JoCoLibrary vs Freading
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
JoCoLibrary
Discover new books, place holds on desired titles, and plan your upcoming visits to the library. This app provides a convenient way to manage your reading list and library interactions.
- Browse new titles
- Place holds
- Plan library visits
- Manage reading list
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Browse the JoCoLibrary app to find new titles, place holds, and plan your next visit.
Freading
This app allows users to read EPUB and PDF books downloaded from participating libraries. It supports Adobe DRM and offers a comfortable reading experience with features like page turning and adjustable text size.
- Read EPUB and PDF books
- Adobe DRM support
- Tap or swipe page turning
- Remembers last page read
- Selectable text size
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The Freading application is for reading EPUB books and PDF books. The application was developed for users of the Freading Ebook Service. The Freading (free reading) Ebook Service was developed by Library Ideas, LLC and is sold to libraries of all types around the world. End users are registered cardholders of participating libraries. Check with your local library for participation. The end user should use their browser to navigate the library website, then download the book from a library website into this application. Once in the application, the EPUB or PDF book can be explored and read. The Freading application is designed to lend full support for Adobe DRM and uses Adobe ID for Authentication. The Freading application includes many features that you would expect for a good reading experience such as tap or swipe to turn pages, remembering the last page read, and selectable text size.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Freading at 4.6 against JoCoLibrary's 3.7. Freading also leads on ratings volume (2.9K vs 23) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). JoCoLibrary's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 17%) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Freading holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freading has 2.9K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of JoCoLibrary's written reviews are positive against 17% of Freading's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
JoCoLibrary ships an update every 3 months, Freading every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | JoCoLibrary | Freading |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (23 ratings) | 4.6 (2.9K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 56.3% of reviews — better | 16.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 23 | 2.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Johnson County Library | Library Ideas, LLC |
Customer experience
JoCoLibrary
Freading
Bugs and requests
JoCoLibrary
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Freading
Reported bugs
3 issues- Books fail to download or open
- App crashes when trying to access downloaded books
- Login process is unreliable and inconsistent
Requested features
4 requests- Improve app stability and reliability
- Enhance user interface and navigation
- Expand book selection and search capabilities
- Streamline login and authentication process
In-app purchases
JoCoLibrary
No in-app purchases
Freading
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is JoCoLibrary free?
Is Freading free?
Which has better reviews, JoCoLibrary or Freading?
Do JoCoLibrary or Freading have ads?
Which is updated more often, JoCoLibrary or Freading?
Other comparisons
