Comparison

Open Library Reader vs Libraries Online

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Libraries Online

Access your library's digital catalog to search for books, reserve items, and manage your account on the go. Explore a wide range of online resources directly from your mobile device.

Highlights
  • Search library catalog
  • Reserve items
  • Manage library account
  • Access online resources
Features
Read full description

Take Libraries Online everywhere you go! -Search the catalog and reserve items -Manage your library account -Access online resources and much more!

Screenshots

Open Library Reader1 screens
Libraries Online3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Libraries Online at 100% against Open Library Reader's 26%. Libraries Online also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Open Library Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Libraries Online holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 51 and 145 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Open Library Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of Libraries Online's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Open Library Reader ships an update every 2 months, Libraries Online every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Open Library Reader versus Libraries Online: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpen Library ReaderLibraries Online
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (51 ratings)4.9 (145 ratings) — better
Positive reviews26.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings51145 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLoomis House, LLCCapira Technologies

Customer experience

Open Library Reader

All ratings50 ratings
Positive44.0%
Neutral14.0%
Negative42.0%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive26.2%
Neutral19.0%
Negative54.8%

Libraries Online

All ratings145 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Open Library Reader

No in-app purchases

None

Libraries Online

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Open Library Reader free?
Open Library Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Libraries Online free?
Libraries Online is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Open Library Reader or Libraries Online?
Libraries Online is rated higher. Open Library Reader averages 3.1 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while Libraries Online averages 4.9 from 145 ratings.
Do Open Library Reader or Libraries Online have ads?
Neither Open Library Reader nor Libraries Online shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Open Library Reader or Libraries Online?
Open Library Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Libraries Online every 3 weeks. Most recently, Open Library Reader was updated on October 20, 2026 and Libraries Online on October 14, 2026.

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