Libby, the library app vs YLN Catalog
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Libby, the library app
Access your local library's digital collection of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines for free. Read or listen on your phone or tablet, download titles for offline use, and personalize your reading experience with customizable settings.
- Borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines
- Send ebooks to Kindle (US only)
- Offline reading and listening
- Customizable reading experience
- Adjustable audiobook playback speed
- Sleep timer for audiobooks
- Organize titles with tags
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Libby connects you to your local library’s collection of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more. With just your library card, you can instantly read or listen to books on your phone or tablet — for free, thanks to your public library! Browse and borrow everything from timeless classics to the latest New York Times bestsellers, and enjoy your next great read anytime, anywhere. What You Can Do with Libby - Browse your library’s digital catalog of books - Borrow and enjoy ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines - Send ebooks to your Kindle (U.S. libraries only) - Listen to audiobooks through Apple CarPlay - Download titles for offline reading, or stream them to save space - Use tags to create to-be--read lists or organize your favorite titles - Keep your reading position with automatic syncing across all your devices A Beautiful Reading Experience Enjoy a seamless reading experience with Libby’s elegant, easy-to-use ebook reader: - Adjust text size, background color, and book design to fit your preferences - Zoom into magazines, comics, and graphic novels - Define and search for words or phrases instantly - Read and listen to interactive read-alongs with your kids - Add bookmarks, notes, and highlights to personalize your reading An Immersive Audiobook Player Libby’s audiobook player makes listening effortless and enjoyable: - Slow down or speed up playback (0.6x to 3.0x) - Set a sleep timer for nighttime listening - Swipe easily to skip forward or backward - Add bookmarks, notes, and highlights as you listen Read Anywhere, Anytime Libby is designed for everyone, including kids, teens, and adults. Whether you’re exploring new stories, catching up on bestsellers, or revisiting your favorite books, Libby keeps reading simple, fun, and accessible. Built by OverDrive, Libby proudly supports public libraries and the joy of reading for all. Download Libby today and turn your device into your personal library.
YLN Catalog
Explore your library's collection from anywhere to discover new and familiar books, movies, and games. Search the full catalog, including digital content, and manage your account by placing holds, checking due dates, and renewing items.
- Search library catalog
- Discover books, movies, games
- Access eContent
- Place holds
- Check due dates
- Renew titles
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The YLN Catalog allows you to explore your library on the go to find new books, movies, games, or your old favorites! Quickly search the entire catalog, including eContent, and place holds, check due dates and renew eligible titles.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Libby, the library app at 84% against YLN Catalog's 0%. Libby, the library app also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.7) and ratings volume (4.6M vs 31). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Libby, the library app holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Libby, the library app has 4.6M ratings behind it against 31, 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 0% of YLN Catalog's.
Libby, the library app ships an update monthly, YLN Catalog every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Libby, the library app | YLN Catalog |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (4.6M ratings) — better | 1.7 (31 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 83.7% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4.6M — better | 31 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #3 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | OverDrive, Inc. | Yavapai County Library District Office |
Customer experience
Libby, the library app
YLN Catalog
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)
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- Integration with other e-book/audiobook services
YLN Catalog
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Libby, the library app
No in-app purchases
YLN Catalog
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Libby, the library app free?
Is YLN Catalog free?
Which has better reviews, Libby, the library app or YLN Catalog?
Do Libby, the library app or YLN Catalog have ads?
Which is updated more often, Libby, the library app or YLN Catalog?
Other comparisons
