Open Library Reader vs MetroShare Libraries
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Open Library Reader
Access and read millions of books from an online library. Organize your reading lists, track borrowed books, and discover related titles within a familiar reading interface. Requires an internet connection.
- Browse and check out millions of books
- Track reading progress and wishlists
- Built-in search and related title discovery
- Shelf management and edition changes
- Checkout tracking for borrowed books
- Customizable reading interface
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Open Library is an online library with millions of books to browse or check out. You can track the books that you're reading, want to read, etc. and read many of them right there. PLEASE NOTE: This app is an interface to the openlibrary.org web site — if you don't use that site to read books, you may have trouble figuring out what the app is for. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the site first, and then you'll understand what the app offers. This app is one reader's effort to create the ideal portable experience for taking advantage of Open Library's amazing collection. You'll get the best experience out of this app on an iPad, but you can use it on a smaller screen (if you don't mind squinting). The moment you open the app and log in, any books you've already saved on the Open Library site are laid out on your screen. You can sort them by title, author, publication date, and date saved, see which books are available to read, and open them with a single tap. Once you've opened a book in the familiar reading interface, a tap at the top of the screen will trigger the full screen mode, removing every distraction and expanding the book pages to the limits of your screen for the perfect reading experience. Other features include: - Built-in search: find and add books to your shelves from inside the app. - Shelf management: move books between shelves, remove books, change the edition of a book. - Related title search: choose a book on your shelf and quickly find more books like it. - Checkout tracking: see at a glance how long you have left on limited-access books you've checked out. - Customization: choose which shelves you want to see and manage the size of the books and their titles. This app is essentially an alternative interface to the Open Library site — all of your data is stored there, and the books you read are hosted online, not in the app. As a result, an active internet connection is required when you are using this app. Open Library is an initiative of the Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. The developer of this app has no legal or contractual relationship with Open Library or the Internet Archive, and bears no responsibility for the content found there.
MetroShare Libraries
Access your local library's catalog from your mobile device. Search for books, movies, and games, place holds, and manage your account by checking due dates and renewing items.
- Search library catalog
- Find books, movies, games
- Place holds on items
- Check due dates
- Renew eligible titles
- Explore eContent
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The MetroShare app allows you to explore your library on the go to find new books, movies, games, or your old favorites! Quickly search the entire catalog, including eContent, and place holds, check due dates and renew eligible titles. MetroShare is a library consortium featuring Benbrook Public Library, Burleson Public Library, Decatur Public Library, Forest Hill Public Library, Haltom City Public Library, Haslet Public Library, Keller Public Library, Richland Hills Public Library, Roanoke Public Library, Saginaw Public Library, and Watauga Public Library. MetroShare is funded in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services through a grant to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (Grant Number CAP-22081). (2022)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Open Library Reader at 3.0 against MetroShare Libraries's 1.4. Open Library Reader also leads on ratings volume (50 vs 7) and review sentiment (26% vs 17%). 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.
Open Library Reader holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Open Library Reader has 50 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Open Library Reader's written reviews are positive against 17% of MetroShare Libraries's.
Open Library Reader ships an update every 2 months, MetroShare Libraries every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Open Library Reader | MetroShare Libraries |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (50 ratings) — better | 1.4 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 26.2% of reviews — better | 16.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 50 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Loomis House, LLC | Benbrook Public Library |
Customer experience
Open Library Reader
MetroShare Libraries
In-app purchases
Open Library Reader
No in-app purchases
MetroShare Libraries
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Open Library Reader free?
Is MetroShare Libraries free?
Which has better reviews, Open Library Reader or MetroShare Libraries?
Do Open Library Reader or MetroShare Libraries have ads?
Which is updated more often, Open Library Reader or MetroShare Libraries?
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