# Aspen LiDA vs FMPL

The clearest difference is rating: FMPL at 4.0 against Aspen LiDA's 1.4. FMPL also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 9%). Aspen LiDA's advantage is ratings volume (235 vs 4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

FMPL holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aspen LiDA has 235 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of Aspen LiDA's written reviews are positive against 50% of FMPL's.

Aspen LiDA ships an update monthly, FMPL every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aspen LiDA | FMPL |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.4 (235 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aspen-lida/id1581124727/reviews) | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fmpl/id6444294823/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **235** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 9.2% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 56 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ByWater Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465780740) | [Town of Flower Mound](https://appshunter.io/developer/781777508) |

## What reviewers say

### Aspen LiDA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aspen-lida/id1581124727)

Discover books, movies, and games from your library anywhere. Search the full catalog, including digital content, to find titles, place holds, and manage your loans.

**Highlights:** Search entire library catalog, Discover books, movies, and games, Access eContent, Place holds on items, Check due dates, Renew eligible titles

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 App works fine for ordering books
- 👍 Can see other books in series (Libby feature comparison)
- 👍 App is convenient for library card access
- 👍 App allows placing and renewing holds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App frequently crashes
- 🐛 App logs users out repeatedly
- 🐛 App is slow to load
- 🐛 App freezes
- 🐛 App does not save login info

**Reported bugs**

- App kicks users out
- App doesn't renew books with holds
- App doesn't renew all books even when Renew All is pressed
- App won't open, shows spinning wheel
- App freezes

**Requested features**

- Show position in hold queue
- Allow saving login information
- Implement facial/fingerprint recognition for login
- Improve search functionality for genres/topics
- Allow managing multiple library cards


### FMPL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fmpl/id6444294823)

Access your local library's catalog, place holds on items, and discover upcoming events. Manage your account and explore digital resources on the go.

**Highlights:** Search library catalog, Reserve items, View upcoming events, Manage account, Access digital resources

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aspen LiDA free?

Aspen LiDA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FMPL free?

FMPL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Aspen LiDA or FMPL?

FMPL is rated higher. Aspen LiDA averages 1.4 out of 5 from 235 ratings, while FMPL averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Aspen LiDA or FMPL have ads?

Neither Aspen LiDA nor FMPL shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Aspen LiDA or FMPL?

Aspen LiDA ships an update monthly, and FMPL every 3 weeks. Most recently, Aspen LiDA was updated on October 30, 2026 and FMPL on October 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*