen to your favorite literature, both streamed and off-line. Explore among top lists, categories or search your favorites. Off-line If you want to save surf or have a bad cell coverage, you can download the books you want to read or listen to. The books are then stored on your device and you can listen to them on the train or on the flight without interruption. Biblio, the extension of your library. Biblio makes it possible to access your library's book catalog. If you do not find the book that you would like to read or listen to, please contact your library and they will help you find what you are looking for. There may be limits as to how many books you can borrow. If you have questions about how many books you can borrow, please contact your library and they will inform you about which rules they have. Logins are managed by your library. If you have problems logging in, please contact your library. Most libraries are connected to Biblio (Sweden, Finland) some may be a part of a portal and that name will show in the login list. If you do not find the library you are looking for, please contact your library. App rights. Biblio asks for rights to your phone function. The app uses this right to pause playback of a book when you receive a phone call.

Screenshots

Libby, the library app4 screens
Biblio Library3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Libby, the library app at 84% against Biblio Library's 13%. Libby, the library app also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (4.4M vs 10). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Libby, the library app holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Libby, the library app has 4.4M ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Libby, the library app's written reviews are positive against 13% of Biblio Library's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Libby, the library app ships an update monthly, Biblio Library every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Libby, the library app versus Biblio Library: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLibby, the library appBiblio Library
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (4.4M ratings) — better3.0 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews83.7% of reviews — better12.5% of reviews
Number of ratings4.4M — better10
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#3 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB35 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperOverDrive, Inc.Axiellmedia AB

Customer experience

Libby, the library app

All ratings4,415,685 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews9,405 reviews
Positive83.7%
Neutral4.9%
Negative11.4%

Biblio Library

All ratings10 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive12.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative75.0%

Bugs and requests

Libby, the library app

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Issues with downloading and syncing content
  • Unreliable playback controls for audiobooks
  • Inconsistent behavior when placing holds
  • Disappearing reading history and bookmarks

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to search across multiple libraries
  • Custom reading/listening speed controls
  • Improved recommendation and discovery tools
  • Option to purchase unavailable titles
  • Customizable reading experience (fonts, themes)
Show 1 more
  • Integration with other e-book/audiobook services

Biblio Library

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Libby, the library app

No in-app purchases

None

Biblio Library

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Libby, the library app free?
Libby, the library app is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Biblio Library free?
Biblio Library is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Libby, the library app or Biblio Library?
Libby, the library app is rated higher. Libby, the library app averages 4.9 out of 5 from 4.4M ratings, while Biblio Library averages 3.0 from 10 ratings.
Do Libby, the library app or Biblio Library have ads?
Neither Libby, the library app nor Biblio Library shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Libby, the library app or Biblio Library?
Libby, the library app ships an update monthly, and Biblio Library every 2 months. Most recently, Libby, the library app was updated on September 25, 2026 and Biblio Library on June 1, 2026.

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