Little Free Library vs DeerReader
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.
DeerReader
Organize and listen to your digital audiobooks with a beautiful, intelligent player. Features adaptive UI, fast search, and automatic sorting into collections using AI. Enjoy a seamless listening experience with home screen widget access.
- Adaptive player UI matching audiobook cover
- Fast, unified search for books and authors
- Home screen widget for instant access
- AI-powered automatic organization into collections
- Intuitive playback controls
- Support for large digital libraries
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Your audiobooks, beautifully organized. DeerReader is a sleek, intelligent audiobook player designed for serious listeners and collectors. Whether you have a few favorites or a sprawling digital library, DeerReader gives you the tools to make listening effortless and beautiful. -- Seamless Listening Experience -- DeerReader adapts to you. The player UI matches your audiobook cover, so every session feels immersive and cohesive. Play, pause, and skip with intuitive controls designed for long sessions. -- Instant Search, Instant Listening -- Find the right book, author, or collection in seconds. Our fast, unified search makes browsing huge libraries feel light and responsive. -- Home Screen Widget -- Stay in the story, right from your home screen. Instantly jump back into your audiobook with our widget and see your recent listens at a glance. -- Let Apple Intelligence Do the Sorting -- DeerReader can use Apple Intelligence to automatically organize your audiobooks into themed collections and series, complete with matching artwork and clean labels (perfect for large libraries). ----- Why DeerReader? - Designed with audiobook lovers in mind - Gorgeous, adaptive design - Home screen widget access - Full collection support - Lightning-fast search - Intelligent auto-sorting Whether you’re replaying a classic or diving into something new, DeerReader makes every listen smoother, smarter, and more beautiful. 100% Private DeerReader never collects or transmits your data. Everything stays on your device, always. A subscription removes the hourly support message. Payment will be charged to your Apple account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. Your account will be charged according to your plan for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. You can manage or turn off auto-renew in your Apple ID account settings at any time after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://www.deerreader.app/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Please reach out for support at: cloverfield.tech.llc@gmail.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: DeerReader at 100% against Little Free Library's 47%. DeerReader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8). Little Free Library's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (199 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. DeerReader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Little Free Library asks for nothing beyond the download.
DeerReader 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 DeerReader's.
Little Free Library ships an update every 3 weeks, DeerReader every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Little Free Library | DeerReader |
|---|---|---|
| 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 — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #91 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Little Free Library, Ltd | Cloverfield Technologies LLC |
Customer experience
Little Free Library
DeerReader
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
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- 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
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- 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
DeerReader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Little Free Library
No in-app purchases
DeerReader
- Yearly Support Subscription$9.991 Year
Questions
Is Little Free Library free?
Is DeerReader free?
Which has better reviews, Little Free Library or DeerReader?
Do Little Free Library or DeerReader have ads?
Which is updated more often, Little Free Library or DeerReader?
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