CloudLibrary vs BARD Mobile
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!
BARD Mobile
Access a vast digital library of audiobooks, electronic braille books, magazines, and music scores. This service is provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled to eligible US residents and citizens abroad who cannot read standard print.
- Tens of thousands of books
- Current best sellers and classics
- Popular magazines
- Music instruction and scores
- Audio and electronic braille formats
- New selections added daily
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CARRY A LIBRARY IN YOUR POCKET Access tens of thousands of books—from current best sellers to much-loved classics, popular magazines, and music instruction and scores—in audio and electronic braille, with new selections added daily. WHO IS ELIGIBLE? BARD Mobile is a service of NLS. NLS provides free audio and braille reading materials to residents of the US and American citizens living abroad who cannot read regular print. If you are blind or have temporary or permanent low vision or a physical or reading disability that prevents you from holding or reading the printed page, you may be eligible for this program. For more information, visit https://www.loc.gov/nls/about/eligibility-for-nls-services. HOW DO I GET STARTED? This app allows access for eligible users who have enrolled in the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the Library of Congress. To enroll, call 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323) and follow the prompts to find your state. Or to learn more at https://www.loc.gov/thatallmayread. If you are already an NLS patron, contact your cooperating NLS library to request a BARD account. You can find your library by visiting https://www.loc.gov/nls/find-a-local-library/. SUPPORT For support and help with BARD account issues, or to report bugs, email NLSDownload@loc.gov. For FAQ, visit https://www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/bard-access/nls-bard-frequently-asked-questions/. For the User Guides: https://www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/bard-access/bard-mobile-ios-version/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: CloudLibrary at 4.8 against BARD Mobile's 3.8. CloudLibrary also leads on ratings volume (259K vs 187) and chart position (#28 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, 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
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 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CloudLibrary has 259K ratings behind it against 187, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 57% and 58% positive.
CloudLibrary ships an update every 6 weeks, BARD Mobile every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CloudLibrary | BARD Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (259K ratings) — better | 3.8 (187 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews | 57.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 259K — better | 187 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #28 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 164 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | OCLC | Library Of Congress |
Customer experience
CloudLibrary
BARD Mobile
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
BARD Mobile
From 187 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📚 Massive library of audiobooks and magazines
- 👍 User-friendly interface with VoiceOver support
- 🎙️ Human narrators instead of text-to-speech
- 📱 Convenient mobile access to books
- ⚡ Ability to download books offline
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent login and authentication failures
- 🐛 Download queue issues and stalled downloads
- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 📵 Poor braille display compatibility
- 🔌 Inconsistent VoiceOver and accessibility support
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
BARD Mobile
Reported bugs
20 issues- Login credentials cannot be decrypted error
- Device registration failed when logging in from different locations
- Downloads stuck in queue indefinitely
- App crashes on iOS 26 and recent iOS versions
- VoiceOver focus jumping unexpectedly
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- Braille books display gibberish or won't advance properly
- Search results disappear when switching apps or receiving calls
- Playback stops when screen turns off
- Wireless headset stop button not responding
- Sleep timer not working correctly
- Books not syncing across multiple devices
- Account marked as suspended without reason
- Password reset functionality broken
- Airplay 2 compatibility issues
- Siri commands inconsistent
- Playback lag and stuttering
- Books fail to extract after download
- Recent downloads cannot be cleared
- Braille display connection issues
- Tone adjustment button not functioning
Requested features
18 requests- Genre and category filtering for book browsing
- Cross-device synchronization of bookmarks and reading position
- Equalizer and pitch shifter controls
- More playback speed options
- Volume control within the app
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- Rewind/fast-forward button customization
- Favorites list feature
- Book request/suggestion feature
- Web browser access within the app
- Braille text display alongside audio
- Dark mode for reduced brightness
- Table of contents for short story collections
- Customizable reading lists
- Ability to cleanup recent downloads
- USB flash drive support for storage
- Better book series organization
- Faster book addition to library
- Book sharing feature between patrons
In-app purchases
CloudLibrary
No in-app purchases
BARD Mobile
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is CloudLibrary free?
Is BARD Mobile free?
Which has better reviews, CloudLibrary or BARD Mobile?
Do CloudLibrary or BARD Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, CloudLibrary or BARD Mobile?
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