BorrowBox vs NLB Mobile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BorrowBox
Access a vast digital library of eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers from your local library. Browse, borrow, and enjoy content on any device with seamless syncing and personalized features.
- Borrow eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, eNewspapers
- All library formats in one app
- Read and listen directly in the app
- Curated collections and themes
- Multi-language browsing
- Automatic new issue downloads
- Cross-device syncing
- Adjustable playback speed and sleep timer
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Discover the Ultimate Library Experience – Borrow eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers – All in One Place. With BorrowBox, browsing, borrowing, reading, or listening has never been simpler. Take your library with you, wherever you go, whenever you want. If your local library offers BorrowBox, simply sign in with your membership details to unlock a world of digital reading and listening. ALL YOUR LIBRARY FAVOURITES, ONE APP Explore eAudiobooks, eBooks, eMagazines, and eNewspapers – all the formats your library offers, all in one place. EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE Read or listen to your borrowed titles directly in the app. No extra downloads, no extra steps. MADE FOR YOU Enjoy curated collections and themes that make discovering your next read and listen a breeze. BROWSE IN ANY LANGUAGE Our Language Browsing feature makes it simple to find content in multiple languages, tailored for different audiences. NEVER MISS A RELEASE Subscribe to your favourite eMagazines or eNewspapers, and they’ll be borrowed and downloaded automatically as new issues arrive. STAY IN SYNC Your reading and listening progress seamlessly follows you across all your devices. TAILORED TO YOU Set a sleep timer for your eAudiobooks, add your favourites to your reading lists, and adjust playback speed to suit your listening style.
NLB Mobile
Access a vast collection of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and newspapers. Borrow physical items, take online courses, and manage your library account and family's accounts easily. Discover new digital resources and log in securely with QR Login.
- Read ebooks and audiobooks
- Access eMagazines and eNewspapers
- Take online courses
- Borrow physical library items
- Manage library accounts
- QR Login for easy sign-in
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This application is brought to you by the National Library Board, a Singapore Government Agency. Discover a world of learning with the NLB Mobile app, anywhere, anytime: • Read ebooks and listen to audiobooks • Read current eMagazines and eNewspapers • Access online courses • Borrow physical library items using your mobile device • Discover new digital resources and sign in to our websites easily with QR Login • Manage your library account, and also your family’s accounts
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BorrowBox at 4.7 against NLB Mobile's 3.3. BorrowBox also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 41%) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). NLB Mobile's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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.
BorrowBox holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BorrowBox has 865 ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of BorrowBox's written reviews are positive against 41% of NLB Mobile's.
BorrowBox ships an update weekly, NLB Mobile monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BorrowBox | NLB Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (865 ratings) — better | 3.3 (35 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.6% of reviews — better | 41.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 865 — better | 35 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #108 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 166 MB | 122 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bolinda digital | National Library Board Singapore |
Customer experience
BorrowBox
NLB Mobile
Bugs and requests
BorrowBox
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes after recent update
- Loses reading progress when switching devices
- Night mode issues with invisible text
- Audiobook controls not working with Bluetooth
- Inconsistent behavior when using sleep timer
Requested features
5 requests- Add a wishlist or reading list feature
- Improve search and filtering capabilities
- Implement bookmark/progress tracking for audiobooks
- Integrate with Apple CarPlay for safer driving
- Add user reviews and ratings for books
NLB Mobile
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BorrowBox
No in-app purchases
NLB Mobile
No in-app purchases
