CloudLibrary vs Libby, the library app
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CloudLibrary
Manage your library account and discover new content. Borrow physical items, access eBooks and audiobooks, and receive helpful reminders. Personalize your reading experience and stay organized with this intuitive library companion.
- Borrow physical and digital items
- Access eBooks and Audiobooks
- Manage multiple library accounts
- Receive due-date reminders
- Discover library events
- Personalize reading experience
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A must-have app for library users! Easily borrow physical items using your mobile device, receive reminders, manage receipts and discover new digital content all within the CloudLibrary app! Extremely intuitive, all it takes is a library card to login and get started! Designed for an enjoyable experience, users can benefit from many new features, depending on their library’s subscription. - Easily accessible library card, which conveniently displays when you’re near the library - Switch accounts with ease and manage multiple library cards from one mobile device - Download and enjoy free eBooks and Audiobooks - Keep track of your physical and digital library activity in one place - Receive helpful receipts, due-date reminders and packable checklists - Visible push notifications alert when hold items are available - View upcoming library events and programs - Checkout print items at your library using your mobile device - Fun and loveable customizations include Themes, Avatars and Nicknames For libraries that have a subscription to offer eBooks and Audiobooks: - Customize your homepage bookshelves to display your preferred genres - Simple interface makes browsing and saving titles a breeze - Filter content by format, availability and language to display exactly what you are looking for - Mark titles as favorites or read to help with literary conversations with friends - Sync digital content across multiple devices to easily pick up where you left off - View current books, full reading history, items on hold and saved titles in one place - Sort titles by name or author to easily find what you’re looking for - Receive reading recommendations or view additional titles by author or series - Select font size, margins and background colors to create your preferred reading experience - Search eBooks for a particular phrase to get back to that one spot you wanted to reference - Bookmark pages and add notes if needed - Return titles early when you’re finished and make available for other readers Elevate your library experience today with the CloudLibrary app!
Libby, the library app
Access millions of free ebooks and audiobooks from your local library. Borrow titles instantly with your library card, download for offline enjoyment, and enjoy a customizable reading and listening experience.
- Borrow ebooks and audiobooks
- Download for offline access
- Send ebooks to Kindle
- Adjust reader settings
- Customize audio player
- Create book lists
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All over the world, local libraries offer millions of ebooks and audiobooks. You can borrow them — for free, instantly — with a library card and Libby: the award-winning, much-loved app for libraries. • Browse your library’s digital catalog of books — from classics to NYT best-sellers • Borrow and enjoy ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines • Download titles for offline reading, or stream them to save space • Send ebooks to your Kindle (U.S. libraries only) • Listen to audiobooks via Apple CarPlay • Use tags to create your must-read list and any other book lists you want • Keep your reading position automatically synced on all your devices In our beautiful, intuitive ebook reader: • Adjust text size, background color, and book design • Zoom into magazines and comic books • Define and search for words and phrases • Read and listen to read-alongs with your kids • Add bookmarks, notes, and highlights In our ground-breaking audio player: • Slow down or speed up the audio (0.6 to 3.0x) • Set a sleep timer • Simply swipe to skip forward and backward • Add bookmarks, notes, and highlights Libby is built by the team at OverDrive, in support of local libraries everywhere. Happy reading!
Screenshots
Verdict
CloudLibrary and Libby, the library app both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of Libby, the library app's written reviews are positive against 56% of CloudLibrary's. Libby, the library app also leads on ratings volume (4.4M vs 259K) and chart position (#2 vs #25). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for CloudLibrary against 4.9 for Libby, the library app. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Libby, the library app has 4.4M ratings behind it against 259K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of CloudLibrary's written reviews are positive against 84% of Libby, the library app's.
CloudLibrary ships an update every 6 weeks, Libby, the library app monthly. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.
| Parameter | CloudLibrary | Libby, the library app |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (259K ratings) | 4.9 (4.4M ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 56.5% of reviews | 83.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 259K | 4.4M — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #25 | #2 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 164 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | OCLC | OverDrive, Inc. |
Customer experience
CloudLibrary
Libby, the library app
User reviews
CloudLibrary
From 259K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient access to library books
- 🚀 Wide selection of books
- 👍 Great resource during the pandemic
- 👍 Ability to read/listen on multiple devices
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Unreliable page/progress tracking
- 🐛 Inconsistent user experience
- 🐛 Slow performance and loading times
- 🐛 Confusing navigation and interface
Libby, the library app
From 4.4M App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📚 Extensive library of books and audiobooks
- 🔍 Convenient search and browsing features
- 🔖 Easy to manage holds and returns
- 🔄 Seamless syncing across devices
- 🕰️ Automatic returns to avoid late fees
Room to improve
- 🕰️ Long wait times for popular titles
- 🔍 Confusing search and filtering options
- 🤯 Buggy and unstable performance
- 🔒 Lack of offline reading/listening
- 📚 Limited selection in some genres
Bugs and requests
CloudLibrary
Reported bugs
5 issues- Inability to open/download books
- Losing place in books when reopening app
- Random page skipping and jumps
- Corrupted library data and lost reading history
- Frequent login issues and errors
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Improved search and browsing functionality
- Better integration with other reading apps (e.g. Kindle)
- Progress tracking and bookmarking improvements
- Option to extend loan periods
Libby, the library app
Reported bugs
5 issues- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Issues with downloading and syncing content
- Unreliable playback controls for audiobooks
- Inconsistent behavior when placing holds
- Disappearing reading history and bookmarks
Requested features
6 requests- Ability to search across multiple libraries
- Custom reading/listening speed controls
- Improved recommendation and discovery tools
- Option to purchase unavailable titles
- Customizable reading experience (fonts, themes)
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- Integration with other e-book/audiobook services
In-app purchases
CloudLibrary
No in-app purchases
Libby, the library app
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is CloudLibrary free?
Is Libby, the library app free?
Which has better reviews, CloudLibrary or Libby, the library app?
Do CloudLibrary or Libby, the library app have ads?
Which is updated more often, CloudLibrary or Libby, the library app?
Which is more popular, CloudLibrary or Libby, the library app?
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