Library Notes vs Italic Type
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!
Italic Type
Organize your reading life with this book tracker. Import data, manage your reading queue, and take private notes on books, quotes, and new words. Share recommendations and create virtual book clubs.
- Import Goodreads data
- Manage reading queue
- Add context labels
- Private book board for notes
- Track quotes and new words
- Recommend books to friends
- Create virtual book clubs
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Italic Type is the simple, beautifully-designed book tracker loved by avid readers and authors. Easily import your Goodreads data. Email us to help with a custom spread sheet. Add books you want to read to your queue. Add a context label to remember why you want to read it or who recommended it. Keep track of your reading and take notes in your own private book board. Keep track of quotes you love, new words you find, or add links for the things you look up. Recommend books to friends and start pop up virtual book clubs. Review books with keywords and expressions to capture what you thought. https://www.italictype.com/privacy/ https://www.italictype.com/terms/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Library Notes at 5.0 against Italic Type's 4.8. Library Notes also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 86%). Italic Type's advantage is ratings volume (30 vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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.
Library Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Italic Type has 30 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Library Notes's written reviews are positive against 86% of Italic Type's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Library Notes | Italic Type |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | 4.8 (30 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 86.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 30 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Brian Dewey | Italic Type LLC |
Customer experience
Library Notes
Italic Type
In-app purchases
Library Notes
No in-app purchases
Italic Type
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Library Notes free?
Is Italic Type free?
Which has better reviews, Library Notes or Italic Type?
Do Library Notes or Italic Type have ads?
Which is updated more often, Library Notes or Italic Type?
Other comparisons
