Edmonton Public Library vs BookBub
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Edmonton Public Library
Access library services on the go. Discover new books, manage your account, and find events. Stream or download digital content and check branch information.
- Search library collection with filters
- View title details, reviews, and ratings
- Check title availability and locations
- Place and manage holds
- Download/stream eBooks, eAudiobooks, movies, music
- Manage library account and renewals
- Browse new releases and bestsellers
- Check branch hours and get directions
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Keep the Edmonton Public Library in your pocket! EPL Mobile makes it easy to discover titles, classes and events; manage your EPL account; check branch hours; and more! Features: • Search EPL’s collection easily and quickly, using filters to zero in on the titles you’re looking for. • Get details on any title, any time and anywhere—including descriptions, community reviews and ratings. • Check a title’s availability and map the locations where your title is available now. • Place holds on physical and digital titles, pause current holds and check which holds are ready for pick-up. • Download or stream eBooks, eAudiobooks, movies and music. • Manage your EPL account: renew titles, see the date your next title is due, set your location preferences and more. • Keep track of your interests: add titles to your “For Later” shelf so you can read them later. • Browse new titles, bestsellers and staff picks. • Check branch hours and get directions to the Edmonton Public Library branch nearest you.
BookBub
Discover daily deals on bestselling and free ebooks across all genres. Track your wishlist and receive price alerts for your favorite titles, ensuring you never miss a sale on books you want to read.
- Daily ebook deals
- Hundreds of free ebooks
- Personalized recommendations
- Wishlist tracking
- Price alerts
- Genre and price filtering
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Discover amazing deals on bestselling ebooks, plus hundreds of free ebooks. Track your wishlist and get alerts when your most wanted titles go on sale. BookBub helps millions of readers save money on ebooks they'll love. Our expert editors hand pick incredible ebook deals every day across all major genres — romance, mystery, thrillers, women's fiction, fantasy, contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and many more — from bestselling authors to hidden gems. WHY READERS LOVE BOOKBUB: THE BIGGEST EBOOKS, UP TO 95% OFF We feature limited-time ebook deals from all major retailers. Get huge savings on the biggest books and authors, including #1 New York Times bestsellers. HUNDREDS OF FREE EBOOKS Unlock a vast selection of free ebooks across 40+ genres, with new titles added each day YOUR PERSONAL BOOK TRACKER Build your reading wishlist and never miss a sale. Add any book you want to read, and we'll notify you when it's discounted. Track your TBR (to-be-read) list, sort by release date or author, and mark it as read when you're done. PERSONALIZED TO YOUR READING TASTE Our editorial team hand picks from thousands of ebooks to bring you only the best — from BookTok favorites to award-winning fiction. FEATURES: - Browse daily ebook deals personalized to your reading preferences - Track unlimited books on your wishlist - Get price alerts for specific titles or favorite authors - Discover popular titles to add to your list - Filter deals by genre and price - Buy from your favorite ebook store "When we say 'deal,' we mean it — many of BookBub's titles are free entirely, $0.99, or just a couple of bucks." — Lifehacker "Bargain-basement deals on ebooks." — The New York Times Join millions of happy readers saving money on ebooks every day. Questions? Visit bookbub.com/apphelp
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: BookBub at every 3 weeks against Edmonton Public Library's every 3 months. BookBub also leads on chart position (#65 vs unranked). Edmonton Public Library's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, 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.
Edmonton Public Library ships an update every 3 months, BookBub every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Edmonton Public Library | BookBub |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.7 (960 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.8% of reviews | 54.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 960 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #65 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Edmonton Public Library (AB) | Pubmark Inc. |
Customer experience
Edmonton Public Library
BookBub
User reviews
Edmonton Public Library
From App Store reviewsWhat we love
- 👍 Useful for accessing books
- 👍 Can use app instead of library card
- 👍 Works great, usually doesn't lag
- 👍 Great for reserving books/movies
- 👍 User-friendly and simple
Room to improve
- 🐌 Slow to open
- 🔄 Spinning thing spins
- 🐌 Sooo slow
- 🐛 App crashes
- 🐛 App is useless
BookBub
From 960 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Great deals on books
- 📚 Variety of genres and authors
- 💰 Affordable and free books
- 🔍 Personalized recommendations
Room to improve
- 🔒 Limited to Apple Books only
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 📝 Inability to leave reviews
- 🔁 Repeated email subscriptions
Bugs and requests
Edmonton Public Library
Reported bugs
21 issues- Server error when logging in
- App crashes when clicking on card
- Login issues (account doesn't exist/password incorrect)
- Borrowing and my shelves tabs do not load
- No app icon on iPad
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- App unusable on iPhone 6
- Check out website login required after app login
- Due soon, overdue, ready etc. show dashes instead of numbers
- Screen rotates back to upright when scanning barcode
- Map view of library locations is gone
- Auto checkouts not seamless
- App doesn't work within the library
- Done and cancel buttons do not respond in refine search
- Done and Cancel buttons no longer work in filter
- Refine search function not working
- App crashes when going to 'my epl'
- Cannot move items on 'in progress' shelf
- Checked out books not listed chronologically
- Not all items checked out are listed
- App hasn't been working very well lately
- Sometimes have to login 4 or 5 times
Requested features
18 requests- Add notifications for pickup/due dates
- Add dark mode
- Add library card to Apple Wallet
- Add wallet support for library card
- Add wallet support for library card
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Add wallet support for library card
- Add Apple Wallet function to library card
- Add Passbook compatibility for library card
- Add Passbook integration for library card
- More specific and apparent genres
- More customizable search
- Encourage users to rate materials
- Preview available material with better information
- Retain 'On Order' accessibility from previous versions
- Add map view of library locations
- Add notifications on app icon
- Add dark mode
- Add Apple Wallet support
BookBub
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes or freezes during use
- Sign-up and login issues
- Incompatibility with certain devices or operating systems
Requested features
4 requests- Add support for Kindle and other ebook platforms
- Implement search and filtering options
- Allow users to manage their reading lists and leave reviews
- Improve email subscription management
In-app purchases
Edmonton Public Library
No in-app purchases
BookBub
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Edmonton Public Library free?
Is BookBub free?
Do Edmonton Public Library or BookBub have ads?
Which is updated more often, Edmonton Public Library or BookBub?
Other comparisons
