Little Free Library vs Mibrarian
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Little Free Library
Discover nearby book-sharing locations with this app. Find libraries using filters, get directions, and save your favorites. Track your visits and leave notes for stewards. If you manage a library, update its details directly.
- Find nearby book-sharing locations
- Search filters by location
- Get directions and create routes
- Favorite and track visited libraries
- Leave notes in guest books
- Edit library listings in real-time
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The Little Free Library app makes it easy to find little library locations near you! Use the search filters to narrow in on little libraries you want to visit, easily get directions to the nearest ones, or create a route. See a library you like? Add it to your list of favorites. Track the libraries you visit using the handy check-ins feature. If you’re a Little Free Library steward, there’s a section of the app just for you that lets you edit your library’s listing in real time! Little Free Library Map: Easy-to-use search filters help you find Little Free Libraries by zip code, city/state, charter number, or your current location. Favorite and Track the Little Libraries You Visit: Keep a list of your favorite little libraries and track the ones you visit using check-ins. Get Directions or Create Routes: Tap the Get Directions button to get step-by-step directions to the nearest Little Free Library book-sharing box, or add multiple little libraries to a route. Sign the Guest Book: After you stop by a particular little library, leave a note for the steward (aka caretaker) in its guest book! The guest book is a fun way to connect with the little library steward and see what other visitors have to say. Features for Little Free Library Volunteer Stewards: If you’re the steward of a registered Little Free Library, the app lets you edit your library’s listing in real time! Add new photos, update your library’s story, include social media links, enable a guest book for your visitors, and much more… all from within the app.
Mibrarian
Easily catalog your personal book collection, track reading progress, and manage borrowed books. Add titles by scanning, searching, or manual entry, and enrich your library with details and ratings.
- Catalog books via scan, search, or manual entry
- Rate and review books
- Track reading progress
- Manage book lending to others
- Fetch rich book details automatically
- Organize and personalize your library
- Offline access
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Welcome to the easiest way to manage your personal library! Whether you're an avid reader, a teacher managing classroom books, or simply lending books to friends and family, our app simplifies your library experience. Quickly catalog your collection, add ratings, track your reading progress, and never lose track of who borrowed your books. Features: Easily Catalog Your Books: Quickly add books by scanning barcodes, searching by title, or manually entering information. Rate and Review: Keep personal ratings, add comments, and mark books as read to track your reading history. Effortless Lending: Check out books to friends, family, students, or colleagues. Never forget who borrowed your books! Rich Book Details: Automatic fetching of book information, cover images, and details from the Open Library database. Personalized Library: Organize your collection and easily find your next read or see your favorites at a glance. Offline Friendly: Manage your collection anytime, anywhere no internet connection required.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mibrarian at 100% against Little Free Library's 47%. Mibrarian also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Little Free Library's advantage is ratings volume (199 vs 2) and chart position (#85 vs unranked). 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.
Mibrarian holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Little Free Library has 199 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Little Free Library's written reviews are positive against 100% of Mibrarian's.
Little Free Library ships an update every 3 weeks, Mibrarian weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Little Free Library | Mibrarian |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (199 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 47.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 199 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #85 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Little Free Library, Ltd | Iron Elephant Solutions |
Customer experience
Little Free Library
Mibrarian
Bugs and requests
Little Free Library
Reported bugs
18 issues- App crashes on startup or after 2-3 clicks
- Instant crash when opening app
- Loading screen freezes indefinitely
- Check-in submit button spins forever without submitting
- Favorite feature causes immediate crash
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- Search this area button disappears after use
- Map not loading or displaying libraries
- Login causes app to crash
- App kicks user out after few seconds
- Email confirmation links non-functional
- Help ticket submission page broken
- Check-in notifications appear but don't display in app
- Dark mode purple text unreadable
- Steward registration stuck in infinite loop
- Location services not working
- App incompatible with iOS updates
- Routing doesn't follow selected library order
- Incomplete form loading for stewards
Requested features
14 requests- Ability for non-stewards to add missing libraries
- Retroactive check-in date editing
- Children's book category indicator
- Book genre/category specifications
- Want-to-visit list separate from favorites
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- Photo update capability for all users
- Library condition status tracking
- Goodreads integration
- Little Pantry location support
- Book availability search feature
- Improved routing that respects selected order
- Better steward portal UX for adding comments
- Reduced banner size on map display
- Full Google Maps integration
Mibrarian
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Little Free Library
No in-app purchases
Mibrarian
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Little Free Library free?
Is Mibrarian free?
Which has better reviews, Little Free Library or Mibrarian?
Do Little Free Library or Mibrarian have ads?
Which is updated more often, Little Free Library or Mibrarian?
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