Libby, the library app vs ChapterBite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Borrow ebooks and audiobooks
- Download for offline access
- Send ebooks to Kindle
- Adjust reader settings
- Customize audio player
- Create book lists
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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!
ChapterBite
This app transforms classic literature into a daily ritual by unlocking one new chapter each day for a shared reading experience. Enjoy a distraction-free environment to track progress, highlight passages, and explore timeless novels at your own pace, even offline.
- Daily chapter unlocks
- Shared reading experience
- Progress tracking
- Distraction-free reading
- Offline reading
- Highlighting and bookmarking
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ChapterBite makes classic literature effortless. Every day, a new chapter unlocks for you and readers around the world -- creating a shared reading experience that turns great books into a daily ritual. How it works: One new chapter unlocks every day at midnight Read at your own pace -- each chapter takes just 10-15 minutes Track your progress as you move through timeless novels When you finish a book, the next one begins automatically Start with the classics: Begin your journey with Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, then continue with Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, with more books on the way. Built for readers who want more: Beautiful, distraction-free reading experience Highlight your favorite passages Bookmark pages to revisit later See your reading streaks and stats Explore characters without spoilers Works offline so you can read anywhere No overwhelming TBR lists. No pressure to keep up. Just one chapter, every day, one book at a time!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Libby, the library app at 4.4M against ChapterBite's 1. Libby, the library app also leads on chart position (#2 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Libby, the library app against 5.0 for ChapterBite. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Libby, the library app has 4.4M ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Libby, the library app ships an update monthly, ChapterBite every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Libby, the library app | ChapterBite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (4.4M ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4.4M — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #2 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | OverDrive, Inc. | Nikhil Sethi |
Customer experience
Libby, the library app
ChapterBite
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
ChapterBite
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Libby, the library app
No in-app purchases
ChapterBite
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Libby, the library app free?
Is ChapterBite free?
Which has better reviews, Libby, the library app or ChapterBite?
Do Libby, the library app or ChapterBite have ads?
Which is updated more often, Libby, the library app or ChapterBite?
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