The Urbana Free Library vs Boundless
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Urbana Free Library
Manage your library account on the go, including renewing items, searching the catalog, and accessing digital content. Scan book barcodes to check availability and discover library events. Access eBooks and eAudiobooks directly through the app.
- Renew items
- Manage account
- Search catalog
- Access digital content
- Scan barcodes
- Find library events
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Take The Urbana Free Library with you anywhere you go. Search the catalog, access digital content, find events, and more. On the go and see a book you like? Use the app to scan the barcode to see if a copy is available for checkout in the Library. Need to book a study room? You can do that in the app. Visit urbanafreelibrary.org for a full list of resources.
Boundless
Access a vast collection of ebooks, digital audiobooks, and videobooks from your local library or school. Enjoy a seamless reading, listening, and watching experience with personalized recommendations and engaging reading programs.
- Discover ebooks, audiobooks, and videobooks
- Read, listen, and watch in one app
- Personalized recommendations
- Join library reading programs
- Track reading progress and earn badges
- Customizable reading experience
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Boundless by Baker & Taylor gives users the ability to discover and enjoy ebooks, digital audiobooks, video and videobooks from their library or school on mobile devices. • Read, listen, and watch all in one app • Supports eRead-Along and videobook content • Recommendations based on your interests • Join reading programs and challenges from your library • See your progress and earn badges for reading achievements • Notetaking, bookmarking, page layout and font controls Boundless is a digital content service from Baker & Taylor, the premier distributor of books and entertainment products to libraries. Boundless Library is a service from Baker & Taylor, the premier distributor of books and entertainment products.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Boundless at 4.4 against The Urbana Free Library's 3.5. Boundless also leads on ratings volume (18K vs 4) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). The Urbana Free Library's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 32%). 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.
Boundless holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boundless has 18K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of The Urbana Free Library's written reviews are positive against 32% of Boundless's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
The Urbana Free Library ships an update every 3 months, Boundless monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Urbana Free Library | Boundless |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (4 ratings) | 4.4 (18K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 32.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 18K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 177 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Urbana Free Library | Baker & Taylor |
Customer experience
The Urbana Free Library
Boundless
Bugs and requests
The Urbana Free Library
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Boundless
Reported bugs
4 issues- Books disappearing from user's shelf
- Inability to return or renew books
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between profiles
- Audiobook playback issues
Requested features
5 requests- Improved page turning and navigation controls
- Ability to adjust margins and font settings
- Offline access to downloaded content
- Better integration with other reading apps
- More detailed progress tracking and analytics
In-app purchases
The Urbana Free Library
No in-app purchases
Boundless
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Urbana Free Library free?
Is Boundless free?
Which has better reviews, The Urbana Free Library or Boundless?
Do The Urbana Free Library or Boundless have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Urbana Free Library or Boundless?
Other comparisons
