Edmonton Public Library vs VPL Mobile
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.
VPL Mobile
Access your Vancouver Public Library account on the go. Borrow ebooks and audiobooks, manage holds, and discover new titles with staff recommendations. Your library card is now digital.
- Borrow ebooks and audiobooks
- Manage holds
- Digital library barcode
- Search library catalog
- Save titles for later
- Check hours and locations
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Use Vancouver Public Library app to discover new titles, borrow ebooks and audiobooks, place and manage holds, check your account, browse staff recommendations and more. Features: - Search the library catalogue - Display your library barcode on your phone - Check library hours and locations - Scan ISBN barcodes - Save titles for later
Screenshots
Verdict
Edmonton Public Library and VPL Mobile are too close to call on the numbers: across 8 compared parameters — price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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, VPL Mobile every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.
| Parameter | Edmonton Public Library | VPL Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 3.9 (32 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.8% of reviews — better | 47.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 32 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Edmonton Public Library (AB) | Vancouver Public Library Board |
Customer experience
Edmonton Public Library
VPL Mobile
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
VPL Mobile
From 32 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Seamless progress remembering (reader)
- 💡 Barcode scanning for books
- 👍 Intuitive and functional
- 🚀 Quick account access
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy after iOS updates
- 🐛 Constantly needs re-login
- 🐛 Slow to open and navigate
- 🐛 Incredibly slow performance
- 🐛 Old and neglected UI
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
VPL Mobile
Reported bugs
29 issues- Buggy after updating to iOS17
- Not remembering login/session
- Error messages when loading content
- Constantly need to sign in
- App crashes a lot
Show 24 moreShow fewer
- Puts books never ordered in completed section
- Crashes when trying to access shelves
- New app very slow to open
- Old UI with bad user experience
- App crashes and does weird things
- Terrible app for accessing ebooks
- No way to search ebooks by availability
- No way to put ebooks on hold
- App sucks
- Won't accept password
- Not optimized for iPhone X
- Clunky UI
- Library card screen unreadable by library scanners
- Crashy McCrasherson version 2.0
- App opens but crashes on any interaction
- Needs to be updated and optimized
- Newest update: cannot see pictures of books
- Since the update can't open this app
- Login screen is blank since updating to iOS 7
- No longer lets me log in with iOS 7
- Cannot log in with iOS 7
- Doesn't work on iOS 7
- App just loads and loads and nothing works with iOS 7
- Search function seizes up & times out
Requested features
13 requests- Apple Wallet support
- Notifications for book readiness
- Option to turn on notifications
- Add children's accounts to parent account
- Add library card to Wallet/Passbook
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Optimize for newer iPhone models
- Improve barcode scanning for library scanners
- Add predictive search functionality
- Show book covers
- Map of nearby libraries
- Section for upcoming VPL events
- Dark mode option
- Option to choose 12/24 hour clock
In-app purchases
Edmonton Public Library
No in-app purchases
VPL Mobile
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Edmonton Public Library free?
Is VPL Mobile free?
Do Edmonton Public Library or VPL Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, Edmonton Public Library or VPL Mobile?
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