# BookBuddy Pro vs LibraryThing

The clearest difference is price: LibraryThing at Free against BookBuddy Pro's $9.99. LibraryThing also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 26.0). BookBuddy Pro's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 3.5) and review sentiment (87% vs 48%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

LibraryThing is free to download; BookBuddy Pro costs $9.99 up front. BookBuddy Pro sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. LibraryThing asks for nothing beyond the download.

BookBuddy Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BookBuddy Pro has 6K ratings behind it against 278, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of BookBuddy Pro's written reviews are positive against 48% of LibraryThing's.

BookBuddy Pro ships an update every 10 days, LibraryThing every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BookBuddy Pro | LibraryThing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbuddy-pro-book-tracker/id395149950/reviews)** | [3.5 (278 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6K** | 278 |
| Positive reviews | **86.9% of reviews** | 48.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#38** | — |
| Size | 33 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kimico, Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/395149953) | [LibraryThing.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/397718884) |

## What reviewers say

### BookBuddy Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookbuddy-pro-book-tracker/id395149950)

**Currently charting:** #38 Top Paid · Book (US App Store)

Manage your entire book collection digitally. Easily add books by scanning, searching, or manual entry. Organize your library, track borrowed and lent items, and gain insights into your reading habits. Share your collection online with others.

**Highlights:** Scan barcodes to add books, Organize books into categories, Track borrowed and lent books, Sync library across devices, Share library online, Analyze reading statistics, Manage classroom libraries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Online Sharing Std (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Online Sharing Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Online Sharing Std (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Online Sharing Pro (Yearly) | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient scanning and cataloging
- 🚀 Customizable organization
- 🚀 Helpful customer support
- 🚀 Affordable one-time purchase

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional syncing issues
- 🐛 Limited search functionality
- 🐛 Difficulty adding ebooks and audiobooks
- 🐛 Inability to batch edit or assign multiple categories

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after recent updates
- Incorrect book information pulled from database
- Scanning issues with older or international books

**Requested features**

- Ability to add multiple authors per book
- Option to sort by publication date or series order
- Integration with ebook/audiobook platforms
- Batch editing and multi-select capabilities
- Online/cloud-based access to library


### LibraryThing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489)

Catalog your personal book, DVD, and CD collections. Easily add items by searching or scanning barcodes. Enhance your catalog with high-resolution cover photos and browse your collection visually.

**Highlights:** Catalog books, DVDs, and CDs, Search for media items, Scan ISBN barcodes, Add high-resolution cover photos, Browse collection by cover type

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick barcode scanning
- 👍 Useful for cataloging library
- 🚀 Fast book addition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔍 Limited search and editing capabilities
- 🤖 Outdated and dated UI

**Reported bugs**

- Barcode scanner not working
- Books disappearing from catalog
- Editing and saving issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to create custom collections
- Offline access to library
- Integration with other book apps
- Lending/loan tracking feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BookBuddy Pro free?

BookBuddy Pro costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is LibraryThing free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BookBuddy Pro or LibraryThing?

BookBuddy Pro is rated higher. BookBuddy Pro averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6K ratings, while LibraryThing averages 3.5 from 278 ratings.

### Do BookBuddy Pro or LibraryThing have ads?

Neither BookBuddy Pro nor LibraryThing shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BookBuddy Pro or LibraryThing?

BookBuddy Pro ships an update every 10 days, and LibraryThing every 4 weeks. Most recently, BookBuddy Pro was updated on September 23, 2026 and LibraryThing on September 24, 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.*