CW MARS Libraries vs Acorn Catalog
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CW MARS Libraries
Access the shared catalog of libraries across Central and Western Massachusetts. Requires a library card and password from a participating CW MARS member library to use.
- Access shared library catalog
- Search for books and materials
- Manage library account
- Find participating libraries
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CW MARS Libraries gives you access to the shared library catalog for all CW MARS member libraries in Central and Western Massachusetts. To use this app, you must have a library card from a CW MARS member library, and know your password. If you do not know your password, or need a library card, please contact your local library.
Acorn Catalog
Access public library resources across Connecticut. Search the catalog, place holds, manage checked-out items, and renew borrowed materials. Requires a library card from a Bibliomation member library.
- Search library catalog
- Place holds on items
- Review checked-out items
- Renew borrowed materials
- Access 63 public libraries
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With Acorn Catalog, you have access to sixty-three public libraries across Connecticut. To use this app, you must have a library card with a Bibliomation member library and know your password. If you do not know your password, please contact your local library. Acorn Catalog lets you: * Search the catalog * Place a hold * Review the items you have checked out * Renew items Problem? Send email to kenstir.apps@gmail.com. Crash? Report it. This software is open source! If you have the means and the interest to contribute, visit https://github.com/kenstir/hemlock
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: CW MARS Libraries at 3.8 against Acorn Catalog's 3.3. Acorn Catalog's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 56%). On price, ratings volume, 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.
CW MARS Libraries holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 14 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of CW MARS Libraries's written reviews are positive against 67% of Acorn Catalog's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
CW MARS Libraries ships an update every 4 months, Acorn Catalog every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on June 3, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CW MARS Libraries | Acorn Catalog |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (26 ratings) — better | 3.3 (14 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 56.3% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 26 — better | 14 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kenneth Cox | Bibliomation, Inc. |
Customer experience
CW MARS Libraries
Acorn Catalog
In-app purchases
CW MARS Libraries
No in-app purchases
Acorn Catalog
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is CW MARS Libraries free?
Is Acorn Catalog free?
Which has better reviews, CW MARS Libraries or Acorn Catalog?
Do CW MARS Libraries or Acorn Catalog have ads?
Which is updated more often, CW MARS Libraries or Acorn Catalog?
Other comparisons
