Comparison

BorrowBox vs Foyles

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Foyles

Discover new and notable books, track your reading wishlists, and earn rewards with a loyalty program. Browse international and inspirational literature, check stock, and reserve items for collection.

Highlights
  • Browse new and notable books
  • Discover international literature
  • Manage reading wishlists
  • Earn rewards with Foyalty program
  • Check stock and Click & Collect
Features
Read full description

Welcome book lover, you are among friends. The Foyles app brings over 120 years of distinctive bookselling to you, wherever you are. ~ Browse for the best books: everything new, notable, and impossible to ignore. ~ Discover the best international, inspirational, and insightful literature. ~ Track everything you want to read in one place: build, manage and share wish lists. ~ Earn free stuff with Foyalty! Spend £10 and receive a stamp, collect ten stamps to earn £10. ~ Check our stock and then Click & Collect to reserve it in your local shop.

Screenshots

BorrowBox4 screens
Foyles4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Foyles at 100% against BorrowBox's 77%. Foyles also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). BorrowBox's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#91 vs unranked). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BorrowBox ships an update every 6 days, Foyles every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
BorrowBox versus Foyles: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBorrowBoxFoyles
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (876 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings876 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#91 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size165 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBolinda digitalWaterstones Booksellers Ltd

Customer experience

BorrowBox

All ratings872 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.1%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews1,593 reviews
Positive76.6%
Neutral10.5%
Negative12.9%

Foyles

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Foyles

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BorrowBox

No in-app purchases

None

Foyles

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BorrowBox free?
BorrowBox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Foyles free?
Foyles is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do BorrowBox or Foyles have ads?
Neither BorrowBox nor Foyles shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BorrowBox or Foyles?
BorrowBox ships an update every 6 days, and Foyles every 3 weeks. Most recently, BorrowBox was updated on October 31, 2026 and Foyles on October 30, 2026.

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