Comparison

HPL Mobile vs OPL Mobile

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

Head to head
About

HPL Mobile

Access a vast digital collection of books, movies, and music. Manage your library account, discover new content through staff recommendations, and stay updated on library events and services.

Highlights
  • Digital collection access
  • Online library card registration
  • Virtual program viewing
  • Collection search and saving
  • Hold management
  • Item renewal
  • Library hours and locations
Features
Read full description

Hamilton Public Library: Discover new books, movies, music, plan your next visit, and browse recommendations from library staff. Features: - Register today for your online library card - Download eBooks, eAudiobooks, music and more - Watch virtual programs - Search the collection and save titles for later - Place and manage holds - Renew checked out items - Check library hours, locations, services and events

About

OPL Mobile

Manage your library account on the go. Search for titles, check availability, place holds, and download digital content. Access branch information and keep track of your reading interests.

Highlights
  • Search library collection with filters
  • View title details and community reviews
  • Check item availability and location
  • Place holds and download digital media
  • Manage account (renewals, due dates)
  • Track reading interests and ratings
  • Browse bestsellers and new releases
  • Find branch hours and directions
Features
Read full description

Keep a library in your pocket! OPL Mobile makes it easy to find and discover titles, manage your account, and get the branch and availability information you need. Features: • quickly search the collection, with filters to zero-in on the kinds of titles you’re looking for • get the details on any title, anytime and anywhere, including descriptions, community reviews and commentary • check a title’s availability – even map the locations where your title is available now • place holds and download digital books, audiobooks, and even movies • manage your account: check to see if your holds are ready, renew titles, suspend holds, or instantly see the date your next title is due • keep track of your interests: rate a title yourself with one touch or add a title to your ‘For Later’ list • browse bestsellers, new titles, and recent reviews • check branch hours or get directions to the nearest branch of the Ottawa Public Library. Gardez toute une bibliothèque dans votre poche! BPO Mobile vous permet de facilement trouver et découvrir des titres, gérer votre compte et obtenir les renseignements sur les succursales et la disponibilité dont vous avez besoin. Caractéristiques : • effectuez une recherche rapide de la collection, avec filtres vous permettant de repérer les genres de titres que vous cherchez • obtenez des détails au sujet de n’importe quel titre, en tout temps et à partir de n’importe où, y compris des descriptions, des comptes rendus et des commentaires de la communauté • vérifiez la disponibilité d’un titre – et consultez même une carte qui vous illustre où il se trouve à l’heure actuelle • réservez et téléchargez des livres numériques, des livres audionumériques, et même des films • gérez votre compte : vérifiez si vos demandes sont prêtes, renouvelez des titres, mettez des demandes en attente ou vérifiez instantanément la date à laquelle votre prochain titre arrive à échéance • faites un suivi de vos intérêts : évaluez un titre vous-même à l’aide d’une seule touche ou ajoutez un titre à votre liste « Mettre de côté » • furetez les succès d’édition, les nouveaux titres et les plus récents comptes rendus • consultez les heures d’ouverture des succursales ou obtenez les directions pour vous rendre à la succursale de la Bibliothèque publique d’Ottawa la plus près de chez vous.

Screenshots

HPL Mobile4 screens
OPL Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HPL Mobile at 53% against OPL Mobile's 26%. HPL Mobile also leads on rating (2.9 vs 2.6). OPL Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (85 vs 8). On price, update cadence, 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

HPL Mobile holds the better App Store score, 2.9 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OPL Mobile has 85 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of HPL Mobile's written reviews are positive against 26% of OPL Mobile's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HPL Mobile versus OPL Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHPL MobileOPL Mobile
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.9 (8 ratings) — better2.6 (85 ratings)
Positive reviews52.8% of reviews — better25.9% of reviews
Number of ratings885 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Hamilton Public Library BoardOttawa Public Library

Customer experience

HPL Mobile

Written reviews36 reviews
Positive52.8%
Neutral22.2%
Negative25.0%

OPL Mobile

Written reviews58 reviews
Positive25.9%
Neutral13.8%
Negative60.3%

Bugs and requests

HPL Mobile

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

OPL Mobile

Reported bugs

53 issues
  • Latest version no longer works on iPad
  • Crashes a lot
  • Constantly running into errors
  • Logs me out repeatedly
  • New update makes app painful to use
Show 48 more
  • Barcode scanning feature doesn't work
  • Can't see books checked out
  • Have to log in every time
  • App doesn't connect at all
  • Format changes frequently
  • Re-enter password every time
  • Landscape option disappeared
  • Most screens do not load on iPad
  • Buggy, crashy, laggy
  • Search just unusable
  • Very slow
  • Says zero books checked out
  • Not alerted to holds
  • Terrible version
  • Limited functionality
  • No possibility to read reviews
  • Full item details do not contain live links
  • Not a great upgrade, slow and awful
  • Can't find things
  • Features from previous version don't work
  • Worst app ever
  • Can't load onto iPad
  • Buttons are useless
  • Adds book to 'for later' but only shows one
  • Doesn't work properly
  • Can't hold anything, confirm hold button doesn't appear
  • Not user-friendly, no indication of successful hold
  • Items automatically move to 'For Later' shelf
  • Unstable, crashes
  • Lots of glitches
  • Icon is white with lines
  • Library card pops up and brightens screen randomly
  • Difficult to navigate, almost impossible to comprehend
  • App doesn't show up on screen
  • Huge image of library card where access should be
  • Too cluttered and busy
  • Navigation is terrible
  • Filters are really bad
  • Password doesn't save
  • Formats available don't show up on download
  • Can't scan barcode easily
  • Booking system requires re-login
  • Borrowed history function doesn't work
  • Orientation locked to portrait
  • App froze at barcode picture
  • Online resources links don't work
  • Barcode presented in landscape mode
  • Latest update keeps asking for barcode and PIN

Requested features

23 requests
  • Add library card to Apple Wallet
  • Larger variation of French audiobooks
  • More science and non-fiction audiobooks in French
  • Notifications instead of emails
  • Push notifications
Show 18 more
  • Option to turn on push notifications
  • Info about book series
  • Download audiobooks and ebooks directly from the app
  • Streamline multiple apps
  • Search with filters within the app
  • Ability to read reviews on a title
  • Live links for author names
  • Schedule hold pick up
  • Book equipment
  • Fix barcode scanning orientation
  • Allow barcode to rotate to portrait mode
  • Better notifications
  • Download digital products directly
  • Make audiobook/ebook download easier
  • Add 'For Later' and other virtual shelves
  • Improve navigation and categories
  • Add a small icon on the app icon for due items/holds
  • Fix branch hours display

In-app purchases

None

HPL Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

OPL Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HPL Mobile free?
HPL Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OPL Mobile free?
OPL Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HPL Mobile or OPL Mobile?
HPL Mobile is rated higher. HPL Mobile averages 2.9 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while OPL Mobile averages 2.6 from 85 ratings.
Do HPL Mobile or OPL Mobile have ads?
Neither HPL Mobile nor OPL Mobile shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HPL Mobile or OPL Mobile?
HPL Mobile ships an update every 3 months, and OPL Mobile every 3 months. Most recently, HPL Mobile was updated on October 16, 2026 and OPL Mobile on October 18, 2026.

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