Library Notes vs Library Catalog
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Library Notes
This app helps book lovers organize their thoughts and memories about the books they read. It allows users to create detailed notes and offers a unique review mode to help recall key information and quotes.
- Organize book notes
- Create reading logs
- Review mode for memory recall
- Capture quotes and prompts
- Open-source
- User owns all data
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Library Notes is a free, open-source iOS app for taking notes about the books you read. There’s no service, no accounts, no passwords. You always own your data. If you are a book lover, your reading log and the notes you take about the books you read are one of the most important things you create in your life. Your notes help books become a part of you. Inspired by Commonplace Books, Library Notes is an iPad and iPhone app designed specifically for book notes. To help you remember your book notes, Library Notes has “review mode.” Review mode scans your notes for quotes, prompt questions, and fill-in-the-blank questions. It prompts you with this material to make sure you constantly refresh your memory with all of the great things you’ve been capturing. You are what you read!
Library Catalog
Organize all your printed books digitally with this app. Easily add books, create custom lists, and attach them to virtual shelves for quick retrieval. Share collections, get expert recommendations, and access your library across all devices.
- Add books with a few clicks
- Attach printed books to virtual shelves
- Create book lists using a global database
- Share book collections and links
- Get expert recommendations
- Make wish-lists and reading lists
- Access lists on all devices
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ALL YOUR BOOKS IN ONE APP: • Add books by a few clicks to the e-Catalog of books • Attach your printed books to your virtual shelves in the App to quickly find them in your home • Create easily any book lists using the App's global database • Share book collections, their content and links to books from the App by messengers or email • Preview the parts of the books you are interested in • Get recommendations from recognized experts • Make wish-lists and reading lists • Access your lists in all your devices • Edit books info, add book photos and links , Add tags to a book and search by a tag BEST SOLUTION FOR: • Lovers of books and reading • Sellers or Givers by lists of books • Personal and corporate libraries • Bloggers • Book clubs • Educational institutions • Professional communities
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Library Notes at 100% against Library Catalog's 73%. Library Notes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Library Catalog's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (15 vs 4). 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.
Library Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Library Notes's written reviews are positive against 73% of Library Catalog's.
Library Notes ships an update every 3 months, Library Catalog every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Library Notes | Library Catalog |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | 4.8 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 72.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 15 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Brian Dewey | Vladimir Yakushev |
Customer experience
Library Notes
Library Catalog
In-app purchases
Library Notes
No in-app purchases
Library Catalog
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Library Notes free?
Is Library Catalog free?
Which has better reviews, Library Notes or Library Catalog?
Do Library Notes or Library Catalog have ads?
Which is updated more often, Library Notes or Library Catalog?
Other comparisons
