Acorn Catalog vs Darien Library
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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 acornapp@biblio.org. Crash? Report it. This software is open source! If you have the means and the interest to contribute, visit https://github.com/kenstir/hemlock
Darien Library
Access a vast collection of books, audiobooks, movies, and more from your local library. Search the catalog, place holds, and borrow digital items instantly. New content is added weekly, offering endless entertainment and learning opportunities.
- Search library catalog
- Place and manage holds
- Borrow digital items
- Access online learning resources
- Manage family borrowing
- View borrowing history
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Enjoy instant access to all the collections that Darien Library has to offer. Search for and place holds on books, audiobooks, DVDs, magazines, and tech gadgets. Explore our digital collection of books, audiobooks, movies, music, magazines, TV shows, and online learning resources. For many of our digital items, there's no wait, so you can borrow items right away! We add new items each week, so check back frequently to see what your library has for you. With the Darien Library app, you can: - Search the catalog - Check due dates - Renew eligible items - Place and manage holds - View your borrowing history - Access your library barcode - Create lists to track your interests - Manage your family's borrowing through Linked Accounts More features are coming soon, so stay tuned. Our mission is to provide education, entertainment, enrichment, and community building through compassionate service to all.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Darien Library at 5.0 against Acorn Catalog's 3.4. Darien Library also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). Acorn Catalog's advantage is ratings volume (15 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Darien Library holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acorn Catalog has 15 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Acorn Catalog ships an update every 5 months, Darien Library every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Acorn Catalog | Darien Library |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (15 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 15 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bibliomation, Inc. | Darien Library |
Customer experience
Acorn Catalog
Darien Library
In-app purchases
Acorn Catalog
No in-app purchases
Darien Library
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Acorn Catalog free?
Is Darien Library free?
Which has better reviews, Acorn Catalog or Darien Library?
Do Acorn Catalog or Darien Library have ads?
Which is updated more often, Acorn Catalog or Darien Library?
Other comparisons
