# iCollect Books vs LibraryThing

The clearest difference is rating: iCollect Books at 4.6 against LibraryThing's 3.5. iCollect Books also leads on ratings volume (4.1K vs 278) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 weeks). LibraryThing's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iCollect Books sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. LibraryThing asks for nothing beyond the download.

iCollect Books holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iCollect Books has 4.1K ratings behind it against 278, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of iCollect Books's written reviews are positive against 48% of LibraryThing's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

iCollect Books ships an update every 2 weeks, LibraryThing every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iCollect Books | LibraryThing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icollect-books-library-list/id476621639/reviews)** | [3.5 (278 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | 278 |
| Positive reviews | 43.3% of reviews | **48.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 39 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iCollect Everything, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1505869775) | [LibraryThing.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/397718884) |

## What reviewers say

### iCollect Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icollect-books-library-list/id476621639)

Organize and manage any book collection, from personal libraries to classroom inventories. Features include barcode scanning, cloud backup, and cross-device syncing. Customize layouts and export your data.

**Highlights:** Manage and inventory any book, Barcode scanning and database search, Cloud backup and sync across devices, Customizable layouts and fields, Exporting and importing capabilities, Store multiple images per book, Track personal details like loan status and purchase price

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Books | $29.99 | per year |
| Pro User - Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| 50 AI Identification Scans | $9.99 | one-time |
| 250 AI Identification Scans | $44.99 | one-time |
| Add Unlimited Books | $49.99 | one-time |
| 500 AI Identification Scans | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Useful for cataloging book collections
- 📸 Ability to add book cover photos
- 🔍 Helpful for avoiding duplicate book purchases
- 🔍 Provides a way to keep track of loaned books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paid version required to add more than 30 books
- 🐛 Bugs causing data loss or app crashes
- 🔍 Limited book database, requiring manual entry
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/sorting books by author's last name
- 🔍 Inconsistent book data (incorrect covers, authors, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing or freezing when adding/editing books
- Randomly deleting or losing previously added books
- Login/account issues preventing access to data

**Requested features**

- Add ability to sort/filter by book genre
- Improve search functionality and book data accuracy
- Allow customization of data fields and organization
- Provide an option to keep collection data private


### LibraryThing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarything/id948824489)

Catalog your personal book, DVD, and CD collections. Easily add items by searching or scanning barcodes. Enhance your catalog with high-resolution cover photos and browse your collection visually.

**Highlights:** Catalog books, DVDs, and CDs, Search for media items, Scan ISBN barcodes, Add high-resolution cover photos, Browse collection by cover type

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick barcode scanning
- 👍 Useful for cataloging library
- 🚀 Fast book addition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔍 Limited search and editing capabilities
- 🤖 Outdated and dated UI

**Reported bugs**

- Barcode scanner not working
- Books disappearing from catalog
- Editing and saving issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to create custom collections
- Offline access to library
- Integration with other book apps
- Lending/loan tracking feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iCollect Books free?

iCollect Books is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is LibraryThing free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iCollect Books or LibraryThing?

iCollect Books is rated higher. iCollect Books averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while LibraryThing averages 3.5 from 278 ratings.

### Do iCollect Books or LibraryThing have ads?

Neither iCollect Books nor LibraryThing shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iCollect Books or LibraryThing?

iCollect Books ships an update every 2 weeks, and LibraryThing every 4 weeks. Most recently, iCollect Books was updated on September 23, 2026 and LibraryThing on September 24, 2026.

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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.*