# CloudLibrary vs The Palace Project

The clearest difference is review sentiment: CloudLibrary at 56% against The Palace Project's 27%. CloudLibrary also leads on ratings volume (253K vs 5.2K) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). The Palace Project's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

CloudLibrary holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CloudLibrary has 253K ratings behind it against 5.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of CloudLibrary's written reviews are positive against 27% of The Palace Project's.

CloudLibrary ships an update every 6 weeks, The Palace Project fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CloudLibrary | The Palace Project |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (253K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cloudlibrary/id466446054/reviews)** | [4.6 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-palace-project/id1574359693/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **253K** | 5.2K |
| Positive reviews | **56.5% of reviews** | 26.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | #85 |
| Size | 161 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [OCLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/438286724) | [The Palace Project](https://appshunter.io/developer/1574359695) |

## What reviewers say

### CloudLibrary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cloudlibrary/id466446054)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Borrow physical and digital items, Access eBooks and Audiobooks, Manage multiple library accounts, Receive due-date reminders, Discover library events, Personalize reading experience

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient access to library books
- 🚀 Wide selection of books
- 👍 Great resource during the pandemic
- 👍 Ability to read/listen on multiple devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Unreliable page/progress tracking
- 🐛 Inconsistent user experience
- 🐛 Slow performance and loading times
- 🐛 Confusing navigation and interface

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### The Palace Project

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-palace-project/id1574359693)

**Currently charting:** #85 Top Free · Book (US App Store)

Access and enjoy e-books and audiobooks from your local library for free. Discover new titles, borrow them instantly with your library card, and read or listen anywhere. Even without a participating library, enjoy a collection of free books.

**Highlights:** Borrow e-books and audiobooks, Access local library collections, Read or listen to books, Free Palace Bookshelf collection, Requires library card for full access

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great selection of books
- 💡 Convenient access to library books
- 👍 Simple and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- 🤯 Inconsistent user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Books not downloading properly
- Losing place in audiobooks
- Crashing and freezing issues
- Incompatibility with certain devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to track read/listened books
- Improved audiobook playback controls
- Dark mode option
- Integration with Kindle


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CloudLibrary free?

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

### Is The Palace Project free?

The Palace Project is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, CloudLibrary or The Palace Project?

CloudLibrary is rated higher. CloudLibrary averages 4.8 out of 5 from 253K ratings, while The Palace Project averages 4.6 from 5.2K ratings.

### Do CloudLibrary or The Palace Project have ads?

Neither CloudLibrary nor The Palace Project shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CloudLibrary or The Palace Project?

CloudLibrary ships an update every 6 weeks, and The Palace Project fortnightly. Most recently, CloudLibrary was updated on September 24, 2026 and The Palace Project on September 22, 2026.

### Which is more popular, CloudLibrary or The Palace Project?

CloudLibrary currently peaks at #25 in the App Store charts, and The Palace Project at #85. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*